Boyfriend fears for safety of woman missing in Aruba

>> the new details in the case of a maryland woman missing in aruba . tom costello has the latest on this story. tom, good morning.

>> hi, matt, good morning to you. this case is similar in some ways to the case of natalee holloway who disappeared in aruba six years ago. 35-year-old robin gardner left maryland on the way to aruba without telling her boyfriend. the man she travelled with is under arrest. that's gary giardono on baby beach in aruba telling police he last saw her when they snorkeled together. now he claims she never came back to shore. his attorney in aruba is michael lopez.

>> my client has been detained for a murder investigation. he gave the police all kinds of cooperation.

>> they met on match.com a year ago and agreed to fly to aruba when she lost her job recently. she had a boyfriend richard forester. she told him she was going to florida to see family. now he fears for her safety.

>> i'm not angry with her. if she's found and brought back to me, i'll be angry then. but right now that's not even a factor.

>> back in maryland , gary giordono has a violent history. allegations of domestic violence against an ex-wife and two restraining ordered requested by previous girlfriends, one claimed he started to hit me on my face, neck, breast, and buttocks. he started to choke me with both hands. another report said that he threatened her and said the world would be better off without me and he could help. in 2003 , he was convicted for shoplifting electronics, the fbi has joined the investigation in aruba . former fbi profiler, clint van zandt .

>> giordono is alleged to have had a history of violence with past girlfriends. the authorities have to look at that and look at any evidence that's going to suggest they left the hotel together or he left by himself.

>> robin's disappearance is an eerie reminder of 18-year-old natalee holloway 's disappearance in aruba in 2005 . jury ran van der slojuron van der sloot was never charged. but despite the concern about the impact on tourism, robin gardner 's disappearance needs publicity.

>> no matter what they want or what they think is right, it is important that we get the media involved. aruba , of course, is a dutch territory. we're told that robin gardner 's blackberry and ipod have been turned over to the police. they sent the blackberry to the netherlands for a more thorough analysis. matt?

>> tom costello, thank you very much. robin gardner 's boyfriend, richard forester is with us. mr. forester, good morning to you.

>> good morning.

>> tell me about the relationship with robin, how long have you been dating her before she took this trip?

>> we've been together for about 2 1/2 years, but fairly exclusive, i guess, since about january of 2011 .

>> she told you she was going to see family members in florida. how did you find that out?

>> i found that out once i'd spoken to a family member when they told me she'd been reported missing.

>> did she send a text or e-mail at some point admitting that she's in aruba ? at that time, did she admit she was there with someone else?

>> no, i did get an e-mail saying that she was in aruba , but it's just a change in plans as far as where they were going.

>> mr. forester, have you heard of gary giordono? have you met him? do you know anything about him?

>> i never met him. i heard his name before. i was under the assumption he was just a friend.

>> when you got that e-mail that she was in aruba , she added no other information, she didn't talk about it being fearful, nothing that might help in this investigation?

>> no, i have to tell you, not when i got that e-mail. on tuesday morning on the second of august, a little after 2:00 in the morning, she posted a note -- a message on my face book wall saying this sucks. i didn't get it until the morning when i got to work. i questioned her, i didn't know what it feels. she didn't respond. i e-mailed her throughout the day. later on in the day, between, probably i don't know somewhere around 3:00 in the afternoon, she sent me an inbox message on my face book saying, you know, i love you, i care about you. we'll talk about this and sort it out when i get back.

>> sounds like she left more questions than answers.

>> yes. when you hear that the two of them went snorkeling and she didn't return to the beach when he did. he then tried to leave aruba , you say that has to be a lie. why do you say that?

>> just knowing her, matt, i -- i believe that she's too concerned about her hair, about her makeup. at that point in the evening afternoon, she -- being in a place like aruba or somewhere, she's probably had a couple of drinks and she's not going to stop to go swimming in the ocean at that point. she's probably going to be getting readdy to go out for dinner for the evening. but i know she's never been a fan of snorkeling, she said she may do it, but wasn't that interested. she is a swimmer, but would prefer to be in a swimming pool . now, being in a place like aruba , that might be a little different. but i just don't accept it for one minute that she was snorkeling. also the story from what i understand the change too, from they were snorkeling to they walked out to a point where the water was almost above their heads and they decided to swim back to shor. when he got back to shore, turned around and she -- he couldn't see her -- he couldn't find her.

>> i asked this. i hope you understand the tone that i ask it with. you seem to know her very well about what she would and wouldn't do, and, yet, it comes as a surprise to you that she would actually be in aruba with another man.

>> you're right. you're absolutely right. i do feel like i know her very well. she was going through some -- some tough times. she'd lost her job recently. so i can't say where her mind is at at that point. my biggest concern she was there with another man. obviously that's an issue. but my biggest concern is that she's found and found safely and i'm able to have that discussion with her.

>> when you hear allegations that mr. giodono has perhaps been violent or threatened other women in the past, do you fear that he has in some way brought harm to her?

>> very much so.

>> well --

>> very much so. i've done my own research. i've had people come out from his past who have contacted me and told me some pretty -- pretty bad details. so i -- i definitely have a -- a very bad feeling. but at the same time, i just try to stay optimistic and hopeful that -- that she'll be -- she'll be back and return home safely.

>> richard forester, i appreciate your time this morning. thank you very much.

>> thank you.

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