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Joshua Riibe has been named a person of interest in the 20-year-old University of Pennsylvania student's sudden vanishing while on vacation with friends in Punta Cana.
Riibe was identified by multiple outlets and can reportedly be seen on video with Konanki shortly before she vanished.
It is believed that he may be the last person to have seen her.
According to multiple reports, the incident remains a missing-person case, and Riibe, while interviewed at length, has not been charged criminally.
Officials said that Konanki, a citizen of India and permanent US resident, was last seen at 4:15 a.m. on Thursday, March 6, and that surveillance footage captured her and her friend just feet away from the entrance to the beach area before she disappeared.
As part of the expanded investigation, authorities have been re-interviewing key individuals, including hotel employees, to verify Konanki’s movements and interactions leading up to her disappearance.
The international search has included the Dominican Republic National Police, Attorney General’s Office, FBI, and the US Embassy Liaison, and other agencies, that have conducted searches by air, by foot, and in the sea.
This week, the investigation also expanded with the FBI increasing its role in the case alongside the Dominican Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Defense, and other emergency response agencies.
The Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office also filed for a Yellow Notice through INTERPOL, which would issue a worldwide police alert regarding Konanki’s disappearance.
Authorities have cautioned the public against speculating on unverified information, emphasizing that the investigation remains ongoing.
More information is expected to be released.
Check Daily Voice for updates.
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