I'm just now watching Geraldo's segment with Gary Giordano.
Last half of the show...
He and Baez again have Gary's three sons standing right behind them for this interview.
Geraldo what was the nature of this relationship? Was it as it appears a kind of internet facilitated sex romp in Aruba?
Gary says he doesn't hide anything from his sons, he met Robyn on Adult Friend Finders, what he thinks is one of the largest websites on the planet, not this hidden subculture, it's huge.
He said they had a friendship relationship, not paid for relationship, he says they were friends. And the FBI and Interpol know that. Gary says Robyn went out with different people, went to Vegas with friends, he said Robyn would text him and say "this guy is cute, I like him, blah blah blah and then two days later says oh the guys just a phony blah blah blah. Gary said Robyn lived with a guy near her work, whatever was convenient for her, that's the life she created. And he says he was part of that. He adds that he knew a lot about her other friends. Gary says he accepted the fact that she was that way. He says she would tell him when her boyfriends beat her up and he would tell her to call 911. He says she even spent two nights at his house, moved in to one of his rooms; and that his boys even met her. But he says that didn't work out, he told her she was still running around at night and he couldn't have that with the kids. He says that was their relationship, that he was really her protector and that's why this is so ironic.
Geraldo asks, why Aruba?
Gary says Robyn had just lost her job and told him she was going to take off the month of August (this was mid/late (not sure what he said) July). He said he went on Expedia and looked for discount travel and Aruba came up. He says he has 675,000 Marriott rewards points so the vacation was free. He says he went on to tell Robyn she had to pay for her own airfare, because of how she was. He said a lot of time she would wait till the last minute and decide to do something else. He says he told her he was going anyway.
Geraldo says to Gary that so far he has described Robyn as flighty and promiscuous, Gary says he wouldn't say flighty but the latter is accurate.
Geraldo then asks so what happened?
Gary says they'd only been on the island for 48 hours when the
incident occurred. He says they'd gone to this location that people recommended, he says they had lunch, it was a pleasant situation, nobody was drunk and stumbling. And then he says he asked her if she wanted to go jump in the water or just get out of there, and she told him sure let's go.
He says their intention was just to go out in the water maybe 15 yards, look at some fish.
Geraldo asks if they had flippers on. Gary says no, he didn't have flippers for her but HE HAD HIS, and he had a snorkel and mask for both of them. He says he still had his tennis shoes on and she was barefoot and they walked into the water. He says when they got out in about 10-15 foot of water that he decided they should go back so he pulled her leg and that's the last time he saw her. He said his shoes were heavy by this time and were affecting his buoyancy and he was having a hard time getting back to shore. He said he even thought about his kids at this time wondering if he was going to be able to get back. He says his focus was on himself and he was thinking that she was behind him and was going to find her way. When he got to shore, he didn't see her so what was he going to do. He said since before they'd gone down there, there were people at the restaurant and scuba diving store so he ran there for help. The store was closed.
Geraldo asks if he called out for help.
Gary says no he didn't because there was nobody within screaming distance.
Geraldo asks if he was screaming her name while he was still in the water.
Gary says no. He turned around and there was nobody there. He then says, did I yell for her? No, I don't think so.
Geraldo asks if he didn't feel any more responsibility as he struggled to get out of the water for his partners sake, as he understands that's another issue that rubs people wrong.
Gary said at some point you're focusing on getting back, how can I help her when I need help?
Geraldo says something like maybe he would have sacrificed himself to help her, Gary says he had no idea she was having the same problem he was having.
Gary's oldest son then asks to say something. He says that he's snorkeled with his dad multiple times and they didn't use flippers or anything. He says when you're snorkeling you can't see anything but the ground because that's what you're looking at, you can't hear anybody because you're in the water.
Geraldo asks Gary's son if he ever suspected him of foul play in this thing, and his son says of course not.
Geraldo says to Gary, that he goes back to that critical moment in the water and he wants him to react differently, doesn't he wish he had. Gary says he wishes he had those moments back. Geraldo asks if he was a coward, and Gary says that never crossed his mind. Geraldo asks if he was selfish, Gary says that never crossed his mind either. Geraldo asks if he was too rigidly concerned with himself, what if it were one of his boys? Gary says it's second nature, it's not like he sat there and thought about it, he said you go into reactive mode; self preservation mode.
