A judge granted habeas corpus which released Riibe from police surveillance. His passport, however, was not returned. Media outlets are not sure where the passport was. Prosecutor Eduardo Velázquez told NBC News, “I don’t know about the passport.” When questioned further he replied in English, “I…I don’t speak Spanish… English.”

Joshua Riibe, 22, was named as a person of interest in Konanki’s March 6 disappearance. He was not charged with wrongdoing or named as a suspect. The ruling comes as Konanki’s parents asked authorities to declare the 20-year-old dead.

An attorney for Joshua Riibe's family spoke Tuesday after he formally requested for his release from the Dominican Republic as he's not criminally involved in Sudiksha Konanki's disappearance. Riibe and his family wish for her to be found.

A judge has ruled that Joshua Riibe is "free to leave" the Dominican Republic, but Riibe is still without his passport, which was confiscated by authorities last week. Riibe was seen in video walking with Pitt student Sudiksha Konanki and is presumed to be the last person who saw her alive.