Joshua Riibe, Final Seen with Sudiksha Konanki, Returns to U.S.

The American faculty pupil who was the final particular person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive is lastly again residence within the U.S.

Joshua Riibe, 22, was issued a brand new passport on the U.S. Consulate and has returned to the U.S. together with his father, the legislation agency Guzmán Ariza confirmed to PEOPLE on Wednesday, March 19.

“On March 18th, following the conclusion of the habeas corpus listening to that ordered the discharge of our shopper, Joshua Riibe, the Prosecutor’s Workplace of La Altagracia knowledgeable him of their readiness to return his passport,” the legal professionals stated in an announcement. “Whereas Joshua appreciated this resolution, he selected, for privateness causes, to use for a brand new passport on the U.S. Consulate, which was promptly issued.”

“We’re happy to announce that Joshua and his father are at the moment touring again to their residence in america,” the legal professionals stated, earlier than later confirming that he has arrived.

The Iowa native expressed his need to return residence throughout a March 18 court docket listening to, which ended with the choose ruling he would now not be stored beneath police surveillance and that he was not thought of an individual of curiosity within the disappearance of Konanki.

Subsequently, Riibe struggled to reclaim his passport, however on March 19, prosecutors agreed to return Riibe’s journey paperwork.

The U.S. State Division stepped in to help Riibe in his quest to return residence.

A spokesperson for the company instructed PEOPLE that consular employees attended Riibe’s listening to on March 18, however declined to supply additional touch upon their efforts “attributable to privateness and different concerns.”

It had been unclear at the moment if Riibe could be allowed to depart the nation as soon as his passport was returned to him on March 20 or if he might need to stay within the Dominican Republic for a further week.

The choose’s order appeared to counsel Riibe was free to depart as soon as he obtained his passport. Thomas Julia of the Loudon County Sheriff’s Division instructed PEOPLE that there was a chance that the school pupil must keep on the island till his subsequent court docket listening to scheduled for March 28.

Riibe can even be capable to transfer freely across the nation, having largely been confined to his lodge in Punta Cana and trailed by police on the few events he was allowed to depart the property previous to the March 18 ruling.

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Police declared Riibe an individual of curiosity within the disappearance of Konanki, 20, shortly after the College of Pittsburgh pupil went lacking earlier this month. Since then, police have clarified they imagine Konanki drowned and no foul play is suspected.

Konanki’s dad and mom, Subbarayudu and Sreedevi Konanki, now imagine that their daughter drowned within the tough currents after she and Riibe went swimming within the early morning hours of March 6.

PEOPLE obtained a duplicate of the letter Konanki’s dad and mom despatched to authorities within the Dominican Republic earlier this week requesting a demise declaration, and saying that they don’t imagine Riibe is accountable for the demise of their daughter.

“The person final seen along with her is cooperating with the investigation, and no proof of foul play has been discovered,” wrote the couple.