ARUBA - Robyn Gardner, 35, Maryland woman missing in Aruba, 2 Aug 2011 - #10

[LambChop]

I know a couple from India that are running a liquor store for a "cousin"here in Md.
They came here on work visa, the cousin has them living in apartment above the store and a loner car, they make just enough money to make it.
Their not abused but they are on a very short leash.

We are getting off topic but I would think their living arrangements and the car would be considered in what they are paid if they are living there rent free. jmo

 

[neesaki]

In order for this poor woman to make a claim she had to get off the estate and to an attorney, or at the very least report it to LE. Who knows what these people told her. They could have told her she would be arrested if she tried to leave. Apparently she was working 7 days a week without the benefit of leaving the estate. Essentially she was held captive there. If she came into the country legally on a work visa but stayed after her visa expired she would be here illegally. I don't think they mean she just walked across the boarder. Someone had to sponsor her to bring her here.

Mexicans come into this country every day and work. They are entitled to work for at least minimum wage. Basically they were not providing her with enough money to return home so even if she wanted to return home, she couldn't. Her employer knew better and knew she was breaking the law. jmo

Well, this article states this is human trafficking, so she probably never had a legitimate visa. I guess they term it trafficking even when the person comes willingly, because they are naive and promised one thing, then when they get here, they get less than they're promised.

It's certainly wrong to hold someone "prisoner" if that's truly the case, and these people, the George's are obviously not very good people and should be punished for exploiting this woman or any other person.

But as far as the extra benefits, illegals aren't legally entitled to any since they're not here legally. As far as that goes, in most states it's not required by employees to provide paid benefits to American citizens either, idk, maybe New York state is different. It is a sad case though.

 

[neesaki]

We are getting off topic but I would think their living arrangements and the car would be considered in what they are paid if they are living there rent free. jmo

Which is what I was thinking as well, it would have to be considered part of their pay, as also would be with this woman in New York. Though living in a closet would hardly be ideal, then again, these huge houses also have huge closets, I've seen many that are larger than my bedroom.

 

[Elley Mae]

We are getting off topic but I would think their living arrangements and the car would be considered in what they are paid if they are living there rent free. jmo

O/T Sorry I have to say no their rent is not part of what they are paid, they still pay rent, they are paid 1500.00 a month for both of them,not a piece.

 

[Saracen]

I am sorry but what has any of this got to do with Robyn Gardener?..jmo

 

[LambChop]

I am sorry but what has any of this got to do with Robyn Gardener?..jmo

It has very little to do with RG, we've just gone off topic because I posted an article about "slave" labor in the US. Human trafficing is a problem everywhere and where you would least expect to find it. jmo

 

[LambChop]

Well, this article states this is human trafficking, so she probably never had a legitimate visa. I guess they term it trafficking even when the person comes willingly, because they are naive and promised one thing, then when they get here, they get less than they're promised.

It's certainly wrong to hold someone "prisoner" if that's truly the case, and these people, the George's are obviously not very good people and should be punished for exploiting this woman or any other person.

But as far as the extra benefits, illegals aren't legally entitled to any since they're not here legally. As far as that goes, in most states it's not required by employees to provide paid benefits to American citizens either, idk, maybe New York state is different. It is a sad case though.

I don't think that is true. If you are working they have to pay you. It's the law regardless of who you are. Being here illegally here is a separate issue. Two different laws and one has nothing to do with the other. jmo

 

[neesaki]

I don't think that is true. If you are working they have to pay you. It's the law regardless of who you are. Being here illegally here is a separate issue. Two different laws and one has nothing to do with the other. jmo

Off track apparently, lol ... I never said they didn't have to "pay you".
Being paid for the work and receiving extra paid benefits, such as sick time, paid time off, holidays, health insurance.... those are benefits in and above being paid for the work that is done.

 

[neesaki]

I am sorry but what has any of this got to do with Robyn Gardener?..jmo

You are absolutely right, Saracen, this has escalated as so many things do, and is way OT. Time to get back on course, I agree.:seeya:

 

[LambChop]

You are absolutely right, Saracen, this has escalated as so many things do, and is way OT. Time to get back on course, I agree.:seeya:

It's really sad, RG is gone, we don't know where and there really isn't much more to discuss about what happened to her. We've pretty much exhausted all avenues. jmo

 

[neesaki]

Maybe she ran away
Maybe she and GG were going to meet somewhere and share the insurance

If you want to look at ALL scenarios, maybe you should look at these as well

I guess it's possible that RF was very abusive towards Robyn and she wanted to end the relationship and he wouldn't let her leave him. Kind of like a Fatal Attraction scenario. If this were the case, it's possible that the only way she felt she could get away from him was to set something up like this. And it stands to reason that GG wouldn't go along with something like this without a good payback such as the insurance.

I hope someone's keeping an eye on GG and if he disappears from MD. Also, would like to know that his communications are being monitored, but that's probably hoping for too much. And, oh to be a fly on the wall in CJ aka Sophia Parnichelli's living room.

