A lawyer for the Maryland man behind bars in Aruba criticized police for staging a reenactment to test his client’s story.
Aruban authorities suspect 50-year old Gary Giordano, of Gaithersburg, in the disappearance of his travel companion, 35-year-old Robyn Gardner, of Frederick, Md. Gardner vanished six weeks ago in Aruba. Giordano told police she drowned when the two went snorkeling off a deserted beach.
On Monday, about 40 Aruban investigators traced the couple’s steps to get a clearer picture of what happened in the hours before Gardner disappeared.
Two officers posed as the couple. They drove to the beach in the actual SUV Giordano rented, and following Giordano’s version of the events, one officer ran out of the water and back to the restaurant to look for help.
Defense attorney Michael Lopez said Tuesday the exercise was “one-sided” because authorities ignored some of Giordano’s statements about what happened, the Associated Press reported. Lopez also complained that he was not able to videotape it.
Police asked Giordano to participate in the reenactment, but he refused.
Gardner is still missing.
