ARUBA - Robyn Gardner, 35, Maryland woman missing in Aruba, 2 Aug 2011 - # 7

[LambChop]

Look at how far he had to walk to get to that bar. His feet would no longer be leaving wet footprints. If you've spent much time at the beach, then you know how quickly you dry off on a hot sunny day.

Whoaa. Not that fast. He supposedly ran from the water, soaking wet to the bar in what Aruban authorities describe as a low wind day (very little wind). 100 yards would not have dried him off that fast. I've been there and unless you dry yourself with a towel first he'd still be dripping and he should have been sweating had he been running....(which he was when investigators found him at the airport....sweat pouring off him in an airconditioned airport). He appears to be dry as a bone. He told RG's mother he got his shoes and sneakers wet looking for Robyn. His shoes and sneakers. What an odd thing to say. What he has uttered in the past will come back to haunt him, IMO.

And if he, indeed, had been swimming with his sneakers on they would have been full of water, sopping wet so to speak. Investigator know his shoes and socks were wet but his suit was dry. If you are trying to establish that you were in the water you would get yourself wet......unless it was so rocky and you had so much difficulties in getting into the water and you were afraid you might fall the only thing that would appear to be wet would be you shoes because you never went deep enough to get your suit wet. That would account for the fact that his suit was not wet or even damp. It is very difficult to walk in water with rocks on the bottom because it is very uneven. At that time of the day he could not see what he was stepping on and could easily fall from losing his balance. Trust me there is nothing to hold onto getting into that water. Falling is a high risk there. jmo

 

[JeannaT]

Saw the dateline show last night. New to this case, catching up, so bear with me..
Immediate questions:

When asked about the remoteness of the beach, he said it wasn't that remote because there was a shop a 100 yards away (paraphrasing) - so my question is wouldn't that have been the first place he should have gone to for help?

Also in answer to the question about the remoteness of the place and why with all the beaches along the way, why the one he picked that so remote... He said it was recommended by a couple they talked to at the hotel.... I wonder, has any attempt been made to locate that couple?

Also wonder - any record of RG purchasing snorkel/swimming gear?

When asked about her going into the ocean and ruining her hair extensions, he mentioned she was in the hotel pool the night before... Any surveillance or witnesses of that - I can picture a gal in a pool such that she simply stands in it without getting her hair wet...

Those are good questions, and I wonder too about why the snorkel equipment for her hasn't been definitively answered. One thing we all do know, he had snorkeling equipment. I haven't ever seen where it was proven that she did.

As far as I can tell, that footage you see of him banging on doors and windows - where he eventually found someone to call for help - is the closest building to where they were snorkeling, and the first place he tried to find help.

 

[Dushi]

I would expect his suit and body to be dry... heat, wind

I can't imagine his "hair "should be so neat

I also would expect the once wet running shoes to be cover in sand that would have stuck to them as he made his way to the bar

 

[OldSteve]

Those are good questions, and I wonder too about why the snorkel equipment for her hasn't been definitively answered. One thing we all do know, he had snorkeling equipment. I haven't ever seen where it was proven that she did.

As far as I can tell, that footage you see of him banging on doors and windows - where he eventually found someone to call for help - is the closest building to where they were snorkeling, and the first place he tried to find help.

Thanks for answering .. interesting that it appears she did not have any snorkel eq of her own... wonder if there is any evidence to show she knew how to snorkel or of doing it someplace... was she even a good swimmer...

Considering she was out of work, I have to wonder all the more about her ruining her hair extensions, damaging her hair in the water...

Thanks for info about the footage shown on Dateline... Wow, that is not the way I picture a person to be acting... strange...

 

[otto]

Thanks for answering .. interesting that it appears she did not have any snorkel eq of her own... wonder if there is any evidence to show she knew how to snorkel or of doing it someplace... was she even a good swimmer...

Considering she was out of work, I have to wonder all the more about her ruining her hair extensions, damaging her hair in the water...

Thanks for info about the footage shown on Dateline... Wow, that is not the way I picture a person to be acting... strange...

During different interviews, the boyfriend has said that Robyn was a strong swimmer, a runner and a tennis player ... but at the same time he has said that she wouldn't get her hair wet.

 

[otto]

Out of curiosity, I looked up toupees. Synthetic toupees keep their style after getting wet, but all toupees quickly lose their color and style when used in water, chlorine and salt water.

