ARUBA - Robyn Gardner, 35, Maryland woman missing in Aruba, 2 Aug 2011 - # 2

[Just-a-Guy]

In the olden days, when a woman was beaten or raped by her husband, the woman had the choice of bringing charges. The problem with that was that the women were either afraid, or they were "honeymooned" into forgiving their attacker. That meant that it happened again, but the violence was escalated. That cycle repeated itself until someone was dead. Today, police can bring charges without permission from the victim. In fact, it is the responsibility of investigators to bring charges when there is a rape, if only for the safety of society. Investigators would be extremely irresponsible if they were aware of a rape and decided to let the rapist carry on and rape more women.

He has two ex-wives, so not all the women in his life were afraid to challenge him. In fact, the women most familiar with him, and at most risk in challenging him, did so without a problem and are still alive to talk about it. Neither of them made allegations of rape.

Friend, in "the old days", it was not a crime to "rape" your wife. Indeed, those "old days" were as recently as the 1990's in many states. I'm not sure your knowledge of this topic is quite as good as maybe you think. Respectfully.

Beyond that, there were indications of violence against the ex-wives -- even GVG's own divorce attorney acknowledged that.

But we are off track here. The question is, where is the investigation?

 

[Tugela]

Thank you very much. There is also ANOTHER woman who filed a protection order against him in Feb of 2010.

http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/1496/courtorder.jpg

There is a guy who says he knows this woman (VP), and says she got involved with Giardano via a swingers site and chose not to pursue criminal charges of assault (he says he beat her and choked her) because she didnt want all the dirt about her lifestyle as well as the things she was involved with surrounding Giordano to get out in public, which would have happened had she pursued criminal charges. He says GG then stalked and harassed her, made threats, posted the photos, videos, put things about her in her neighbors mailboxes etc, and in the end while she got the restraining order, she chose not to take it any further with criminal charges.

That doesn't look like another woman, that looks like the same woman since the attorney mentions a restraining order in 2010. If that was her lifestyle then the motivation for both the restraining order and the complaint was probably to get the video out of GG's hands. After that was achieved she wouldn't have wanted to proceed because the charges would not be sustained.

 

[otto]

My bolding

Exactly. Reportedly, Prosecutors were intent on pursuing charges but only got so far, once the victim was too terrified to go any further their hands were tied and had no choice but to drop it. Otherwise they would go to trial, show a video with no testimony and GG's defense attorney says, it was all fun and games, end of trial. Doesn't mean that prosecutors thought it wasn't really a rape.

That isn't unheard of, when a victim refuses to testify at trial out of fear of possible retribution or other reasons that the case winds up getting dropped. It doesn't mean the police weren't convinced a crime had occurred.

What reason would the victim have to be afraid? If there was a clear case of rape, he would be convicted and sentenced. Are police unable to deal with victims of rape in Maryland? I don't understand why the victim would have no faith in the justice system, why she would not have the confidence to see it through.

 

[sunsetbeach]

There are no domestic violence charges ... only 4 theft under $500 charges. Both husband and wife in the first marriage alleged some form of abuse. I think the wife said that he hit her with a metal spoon and he said she threw the phone at him. The second wife said that there were marital problems of some sort (don't think details were given).

Still, the fact remains that there are no charges against GVG regarding any kind of domestic abuse, rape or violence.

BBM

Your wrong ...

Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21280FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED


ETA:

Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21284FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED


She filed one against him and he filed against her. They have even talked about this in the media.

 

[otto]

Regarding the photos:

"TACO STEIN, SOLICITOR GENERAL OF ARUBA: I can admit the camera has been confiscated, and it`s looked at presently by the police to see what`s on it, and whether or not it has bearing on our investigation. While you`ll understand that I`m not in a position to comment upon what`s on the camera, what kinds of pictures those are, what I`ve heard about it is there`s no indication that there`s talk of duress in the pictures. But I can`t dwell upon what`s in the camera, what kind of pictures they are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIMOND: Well, this indicates to me that she might have been a willing participant. "

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1108/18/ddhln.01.html

 

[HatesSociopaths]

That doesn't look like another woman, that looks like the same woman since the attorney mentions a restraining order in 2010. If that was her lifestyle then the motivation for both the restraining order and the complaint was probably to get the video out of GG's hands. After that was achieved she wouldn't have wanted to proceed because the charges would not be sustained.

