ARUBA - Robyn Gardner, 35, Maryland woman missing in Aruba, 2 Aug 2011 - # 8

[Micheline]

1. Why would it be slick and deceiving to put Michelle's life ahead of the insurance money? I don't get that, sorry.

It would be slick and deceiving had he said it while he did not feel it that way, had he only said it in an attempt to gain sympathy.
He did not say it while he could have since his feelings cannot be checked.

2. But the fact remains, he never looked back once to check on her, never even called out to her. Seems cowardly, imo. A rip tide does nothing to prevent one from looking behind them, while they continue to paddle to safety.

True, he admits he did not look back, but he could have said he did look back, no one can proof whether he did or didn't.
He could say he looked back, saw her and she seemed to be swimming back also, and then when he was in undeep water he assumed her to be some distance behind him but he then did not see her anywhere and decided to go look for help.

3. Probably never occurred to him to say that. That doesn't make me believe in his innocence in any way.

I do not think his insurance explanation was all that reasonable. I see no way that he deserves a million dollars just because a woman he barely knew died in the ocean.

I think Robyn's friend (not Christina but the other friend) said he and Robyn knew eachothers for 4 years. That still does not mean he "deserves" such an amount of money, I never saw it that way, he may be entitled to it though if Robyn;s death was accidental drowning and the insurance being ligit (signed by Robyn).

 

[seabass]

I could be way off base here, but I agree with her boyfriend (IMO he knows her better) that IF she signed any such thing, it was probably explained to her that it was merely incase the trip was cancelled or luggage was lost. She most likely never read every single line of fine print, as she trusted this man and at that point had no reason not to. I imagine putting myself (or any other sane, rational human) in that situation and putting my foot down for my mother or someone in my family to be my beneficiary in the event of my DEATH. This man was not even her boyfriend. Even he says as much. Travel companion, friend, whathaveyou. I don't even care about the speculation about them sleeping together, consenting adults do that all the time without being in a loving, committed relationship. I doubt she knew what all she was signing, IF that signature is even hers. Have they confirmed it was, that we have knowledge of?

 

[vlpate]

TRICIA AND LEVI PAGE ARE ON FOX LIVE LA TONIGHT!!!!!!

Don't miss this show! Seriously!!!

:great::great::great:

9PM PACIFIC TIME!!

Here's the live link: http://media.myfoxla.com/live/2/

Will there be chat?

 

[neesaki]

That GG hired JB as his attorney has not influenced me as far as this case is concerned.

GG's actions and behavior have been suspect from the very beginning, imo, e.g.:

- he took Robyn to the same remote beach area on two consecutive days at the same time of day
-his statements and behavior in the restaurant as witnessed by the server
-the eye witness accounts that they drove away and did not get in the water
-his story that they went snorkeling in those rocky, forbidding waters at such a late hour when it was too dark to see in the water
-he was "snorkeling" in leather athletic shoes
-he just swam away while Robyn was drowning

Add to that his behavior following the event:

- he did not appear to have been in the water
- he appeared calm and relaxed when he should have been frantically trying to find help
- he complained to Robyn's mother that he got his shoes wet searching for her daughter
- he lied at the airport about why Robyn wasn't with him
- he changed his flight time and attempted to leave the country
- he called multiple times to check on the insurance policy

Also, Robyn's message to RF, "this sucks" is not a good sign as to how things were going, imo.
And, there's no evidence Robyn ever had snorkeling equipment.

Add to that his history of criminal behavior and extreme anger and control issues with women.

Now he's using his children to hide behind while lying on national television, one of the most obvious lies being that they weren't drinking alcohol, just juice. :twocents:

 

[Saracen]

Just a simple question, if the Aruban police suddenly find new evidence, does Aruba have or need an extradition agreement with the USA?..

 

[Dushi]

Just a simple question, if the Aruban police suddenly find new evidence, does Aruba have or need an extridition agreement with the USA?..

Yes, they would need and do have an extradition treaty with the US
They could extradite him but it would not be easy

 

[Dushi]

I think the problem is his story does keep changing, from not taking the insurance money, to his last interview where he said he would think about it. I don't think the insurance company will just hand it over. They will probably do an investigation.

