Sheriff's Office Says Man Seen with Sudiksha Konanki Isn't a Suspect or Person of Interest, Marking Stunning Reversal

The sheriff’s office that named a person of interest in the disappearance of Sudiksha Konanki now says they do not believe that man was involved in her disappearance in the Dominican Republic and that he is no longer a person of interest.

Konanki, a University of Pittsburgh student from Chantilly, Va., went missing while on Spring Break in Punta Cana. She was last seen alive on March 6.

Days after Konanki’s disappearance, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office named Joshua Riibe, an Iowa native vacationing in the Dominican Republic, as a person of interest, believing he could have been the last person to see her alive.

“It’s an ongoing investigation, but in that regard, he’s not a person of interest anymore in that he’s been interviewed as part of the case,” Chad Quinn, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office, tells PEOPLE. “It’s still not a criminal investigation in any way from our perspective. He is not considered a suspect by us.”

Quinn further stated that Riibe was cooperative when questioned by detectives.

Riibe has remained in the Dominican Republic since Konanki’s disappearance and has been questioned by authorities multiple times.

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Konanki was last seen on surveillance video heading toward the beach early on the morning of March 6.

On Monday, March 17, nearly two weeks after she went missing, Konanki’s parents sent a letter to authorities in the Dominican Republic, which was obtained by PEOPLE, requesting a death declaration, noting that authorities concluded she had drowned.

“The individual last seen with her is cooperating with the investigation, and no evidence of foul play has been found,” the letter states.