>>>
authorities in
aruba
has announced plans for an extensive search connected to the mysterious disappearance of an
american woman
robyn
gardner
as prosecutors build their case against the maryland man being held now as a suspect. here's nbc's
janet shamlian
with the latest.
>> reporter:
a long way from his
million dollar
home in maryland, this
aruban
prison is gary
giordano
's
bed and breakfast
for at least the next two weeks. seen here with a shirt over his head after judge held him in the disappearance of
robyn
gardner
. it's vam lock you where
joran van der sloot
was held. now it's the case of another missing
american woman
that has put
aruba
's
legal system
back in the spotlight.
>>
people might think
aruba
is a perfect place or a
perfect crime
because twice people disappear and they don't solve the crime.
>> reporter:
he covers the holloway case and is reporting on this one for
aruba
's largest newspaper. he said
giordano
could leave the island a free man.
>>
how much does the prosecution have to come up with to bind him over the next time?
>>
they will have to be able to come up with something new, something extra, but in my experience in the other case,
natalie holloway
, they kept 60 days, also, and without really something extra, something big.
>> reporter:
the fact
giordano
is an american and considered a potential flight risk could work against him.
>>
foreigners you can keep much easier in jail here. somebody from
aruba
.
>> reporter:
giordano
's attorney has consistently said his client is not guilty, is cooperating with authorities, and should be released.
>>
if
giordano
gets out and returns to the
united states
, it's going to make it much more difficult for prosecutors in
aruba
to bring him back, to charge him with a crime if, in fact, new evidence comes to light.
>> reporter:
as
legal process
continues, so does the search. police are still combing through parts of the island. so where do you hide something on a
small island
like
aruba
, 19 miles long and
6 miles
wide? just driving around, we found abandoned wells and mines like this one. it is at least 25 feet deep and it's pitch-black down there. you can't see the bottom. another a. number of areas are uninhabited, desert like, and a road less traveled. and out to sea, an ocean of possibilities. sometime next week they will launch a more extensive recovery search, but that will be three weeks after
robyn
gardner
went missing and it is going to be considered a recovery. savannah, they will be looking for a body. back to you.
>>
janet shamlian
in
aruba
this morning. thank you.
>>>
judge is a former district attorney about
county judge
. good morning to you. it's nice to have you here. let's start with that big
ultimate question
. there is no body here.
aruban
authorities believe robb begin
gardner
has passed away. you have at most it would seem conflicting statements, perhaps a questionable story from mr.
gardner
, is that enough to charge him with murder?
>>
the fact that they haven't charged him with murder is an indication, given the new search today, they are scrambling for evidence. make no mistake, savannah, they truly believe they have their man. the question is do they have the evidence? and so what they're going to do is they're going to use the whole period that the
aruban
law allows to get more evidenced. and amazingly, the judge gave them double the time they requested. what does that tell you? it tells you that judge was part of the investigation, believes that there is a solid case here. you've got a guy who clearly was the last one to see her, he's making statements that, according to the locals, don't make sense, and you've got a guy who has a history of violence toward women. orders of protection, not one woman, two, four or five women.
>>
you layout a circumstantial case. as you know, the
aruban
legal can only hold this person a certain period of days after the initial detention. maybe up to 60 days before charging him with something.
>>
right.
>>
if he is released and he goes back to the
united states
, how difficult would it be for
aruban
authorities to bring him back to
aruba
to ultimately face a murder charge if they get more evidence later?
>>
right. it will not be difficult at all because we have an
extradition treaty
with
aruba
. and understand that this case involves the fbi almost right at the beginning. so the
united states
is basically saying to the
aruban
government, we will do whatever we can to assist you.
aruba
needs the
united states
, also, because they don't want to be known as the island where american women or tourists disappear. so it will not be difficult to get him back. i don't think he's ever going to leave. they just got
16 days
. they can ask for another 60-day hold. the evidence is there. everything coming out of the prosecutor's mouth indicates they're trying to decide the degree of the crime, not to whether to charge him with a crime.
>>
the judge ordered to give a dna sample. as far as we know there is no
forensic evidence
for them to match that
dna evidence
with yet. you think the prosecutor's is feeling about the strength of their case?
>>
i think that what they're doing now is they requested dna because they're hoping to find some evidence with this late esst renewed launch for evidence. more than that, i think they know they're charging him and the prosecutor says, we'll use it down the line if we don't try something to match it up to. this is clearly a loud signal, we're charging this guy. give us a few more days.
>>
they've got their guy. all right. good to have you here. thank you.
“ ”