Jose makes a comment about it being easy to play Monday morning quarterback. Geraldo asks about regret, and Jose says it's obvious there's an enormous amount of regret.
Geraldo asks Gary to describe the moment he realized she wasn't there. Gary says he never realized she was gone, he wears contacts and thought she might just be out of sight. He says he never saw her struggle so he thought she was just out of sight and he decided to go get help.
Geraldo asks why he didn't just stay there and call out for help? Gary says if you're in this room and no one's in here, no one's in the building, would you start screaming? Gary says there was nobody there, there was nobody there to scream for. He says he ran as fast as he could, and that he found someone within moments.
Richard Forester joined them from Washington D. C.
Geraldo asks Richard what he thinks so far, what he thinks of Gary's description of what happened.
Richard says honestly he's disgusted, that there's so many things there that he could say things about. He says Gary is a selfish coward, and he's disgusted.
Geraldo asks Richard if he's the boyfriend Robyn called 911 about alleging domestic violence?
Richard (defiantly) says no I'm the boyfriend that called 911 on somebody else actually.
Geraldo says did you call 911 on her?
Richard says no, before she and I were living together.
Geraldo says oh o.k. another story then. Richard says yes.
(What was that about??????????? Me thinks there's more history here between Richard and Gary that we don't know about!)Geraldo asks what part of Gary's story rubs him the wrong way.
Richard says Robyn wouldn't have gone snorkeling. She was fine in a pool, but she was scared of the ocean. She would have never gone out over her knees, or her waist deep; that's it.
Geraldo asks if he just doesn't buy the whole story, and Richard says no, not at all.
Richard brings up the hair extensions again that are held in by glue that the salt water would eat right through. He says Robyn is very particular about her hair and her makeup. And at that time of day with her hair done and makeup on she wouldn't have gone snorkeling.
Geraldo says he's going to have Jose Baez, who has been monitoring Richard live (Richard says good, good...over Geraldo talking) to give explanations about the points Richard has raised.
Gerald asks Baez if it wasn't a fact that his client had a motive to murder, Baez says absolutely not. Baez says what people don't realize is that Gary is a successful businessman, and unfortunately his father is very ill and his mother is of age and Gary stands to inherit a significant amount of money. Baez says he also has excellent credit, and if you look at Gary's financial situation the 1.5 million dollar life insurance as a motive doesn't make sense at all. Baez says they were prepared to demonstrate that in an Arubian court, that they had put together a forensic accounting package that would have shown clearly that 1.5 million is not as strong a motive as the authorities originally believed it was. Gary says he wants to build on that. He started his staffing firm in 2005, that year had revenues close to 3 million. He built a new house for 1.2 million and the following year bought another house for 1.8 million. Gary says he had two houses, he had money and although 1.5 million is a lot of money, he has no debt, he's not a gambler, it's not there.
Geraldo asks if he's ever taken out insurance on a traveling companion before? Gary says yes he has, and she's testified to the grand jury in Maryland; and said not only did she sign it and agree to it, but she's traveled with him again since. They were due to go on another cruise while he was in jail in Aruba.
Geraldo asks if Robyn knew that he was the beneficiary on the policy. Gary says she not only knew it, but she signed it.
Geraldo says he can't recall ever taking out insurance on a traveling companion and caring about it so much that he took it to another location for the person to sign it, he wants to know why it was so important. Gary says she didn't live with him, and he wasn't planning on seeing her until the travel day. She was going to be in Annapolis and was going to take a cab to the airport and meet him there.
Geraldo says but this is exceptionally prudent is it not? Gary says not it isn't. He says her relationship with her family is not good. He said he told her about the insurance and that the default is that it would go to the following people..and she didn't want that to happen. Jose buts in and says there was a lot of suspicion about this fraud issue. He said they went to the location where the document was signed and found that there was a video, they notified the U. S. authorities about the video and they confiscated it and it resolved this whole issue altogether.