 

[JeannaT]

During different interviews, the boyfriend has said that Robyn was a strong swimmer, a runner and a tennis player ... but at the same time he has said that she wouldn't get her hair wet.

I wonder how long she'd been wearing extensions.

Maybe what he was saying that in general, she's athletic and a very good swimmer, but now that she has hair extensions she wouldn't go in the water like she did before.

 

[katydid23]

Saw the dateline show last night. New to this case, catching up, so bear with me..
Immediate questions:

When asked about the remoteness of the beach, he said it wasn't that remote because there was a shop a 100 yards away (paraphrasing) - so my question is wouldn't that have been the first place he should have gone to for help?

Also in answer to the question about the remoteness of the place and why with all the beaches along the way, why the one he picked that so remote... He said it was recommended by a couple they talked to at the hotel.... I wonder, has any attempt been made to locate that couple?

Also wonder - any record of RG purchasing snorkel/swimming gear?

When asked about her going into the ocean and ruining her hair extensions, he mentioned she was in the hotel pool the night before... Any surveillance or witnesses of that - I can picture a gal in a pool such that she simply stands in it without getting her hair wet...

Good questions.

As far as I know, there were no records of Robyn either buying or renting any snorkeling gear. Nor was any of her gear found during the searches.

As to the hair extensions, my daughter has them, and she sometimes goes in swimming pools. But she never goes in seawater because she says the salt water and the sand is the worst thing for the glue in the extensions.

GG says she was going to get them redone as soon as she got back home. I would like to know how long she had them already.I thought they were newly done. She had no job so how was she going to get them redone?

 

[katydid23]

Those are good questions, and I wonder too about why the snorkel equipment for her hasn't been definitively answered. One thing we all do know, he had snorkeling equipment. I haven't ever seen where it was proven that she did.

As far as I can tell, that footage you see of him banging on doors and windows - where he eventually found someone to call for help - is the closest building to where they were snorkeling, and the first place he tried to find help.

I never saw him 'banging' on any doors or windows. I did see him nonchalantly
knocking a few times on a door and a window. He was very calm, slow, and there was no sense of urgency. No yelling or screaming for help, just a bit of knocking. He did not look like a man trying to save a loved one's life, imo.

 

[JeannaT]

I never saw him 'banging' on any doors or windows. I did see him nonchalantly
knocking a few times on a door and a window. He was very calm, slow, and there was no sense of urgency. No yelling or screaming for help, just a bit of knocking. He did not look like a man trying to save a loved one's life, imo.

It's so interesting, reading these boards how people view the same video and come away with different viewpoints.

To me, he looks urgent. He appears to be urgently looking for help. As he states, there was no one there - it was all completely locked up - so banging on doors or windows would be pointless, he says. And I agree there.

At the end of the video he hears voices around the corner, and hurries off to get help from them.

This isn't his child. This is a woman who he doesn't really care all that much for apparently, and he doesn't really know for sure where she is. She could have come ashore, it seems.

I've certainly seen people in positions like he is in not go into full blown panic, but rather methodically seek help in a purposeful and fairly calm manner - and to me that's what he looks like. He's not dawdling at all.

And if he's telling the truth, he's had to swim for his life for quite awhile and then walk a distance, after drinking. He doesn't look like a terribly fit man - he'd be running on empty.

 

[redheadedgal]

She could have come ashore, it seems.

if RG came ashore, GG would've seen her/found her b/c:

1) if RG got to shore first, he would've found her when he arrived

or

2) if GG got to shore first and she was on her way successfully to shore as you hypothesize, he would've seen her in the water and arrive on the beach

but he states he didn't look back... he just got himself to the beach after leaving her in the "rough" water... while weather reports say it was calm.

no way did she "come ashore".

 

[redheadedgal]

I also would expect the once wet running shoes to be cover in sand that would have stuck to them as he made his way to the bar

excellent point! his shoes looked pristine white and clean to me...

 

[JeannaT]

if RG came ashore, GG would've seen her/found her b/c:

1) if RG got to shore first, he would've found her when he arrived

or

2) if GG got to shore first and she was on her way successfully to shore as you hypothesize, he would've seen her in the water and arrive on the beach

but he states he didn't look back... he just got himself to the beach after leaving her in the "rough" water... while weather reports say it was calm.

no way did she "come ashore".

I don't think she came ashore either - but he could have thought she did.

