A Dominican judge officially dismissed the lawsuit against the Americans he last met before disappearing from University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Conanki.
After realising he was at the heart of a confused case on March 22, Josh Libe returned to the United States, confiscated his passport and was forced to remain in the Dominican Republic under strict supervision.
He was the last person seen along with Conanki before he went missing from the RIU Republica resort in Punta Cana in the early hours of March 6th.
Riibe’s lawyers filed a habeas corps warrant on March 18th, recognised by the judge to claim him the crime or claim the crime against him.
The petition came on the same day Conanki’s parents called on Dominican National Police to declare her legally dead.
Judge Edwin Rijo, of the Criminal Office of La Altagracia’s trial court, issued full legal reasoning on Friday, officially concluded the case and liquidated the name of Riibe, WJLA reported.
Riibe was appointed an interested person by Dominican authorities who launched a full search for 20-year-old Conanki after disappearing from the beach at the Riu Republica Hotel in the early hours of March 6th.
The 5-star resort’s surveillance camera system showed him walking at 4:15am with Conanki, his friend Carter Joseph and three girlfriends of Conanki.
Josh Libe, 22, returned to the US on March 22 after realising he was at the heart of a chaotic incident.
He was the last person to be seen along with Conanki before he went missing from the RIU Republica resort in Punta Cana early on March 6th.
Two Conanki friends returned to their rooms at 4:55am, followed by Joseph and another young woman at 5:05am.
The same camera picked up a shirtless, barefoot re-event, and at 8:54am, he returned to his room without Conanki visible.
Riibe confiscated his mobile phone and passport by authorities. Authorities forbid him from leaving the country and left a hole in the resort under strict surveillance.
The former high school wrestler with a girlfriend in the US has issued a conflicted and confused statement about what happened on the beach.
He told police that he and Conanki went for a swim and were knocked out by the big waves. He claimed he used his lifeguard training to drag her back to the shore, but when he last saw her, he said she was deep in the water.
He managed to get out and dies in a sun bed, he said. Conanki was never seen again.
Libe was taken to another question on March 12, telling prosecutors that he and Conanki had been drinking at the beach and then kissed them in the sea as they were wiped out by the waves.
He refused to reply to multiple questions and investigated him how prosecutors could be sure he was honest.
He also questioned whether Sudiksha was able to swim, whether she made gestures or screams at the sea, whether she knew if she called the officer or told the hotel, whether she was asked what had happened and how she felt about the situation.
Riibe was filmed on surveillance video with a group of friends walking to the beach in Conanki and Punta Cana around 4am on March 6th
Libe claims he kissed her in the sea before they were nearly wiped out, and he had to save her from drowsing. Riibe (photo from the next day) said he died and woke up on the beach
Every time he answered: “My lawyer advises me not to answer that question, and I will follow their advice.” Before silence.
Conanki’s grieving parents say they believe that their daughter was likely killed by drowning and that Liebe was not involved in her death.
“Both authorities have shown how high the ocean waves were at the time of the incident, and both sides of the authorities have made it clear that the interested person is not a suspect from the start,” her father, subbarayudu Conanki, told the New York Post.
“It has deep sadness and heavy heart to us that we agree with the fact that our daughter has owned,” he said. “This is very difficult for us to handle.”
They also asked that the Libes be allowed to leave the island nation and return home.
Libe claims he spoke to Conanki’s devastated mother, revealing in court that he embraced and thanked her for dragging her daughter out of the sea before she was confused.
