Newly emerged footage reportedly shows missing Indian origin University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki possibly appearing to vomit at an outdoor bar in Punta Cana before she vanished earlier this month.
Local Dominican outlet Noticia SIN obtained two videos—one showing Konanki and her friends at a resort bar, and another capturing them in the lobby of the RIU Hotel & Resort in the hours leading up to her disappearance.
In the bar footage, a woman identified as Konanki appears to put her hand to her mouth before moving away to vomit in a grassy area. Moments later, she returns to the bar, jumping up and down and hugging a friend.
‘Person of Interest’ spotted in video
The footage also shows a man believed to be Joshua Riibe, 22, a senior at St. Cloud University and a person of interest in the case. He is seen bent over, appearing to struggle outside the bar as another young man comforts him. At one point, he vomits onto the ground.
Riibe was wearing the same clothing as in previously released surveillance footage that showed him walking arm-in-arm with Konanki less than two hours before her disappearance. However, the bar footage does not show Konanki and Riibe interacting, and they appear to be in separate groups.
Investigation ongoing
Konanki, a 20-year-old pre-med student, was on spring break in the Dominican Republic when she disappeared in the early hours of March 6. While local authorities initially suggested that she drowned in the ocean after entering the water with Riibe.
Riibe has been questioned multiple times by investigators due to conflicting statements about that night. He told authorities he pulled Konanki from the ocean, vomited from swallowing seawater, and then passed out. When he woke up, he went back to his hotel room, assuming Konanki had also left the beach.
Riibe under police monitoring
Although Riibe has not been charged with a crime, Dominican authorities have confiscated his passport to prevent him from leaving the country until further notice. His parents have since spoken out, claiming their son is being detained under irregular conditions.
Konanki’s disappearance has sparked a desperate search effort and mounting questions about what happened that night. Investigators continue to piece together events from the new footage as the case unfolds.
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