I think she drowned. A complete turnabout from what I thought before GG was speaking up publicly for himself.

And I think other posters, and travellogs on the web have pointed out that the location where they were snorkeling ISN'T what we've been led to believe - it wasn't the calm waters of baby beach. It was the much rougher, dangerous waters at the outlet of baby beach.

 

[JeannaT]

excellent point! his shoes looked pristine white and clean to me...

I read upthread that they were wet when LE arrived, and his suit was dry by then, according to LE.

I don't have a link for that, another poster said it -

So although it seems logical they would be covered with sand, they don't appear to be and I can't think of another way they could be wet in that location besides being in the ocean.

Is there even sand there? It looked like rocks to me.

 

[katydid23]

I don't think she came ashore either - but he could have thought she did.

I think she drowned. A complete turnabout from what I thought before GG was speaking up publicly for himself.

And I think other posters, and travellogs on the web have pointed out that the location where they were snorkeling ISN'T what we've been led to believe - it wasn't the calm waters of baby beach. It was the much rougher, dangerous waters at the outlet of baby beach.

So WHY the heck did he take a first time snorkeler to that ugly, rocky,rough and dangerous place? They drove for an hour PAST beautiful, pristine bays to get to the rocky God forsaken place. Why do you think that is?

 

[katydid23]

I don't think she came ashore either - but he could have thought she did.

I think she drowned. A complete turnabout from what I thought before GG was speaking up publicly for himself.

And I think other posters, and travellogs on the web have pointed out that the location where they were snorkeling ISN'T what we've been led to believe - it wasn't the calm waters of baby beach. It was the much rougher, dangerous waters at the outlet of baby beach.

If she drowned, then why was she never recovered? They began their search immediately. Wouldn't they find her snorkeling gear at least?

 

[JeannaT]

So WHY the heck did he take a first time snorkeler to that ugly, rocky,rough and dangerous place? They drove for an hour PAST beautiful, pristine bays to get to the rocky God forsaken place. Why do you think that is?

He says another tourist told him that was a good place to snorkel.

Often, snorkeling in really pristine lovely sandy areas is terribly boring - there's not much there. You have to find the rocky areas below the surface to find diverse gorgeous habitats and fish.

I don't know whether the other tourist actually said that, but as a snorkeler myself I do know you snorkel out past the sand to the rocky reef areas.

 

[JeannaT]

If she drowned, then why was she never recovered? They began their search immediately. Wouldn't they find her snorkeling gear at least?

I don't know. If she was truly caught up in that rip current that you can read about on travellogs, she may have been carried out to sea.

A little bit upthread another poster poster posted that some restaurant business used to dump food remains there, but stopped because sometimes the large bones of the carcasses would wash up on the beach. Meaning, it was atypical but they stopped because it could and often did happen.

So to me that sounds like usually the carcasses would wash away.

 

[katydid23]

It's so interesting, reading these boards how people view the same video and come away with different viewpoints.

To me, he looks urgent. He appears to be urgently looking for help. As he states, there was no one there - it was all completely locked up - so banging on doors or windows would be pointless, he says. And I agree there.

At the end of the video he hears voices around the corner, and hurries off to get help from them.

This isn't his child. This is a woman who he doesn't really care all that much for apparently, and he doesn't really know for sure where she is. She could have come ashore, it seems.

I've certainly seen people in positions like he is in not go into full blown panic, but rather methodically seek help in a purposeful and fairly calm manner - and to me that's what he looks like. He's not dawdling at all.

And if he's telling the truth, he's had to swim for his life for quite awhile and then walk a distance, after drinking. He doesn't look like a terribly fit man - he'd be running on empty.

It is interesting. I do not see even one iota of urgency in his walk or his actions. He seemed to be in slow motion to me. And just because a place looks closed, doesn't mean there aren't workers still inside. Why didn't he call out to anyone?

He doesn't care that much about her, and yet he takes out a million dollar life insurance with him as the beneficiary? No wonder he was moving so slowly.

 

[Niner]

I too watched the Dateline show...

First thing I noticed - they were showing a clip of GG being released from jail and going into the hotel to spend the night - did you see him going into the hotel, with a couple of police (it looked like, they had uniforms on) and then Baez coming thru - and the door gets slammed into Baez's face??!!! :floorlaugh:

I too noticed that he mentioned they swam in the pool the night before... no video on that??

I don't believe him... another drowning story per Baez...