What surprised me was GR. When he thinks you're sleazy, which apparently GR was trying to prove, you probably are. I do admit that in portions of his statements it sounds as if he is being totally honest but then you listen on the next program he is on and the story changes ever so slightly. Example: First story was there was a storm out at sea and it started to get rough, which changed to his shoes were weighing him down and he signaled to RG he was going in and he was having trouble swimming and no storm or rough seas. Instead of swimming horizonal he said the sneakers were pulling his legs down. When he got to shore he did not know what happened to her. Different story than his first attempt.

I don't care for RG's boyfriend, RF much either. Can't quite put my finger on it but something is not right there. jmo

Something kind of off there to me too

 

[JeannaT]

I think with RF, the reason he seems kind of "off" is because I believe the media is portraying him incorrectly.

He's not a "boyfriend" in the sense that they have a fairly committed relationship.

He's kind of another man, other than, GG, that Robyn also dated.

So he comes of kind of looking like he's misunderstood his role in her life, like he believes she's gone off with another man completely unbeknownst to him while he faithfully waits at home for his girlfriend, and that wasn't the case at all.

So I think the reason he comes off as a bit strange is the media has mislabeled his role in Robyn's life.

IMHO.

 

[LambChop]

I think with RF, the reason he seems kind of "off" is because I believe the media is portraying him incorrectly.

He's not a "boyfriend" in the sense that they have a fairly committed relationship.

He's kind of another man, other than, GG, that Robyn also dated.

So he comes of kind of looking like he's misunderstood his role in her life, like he believes she's gone off with another man completely unbeknownst to him while he faithfully waits at home for his girlfriend, and that wasn't the case at all.

So I think the reason he comes off as a bit strange is the media has mislabeled his role in Robyn's life.

IMHO.

I, personally, was not talking about the media. What I was referring to was his body language. Something is just not right. Also his attempt to raise money to look for her is somewhat strange. If the Arubans can't find her she is gone. At some point a portion of her remains may wash ashore but until then he has reached a dead end. jmo

 

[neesaki]

I think the problem is his story does keep changing, from not taking the insurance money, to his last interview where he said he would think about it. I don't think the insurance company will just hand it over. They will probably do an investigation.

What surprised me was GR. When he thinks you're sleazy, which apparently GR was trying to prove, you probably are. I do admit that in portions of his statements it sounds as if he is being totally honest but then you listen on the next program he is on and the story changes ever so slightly. Example: First story was there was a storm out at sea and it started to get rough, which changed to his shoes were weighing him down and he signaled to RG he was going in and he was having trouble swimming and no storm or rough seas. Instead of swimming horizonal he said the sneakers were pulling his legs down. When he got to shore he did not know what happened to her. Different story than his first attempt.

I don't care for RG's boyfriend, RF much either. Can't quite put my finger on it but something is not right there. jmo

BBM. Not much has come out about RF and Robyn's relationship except what RF has said, part of which is that she lived with him a good part of the time and her cats were at his house. And we know of the text that she sent to him telling him "I love you, etc...".

I get a slight impression that RF could be a somewhat controlling type guy, and maybe doesn't put up with much that he doesn't agree with or approve of. But then, there are a lot of men like that, lol.

I do remember him admitting in one interview that when he learned Robyn had been in Aruba with GG, he was initially angry. But then that changed to worry and concern. This seemed honest and quite understandable to me.

Also, because Robyn went off with GG, I'm sure he initially felt slighted and humiliated, so each time he is interviewed, he is confronted with that fact and has to feel a little humiliated over and over again. Which may be why he comes across as a little uncomfortable and defensive. This is also understandable, imo.

As little as we really know about RF and Robyn's relationship, I do admire that he still comes forth and tries to stand up for Robyn, stands up to GG and JB, and keeps her in the news, something no one else is doing at this stage. I think what he's doing takes courage, a quality that GG is sorely lacking in, imo. Just my :twocents: :seeya:

 

[LambChop]

BBM. Not much has come out about RF and Robyn's relationship except what RF has said, part of which is that she lived with him a good part of the time and her cats were at his house. And we know of the text that she sent to him telling him "I love you, etc...".

