News Americas, ORANJESTAD, Aruba, Thurs. Sept. 1, 2011: A U.S. national suspected of involvement in the possible drowning of his companion Robyn Gardner in Aruba has been detained further by a judge on the island.
A judge in Aruba agreed to extend the detention of Gary V. Giordano by another 60 days at the request of prosecutors after a closed hearing inside the prison on the Dutch Caribbean island.
Aruban prosecutor’s office said Giordano, who has been in custody for nearly a month since he told police that Gardner disappeared while they were snorkeling off the southern tip of the island, could face a range of possible charges, including murder, manslaughter, accidental death and insurance fraud.
Police have repeatedly searched the area where she was supposedly last seen but have found no trace of the 35-year-old woman but they also confirmed he was the beneficiary of a $1.5 million accidental death insurance policy he took out on her.
Giordano, who owns a temporary staffing business in the U.S., and Gardner, from Frederick, Maryland, arrived in Aruba on July 31 for what was supposed to be a five-day vacation. He was arrested three days after he reported her missing as he tried to leave the island.
