The last person to see 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki before she disappeared on a beach in the Dominican Republic has been cleared of any wrongdoing, the New York Post reported. St. Cloud State University senior Joshua Riibe, 22, was detained for nearly two weeks on the Caribbean island as authorities investigated Konanki’s disappearance. The Daily Mail reported that he called himself a “prisoner in paradise” after authorities deemed him a “person of interest” in the case who could serve as a potential witness. Riibe said he met Konanki at a bar at night, after which the two went to the beach, kissed, and swam before being caught in rough surf. Riibe said that he then had to save Konanki from a strong tide. After Riibe vomited and passed out on the beach, he awoke to find Konanki missing, he said, adding he thought Konanki had taken her belongings and left. After a prolonged investigation involving more than 300 law enforcement personnel, Konanki’s parents asked that their daughter be declared dead on March 17. Riibe was able to return to the Midwest days later.