That protection order was in February of 2010. The other sexual assault occurred in April of 2010.

 

[sunsetbeach]

Just put in his last name and first name (don't use his middle name) and it will pull up everything.

 

[concentric]

Photos will not prove anything. Lots of people indulge in mild fantasy/BDSM. Anyway, these pictures likely don't involve anything like that, they are probably just explicit. The BDSM angle is just speculation being pushed by HatesSociopaths, but I don't think there is anything to back that up.

In any case, whatever was on the camera wouldnt have been related to what eventually happened. If it was you can be sure that deleting it would have been his first priority. Remember, there is a two hour window between when she was last seen and he tried to find help. And everything has to fit into that time frame.

--------------------------------
I bolded the section below:

http://abclocal.go.com/kfsn/story?section=news/national_world&id=8308824

Solicitor General Taco Stein says the camera was confiscated as part of the investigation into the disappearance of 35-year-old Robyn Gardner, also of Maryland. Stein declined to specify what was in the photos except that they are "explicit." He said suspect Gary V. Giordano is partially visible in some of the pictures. He said Thursday that the photos appear to have been taken in Aruba.

 

[Elley Mae]

BBM

Your wrong ...

Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21280FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED

look at others, like I said before she was no stranger to DV

 

[otto]

BBM

Your wrong ...

Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21280FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED

Thanks. It looks like, in 2001, perhaps during divorce proceeding, there was a complaint of domestic violence. Then the petitioner requested that it all be dismissed. No case.

Docket Date: 01/25/2002 Docket Number: 14
Docket Description: ORDER, PROTECTIVE (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE)
Docket Type: Docket
Ruling Judge: JOHNSON, ERIC M
Docket Text: PROTECTIVE ORDER OF COURT (JOHNSON, J.) THAT THE ORDER IS DENIED BECAUSE PETITONER'S MOTION TO DISMISS IS GRANTED, ENTERED. (COPIES MAILED)

 

[VicKnit]

They did not rent or buy anything from the dive shop, but that is not to say that he didn't bring equipment for both of them from home.

If he brought with him, where is his gear? Haven't read anything about that?

 

[sunsetbeach]

look at others, like I said before she was no stranger to DV

Yeah I have looked at them in the past. They were not new to me and they have even been talked about in older threads.

 

[otto]

Yeah I have looked at them in the past. They were not new to me and they have even been talked about in older threads.

Other than the domestic violence complaint from his ex-wife in 2001, where she requested that her complaint be withdrawn a couple of months later, did any domestic violence complaint go forward and result in charges?

 

[sunsetbeach]

Thanks. It looks like, in 2001, perhaps during divorce proceeding, there was a complaint of domestic violence. Then the petitioner requested that it all be dismissed. No case.

Docket Date: 01/25/2002 Docket Number: 14
Docket Description: ORDER, PROTECTIVE (DOMESTIC VIOLENCE)
Docket Type: Docket
Ruling Judge: JOHNSON, ERIC M
Docket Text: PROTECTIVE ORDER OF COURT (JOHNSON, J.) THAT THE ORDER IS DENIED BECAUSE PETITONER'S MOTION TO DISMISS IS GRANTED, ENTERED. (COPIES MAILED)

Your right otto .... he's a SAINT.

 

[otto]

Your right otto .... he's a SAINT.

I have not said that he is a saint. I'm trying to look at the facts of the case. Suggestions that he has a history of domestic violence is quite different from an ex-wife filing a complaint - possibly during an acrimonious divorce - that she decided to drop a couple of months later.

