Joshua Riibe, a 22-year-old from Iowa, is believed to be the last person to see Sudiksha Konanki alive on March 6.

A man who investigators believe was the last person to see missing US college student Sudiksha Konanki alive appeared in a Dominican Republic court Tuesday to ask it to grant him freedom, arguing Dominican authorities have inappropriately restrained his movements without charges since the 20-year-old woman’s disappearance.

The State Department has confirmed it is assisting in the search for missing University of Pittsburgh student Sudiksha Konanki, whom authorities believed drowned on March 6.