Geraldo goes further to state that he understands that Robyn signed the document but he still thinks it's odd for someone to take such an interest in insuring their travel companion. With as much as he's traveled, he can't remember ever doing it.
Gary asks if there's a statute for that, if it's against the law? Gary (defiantly) goes on to say that most of the viewing audience probably doesn't even have insurance, health insurance, now that's unusual.
Geraldo asks Gary if he can understand why people found this unusual and why it set the tone the way it's been? And Gary says yes, and that's why he's there.
Geraldo goes back to Richard Forester to comment about the insurance.
Richard wants to back up first to the snorkeling. He goes on to criticize Gary's wearing the shoes...if he's an accomplished snorkeler or scuba diver (AS HE HIMSELF IS
) why would you wear shoes.
Geraldo says his understanding was that Gary kept his tennis shoes on because they weren't actually planning on swimming out, they were just going to walk out and feed the fish. Richard asks what they were going to feed the fish? Geraldo says where they were in Aruba the fish come right to you.
Richard says if he would have had his shoes on when he was running to get help there would have been prints and sand everywhere. Richard says Gary told Robyn's mother he put his shoes on when he got out of the water. So he's lying.
Geraldo says so what about the insurance. Richard says if she signed the insurance she had no idea that there was an accidental death clause to it, that she probably thought it was just trip cancellation insurance or in case they lost their luggage. He doesn't think Gary told her what it was, and she wasn't savvy enough when it comes to things like that to know.
Gerald asks Gary if he won't carry the burden, the stigma, the 1.5 million, even if he didn't kill her he didn't do enough to save her? Gary says forever. Geraldo says and... Gary says he doesn't know what's going to happen next. He just knows that he's doing the right thing by coming forward and speaking, he's been muted for four months and he's at his disposal to answer any questions. Geraldo asks if he'll seek out the 1.5 million benefits on Robyn, Gary said he doesn't know. Baez says he's spoken to Gary many times, and the collection of that money is the farthest thing from his mind right now. Geraldo asks what about the prospect that this isn't over? Baez says that he thinks they've exhausted all of their resources and that what he's seen from the investigation is that they don't have any evidence of a crime because one wasn't committed. Geraldo asks Gary, as he speaks to his sons does he tell them their dad is not a murderer? Gary says he did when he first contacted them from jail, but that they're back to normal. They never believed it, and he never believed it. There's no convincing of his sons, there's no need. Oldest son speaks up and says his dad didn't have to say anything, he knew he didn't commit this crime.
Richard Forester listening with Jose Baez on the phone.
Geraldo says to Baez, you've heard what Richard has said; Robyn never would have gone in the water at 5pm, hair done ready to go out, she never would have gone snorkeling.
Baez says he thinks Mr. Forester is getting dangerously close to a defamation lawsuit, and if he knows what's best for him he should get counsel and stop this nonsense. Baez says number one why don't you ask him about what happened the night before she left for Aruba he's so educated in predicting her actions. Did he know she was going to leave him that night and go spend it with another man? Baez says he doesn't think so. Did he know she was going to Aruba? Geraldo asks Baez to keep the focus on Gary right now. Baez says it's frustrating to sit there and listen to someone that doesn't know Gary sit there and insult him and doesn't know anything about the case...something about defame him and dangerously close. (Richard is saying something but his mic is not on...then it comes on and he says he's innocent right?) Baez says he'd love to hear Richard's version of events the night before she left for Aruba.
Geraldo asks Richard what he'd like to say to Jose? Richard wants to know what the night before she left for Aruba has to do with her disappearing. (Jose is saying something on the phone but I can't understand what he's saying) Richard says to Baez where's Robyn and if Gary's innocent why does he have to be by his side all the time, can't he speak for himself. Richard also asks why Gary would bring his children out there and include his children in something as horrible as this. Baez says as he said, this should be Mr. Forester's last interview. If not, he feels sure Gary would be happy to release the FBI report about all of Mr. Forester's background with Robyn. Richard wants to know what his background has to do with her disappearing with him. (Lot of talking over each other here) Geraldo asks if Baez thinks she's still alive and he says no, he believes she is presumed dead; and he thinks she's dead unfortunately.