 

[annalia]

What reason would the victim have to be afraid? If there was a clear case of rape, he would be convicted and sentenced. Are police unable to deal with victims of rape in Maryland? I don't understand why the victim would have no faith in the justice system, why she would not have the confidence to see it through.

Are you kidding? You can't think of any reasons why she would be too terrified to move forward? What in the world does it have to do with Maryland not being able to deal with rape victims? Where do you get she had no faith in the justice system? That is out of left field.

I can think of lots of reasons she would be too terrified, none of them having to do with any failure of the MPD or justice system.

Even if convicted, it's not like he would be getting death or LWOP, she may have been fearful of waht might happen after her gets out.

It's a jury system,. she may have been fearful that they would acquit him or not a long sentence. It happens.

She may have been fearful that he could still get to her from behind bars.

She may have just been too terrified to have to relive it at trial and just wanted it behind her.

Whatever her reasons, she was the one traumatized and the one terrified, she's the victim. I don't see anything that even remotely suggested it was because the MPD couldn't deal with rape victims.

 

[sunsetbeach]

I have not said that he is a saint. I'm trying to look at the facts of the case. Suggestions that he has a history of domestic violence is quite different from an ex-wife filing a complaint - possibly during an acrimonious divorce - that she decided to drop a couple of months later.

He filed them against her as well. As a matter of fact the case you just quoted above was filed by him. He dropped the charges correct? There is no doubt in my mind he has a short fuse.

Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21280FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED
Plaintiff Information (Each Alias, Address, and Attorney for the Plaintiff is displayed) Name: GIORDANO, GARY



Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21284FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED
Plaintiff Information
(Each Alias, Address, and Attorney for the Plaintiff is displayed) Name: GIORDANO, S*****


They BOTH dropped it ... not just her. SO why was it dropped? There may be way more to the story that you nor I know nothing about.

 

[otto]

He filed them against her as well. As a matter of fact the case you just quoted above was filed by him. He dropped the charges correct? There is no doubt in my mind he has a short fuse.

Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21280FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED
Plaintiff Information (Each Alias, Address, and Attorney for the Plaintiff is displayed) Name: GIORDANO, GARY



Court System: Circuit Court for Montgomery County - Domestic System
Case Number: 21284FL Sub Type: DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
Date Filed: 12/10/2001
Case Status: CLOSED
Plaintiff Information
(Each Alias, Address, and Attorney for the Plaintiff is displayed) Name: GIORDANO, S*****


They BOTH dropped it ... not just her. SO why was it dropped? There may be way more to the story that you nor I know nothing about.

Whatever happened was 10 years ago, and it was between husband and wife - possibly during a difficult divorce. I have heard about court documents where it is alleged he hit her in the back with a spoon and she threw the phone at him. If they were in the middle of a divorce, anything is possible. If there was anything about one beating the other with fists, or sexual assault, we can be certain that information would be all over the evening talking head shows.

 

[otto]

Are you kidding? You can't think of any reasons why she would be too terrified to move forward? What in the world does it have to do with Maryland not being able to deal with rape victims? Where do you get she had no faith in the justice system? That is out of left field.

I can think of lots of reasons she would be too terrified, none of them having to do with any failure of the MPD or justice system.

Even if convicted, it's not like he would be getting death or LWOP, she may have been fearful of waht might happen after her gets out.

It's a jury system,. she may have been fearful that they would acquit him or not a long sentence. It happens.

She may have been fearful that he could still get to her from behind bars.

She may have just been too terrified to have to relive it at trial and just wanted it behind her.

Whatever her reasons, she was the one traumatized and the one terrified, she's the victim. I don't see anything that even remotely suggested it was because the MPD couldn't deal with rape victims.

Doesn't it strike you as odd that a woman cannot safely, and without fear, make a rape complaint to police and have them file, pursue rape charges?

 

[Just-a-Guy]

Eh-hm.

FWIW, I do think that having differing perspectives and devil's advocate type positions in a rational dialog is good.

That said, sometimes it becomes clear that a dialog is not rational. Or that a dialog is not even what is going on.

'nuf said.