I get a slight impression that RF could be a somewhat controlling type guy, and maybe doesn't put up with much that he doesn't agree with or approve of. But then, there are a lot of men like that, imo.

I do remember him admitting in one interview that when he learned Robyn had been in Aruba with GG, he was initially angry. But then that changed to worry and concern. This seemed honest and quite understandable to me.

Also, because Robyn went off with GG, I'm sure he initially felt slighted and humiliated, so each time he is interviewed, he is confronted with that fact and has to feel a little humiliated over and over again. Which may be why he comes across as a little uncomfortable and defensive. This is also understandable, imo.

As little as we really know about RF and Robyn's relationship, I do admire that he still comes forth and tries to stand up for Robyn, stands up to GG and JB, and keeps her in the news, something no one else is doing at this stage. I think what he's doing takes courage, a quality that GG is sorely lacking in, imo. Just my :twocents: :seeya:

Well, yes, I do have to agree with you. Not everyone has what we would expect as normal relationships but that does not mean they don't truly care about the other person. jmo

 

[Dushi]

I think with RF, the reason he seems kind of "off" is because I believe the media is portraying him incorrectly.

He's not a "boyfriend" in the sense that they have a fairly committed relationship.

He's kind of another man, other than, GG, that Robyn also dated.

So he comes of kind of looking like he's misunderstood his role in her life, like he believes she's gone off with another man completely unbeknownst to him while he faithfully waits at home for his girlfriend, and that wasn't the case at all.

So I think the reason he comes off as a bit strange is the media has mislabeled his role in Robyn's life.

IMHO.

Someone has mislabeled his role

 

[Dushi]

I, personally, was not talking about the media. What I was referring to was his body language. Something is just not right. Also his attempt to raise money to look for her is somewhat strange. If the Arubans can't find her she is gone. At some point a portion of her remains may wash ashore but until then he has reached a dead end. jmo

What I get from that is that RF doesn't believe GG murdered robyn, he believes he sold her
He wants to search other Islands

 

[LambChop]

What I get from that is that RF doesn't believe GG murdered robyn, he believes he sold her
He wants to search other Islands

First stage of grief, denial.......so we can understand he wants her to be still alive. jmo

 

[neesaki]

Someone has mislabeled his role

Maybe he wanted a more committed relationship and wanted to settle down more than Robyn did. It does sound like he was a more full time boyfriend than anyone others we've heard of.

 

[R.U.Kidding!]

Often when people plan a crime the last thought in their minds is that they will be caught or they wouldn't do it. So yes, I do believe he had those thoughts in prison and what we saw was genuine. I think his sons do mean a lot to him but not enough to change his behavior and we can see the evidence of that. If he were really concerned about those boys they would not have been on camera but sitting off camera waiting for him. I just don't understand his thinking. It's as if he was participating in a holiday media talk show event that involved families and he had his children there. What was he thinking???? It shows he does not project his thoughts too far into the future to think about what the consequences would be. I think it is sad for those boys. jmo

LambChop,
Well Thank God you Place the "jmo" at the end of all of your comments! LOL That seems to be the only way I would be able to understand that your comments are not factual.
Do you honestly believe You know how a father should act if he "really cares" about his children? Maybe it was his sons' idea to appear in a show of support for their father. Then again with a guy like GG and an attorney like Jose Baez, it could only be an attempt to use the boys to benefit GG--a publicity stunt?

The way you or I live our lives does not set the standard for the rest of the world. People act the way they act--end of story.
Each person has their own way of dealing with life. The way you or I live our lives is not the standard.
Micheline has a very valid point when she speaks to his behavior being "honest", maybe not pretty, but his answers reflect a guy with plenty of baggage and a screwed up way of looking at the world. Let's face it NONE of us here could say how we would react if we were in fear of drowning. We do know how GG would react--rather cowardly,but that is also very human. Let's hope none of us ever have to experience a life or death situation when with someone else--we may not be the hero's we think.

