FBI Raids Gaithersburg Home Of Suspect In Missing Woman's Case
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- The FBI gets involved in the search for a Maryland woman missing in Aruba.
Agents just raided the Gaithersburg home of Gary Giordano. He reported Gardner missing after they went snorkeling while on vacation in Aruba.
Mike Hellgren reports, police aren't confident they'll find Gardner alive.
Police in Aruba believe Robyn Gardner is dead, and say they're trying to hold Gary Giordano, the man she met online and traveled with there, in jail while they build a case against him.
Gardner's brother spoke but asked that his face not be shown.
"Robyn is a very loving, caring, kind person," said Andrew Colson, Robyn Gardner's brother. "She told me to live everyday like it's your last. Ever since I heard that from her, I try to do the same, and I know that she does the same as well."
The FBI in Baltimore is now involved. Aruban investigators have asked them to search Giordano's home in Montgomery County.
Giordano claims Gardner vanished while snorkeling in an area known for its calm waters. But Aruban authorities doubted his story and now say he refuses to answer questions.
WJZ has reported on his troubled past including allegations he stalked women and videotaped sexual encounters. He was never charged.
"He videotaped intimate acts without her knowledge," said Gail Landau, the accuser's attorney. "He threatened to post those to everybody she knew on Facebook."
Two women took out protective orders against Giordano.
Bob Flynn represented Giordano in a highly contentious divorce.
"I never felt like he did anything as a spur of the moment kind of thing," Flynn said. "Calculating would be a good way of describing him."
Authorities have impounded the couple's rental car to search for clues. They're also looking at surveillance video from hotels and restaurants-- anything to solve this mystery.
"My gut feeling and instinct is that she's out there somewhere to be found," Colson said.
A judge is expected to decide on Monday on whether Giordano can continue to be detained. Under Aruban law, Giordano can be jailed for up to 60 days before any charges are brought.
Robyn Gardner is 35 years old. She graduated from South Carroll High School in Sykesville and lived in Frederick.
The area where Gardner disappeared was known for its calm waters. Aruban authorities believe that if she drowned, her body would have surfaced by now. They also found Gardner's passport, so they're confident she has not left the island.