 

[Dushi]

This really has nothing to do with anything
I am just curious....

When someone disappears but is not legally pronounced dead, do alimony payments still have to be made?

 

[TheWNP]

This really has nothing to do with anything
I am just curious....

When someone disappears but is not legally pronounced dead, do alimony payments still have to be made?

Apparently not...
http://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/inquiry/inquiryDetail.jis?caseId=10C09000673&loc=67&detailLoc=CC

Note that when you first try to open this link, you'll be asked a confirmation question and then the site will ask for search parameters. I just close the tab/window (depending on which browser you use), and reopen it again with the URL above. Then you'll see the case history.

 

[Saracen]

This really has nothing to do with anything
I am just curious....

When someone disappears but is not legally pronounced dead, do alimony payments still have to be made?

Thats an interesting question Dushi, there is a difference between missing and presumed dead, and being pronounced dead, for the latter you need a body..But there was a case here a couple of years ago where a couple staged the death of the spouse, the husband collected insurance money and they were both found on an Island somewhere, got brought back and have or still are serving a prison sentence for fraud.

 

[neesaki]

I guess it's possible that RF was very abusive towards Robyn and she wanted to end the relationship and he wouldn't let her leave him. Kind of like a Fatal Attraction scenario. If this were the case, it's possible that the only way she felt she could get away from him was to set something up like this. And it stands to reason that GG wouldn't go along with something like this without a good payback such as the insurance.

I hope someone's keeping an eye on GG and if he disappears from MD. Also, would like to know that his communications are being monitored, but that's probably hoping for too much. And, oh to be a fly on the wall in CJ aka Sophia Parnichelli's living room.

Another possible scenario: GG is the instegator, has financial problems, and needs money. He seeks someone who can help him with his scheme to collect a 1.5 mill insurance payout. So perhaps Robyn decides she has nothing to lose, and may also want to get away from an overly possessive boyfriend, RF, who she finds also to be more than a little threatening, so she decides to go along with it. Nothing to lose, and something to gain.

So maybe GG offers to pay her $5,000, or even more, as an initial downpayment, plus, a place to live with all expenses paid for an extended period of time, as well as a percentage of the insurance payoff as a bonus if it pans out.

 

[OneLove]

Another possible scenario: GG is the instegator, has financial problems, and needs money. He seeks someone who can help him with his scheme to collect a 1.5 mill insurance payout. So perhaps Robyn decides she has nothing to lose, and may also want to get away from an overly possessive boyfriend, RF, who she finds also to be more than a little threatening, so she decides to go along with it. Nothing to lose, and something to gain.

So maybe GG offers to pay her $5,000, or even more, as an initial downpayment, plus, a place to live with all expenses paid for an extended period of time, as well as a percentage of the insurance payoff as a bonus if it pans out.

This was my first theory. Then it occurred to me that he could use this proposal to get her to Aruba willingly and then kill her anyway so he didn't have to give her a cut AND leave a witness to complicate his life. Obviously, the way he treated her, she had no value to him. IMO

 

[neesaki]

This was my first theory. Then it occurred to me that he could use this proposal to get her to Aruba willingly and then kill her anyway so he didn't have to give her a cut AND leave a witness to complicate his life. Obviously, the way he treated her, she had no value to him. IMO

OMG.... we obviously think alike, and I totally agree. I have also believed, that regardless of what the initial plan was, this was very possibly what happened in the end. Thank you OneLove! :seeya:

 

[katydid23]

He could have told her something like that, but if so, why would he have her or let her take sleeping pills that day. I ask because doing so may prevent him from cashing in the ins policy.

 

[Tugela]

This was my first theory. Then it occurred to me that he could use this proposal to get her to Aruba willingly and then kill her anyway so he didn't have to give her a cut AND leave a witness to complicate his life. Obviously, the way he treated her, she had no value to him. IMO

What way did he treat her? There is NO evidence that he was abusive towards her.

 

[OneLove]

He could have told her something like that, but if so, why would he have her or let her take sleeping pills that day. I ask because doing so may prevent him from cashing in the ins policy.

Yes, lol, he made several goofs that set that insurance money out of reach, at least for awhile.

I believe it is possible that taking the pills is something she "did" in her life, for her own reasons. It's not illegal IF she had a prescription. It IS stupid to do that and then go snorkeling, but she seems to have had a history of other "not so smart" choices as a way of life. Also, who is HE to tell her she can't, especially if she was in a bad mood and regretted coming on the trip and was just trying to either get through it til they went home OR gather the nerve to carry out their "plan" to get rich. From what I understand about her personality, I have a hard time seeing ANY man tell her she can't take medication if she's hellbent on doing it. They weren't married and barely seemed to even like each other.

On the other hand, maybe she didn't even take any pills. We only have his word, and he might have just said that to make it seem more likely that she would drown under the influence.

I don't know really. What do you think?