 

[OneLove]

What I get from that is that RF doesn't believe GG murdered robyn, he believes he sold her
He wants to search other Islands

Yep, search other islands on other folks money.

I've asked my DH if he would like to disappear awhile. I could use an island-hopping vacation on other people's money.

 

[vlpate]

LambChop,
Well Thank God you Place the "jmo" at the end of all of your comments! LOL That seems to be the only way I would be able to understand that your comments are not factual.
Do you honestly believe You know how a father should act if he "really cares" about his children? Maybe it was his sons' idea to appear in a show of support for their father. Then again with a guy like GG and an attorney like Jose Baez, it could only be an attempt to use the boys to benefit GG--a publicity stunt?

The way you or I live our lives does not set the standard for the rest of the world. People act the way they act--end of story.
Each person has their own way of dealing with life. The way you or I live our lives is not the standard.
Micheline has a very valid point when she speaks to his behavior being "honest", maybe not pretty, but his answers reflect a guy with plenty of baggage and a screwed up way of looking at the world. Let's face it NONE of us here could say how we would react if we were in fear of drowning. We do know how GG would react--rather cowardly,but that is also very human. Let's hope none of us ever have to experience a life or death situation when with someone else--we may not be the hero's we think.

I think it was a publicity stunt that could only come from the stunted mind of Jose Baez. Never in the history of accused killers have we ever seen (correct me if I'm wrong) the accused drag his or her children into the mess by having them stand behind them during an interview.

Let's imagine it for a moment:
Patsy and John Ramsey with Burke standing behind them while Patsy sobs, "I did not kill that child!"
Jeremy Irwin and Deborah Bradley with the two boys behind them, "Yeah, I was drunk!"
Kate and Jerry McCann with the twins standing behind them, "Madeleine is still missing and those responsible for taking her are still at large."

Even harder to imagine, and equally as ludicrous:
Charles Manson with children in tow
Ted Bundy with daughter in tow
Smiley face killer with daughter in tow

As horrible as some people may seem, and are, they don't drag their children into it so that the crazies of the world know who to go after if they are convicted. Ridiculous. GG should have had enough sense to object to his children being shown on camera - they gave him no more credibility in my eyes. It only made him seem more of a callous prig. IMO

 

[SyraKelly]

I have a question..on the video where GG is pretending-(to me) to be knocking on doors and he is looking for help..when help came,did any LE say they found HIS snorkeling gear on the beach?

 

[LambChop]

LambChop,
Well Thank God you Place the "jmo" at the end of all of your comments! LOL That seems to be the only way I would be able to understand that your comments are not factual.
Do you honestly believe You know how a father should act if he "really cares" about his children? Maybe it was his sons' idea to appear in a show of support for their father. Then again with a guy like GG and an attorney like Jose Baez, it could only be an attempt to use the boys to benefit GG--a publicity stunt?

The way you or I live our lives does not set the standard for the rest of the world. People act the way they act--end of story.
Each person has their own way of dealing with life. The way you or I live our lives is not the standard.
Micheline has a very valid point when she speaks to his behavior being "honest", maybe not pretty, but his answers reflect a guy with plenty of baggage and a screwed up way of looking at the world. Let's face it NONE of us here could say how we would react if we were in fear of drowning. We do know how GG would react--rather cowardly,but that is also very human. Let's hope none of us ever have to experience a life or death situation when with someone else--we may not be the hero's we think.

Well, I have. Whether we speak from experience or see things as they really are is what we are discussing. People fall victums to those who "sound" honest. I was not just considering him at face value because of the way he looked and sounded, I took into consideration his background information.

A big part of GG's relationship with RG seems to be their unique type of partnership and what took place regarding pictures, etc. You do not intentionally put you children in the uncomfortable position of discussing that type of behavior on national tv with your sons right there. It's clear the boys were there so the questions would not be asked, although it did not stop GR. Do I know how a real father should act if he loves his children? Yes, I believe I do and what GG did has nothing to do with loving them. I can see he loves them. But loving someone and then using them to your own benefit have nothing to do with each other. He has lots of baggage but a real father would not expect this sons to carry some of the load. JMO