Hand of Fate (Triple Threat, #2)

FATE: Joining us right now is Vince Rudolph, a private investigator, to give us his thoughts on the case. Vince, what say you?

VINCE RUDOLPH, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: First, Jim, let me say that The Hand of Fate is doing a huge service to this baby boy by putting this information out there. People need to go to your Web site and look at Brandon's picture and forward it to their friends. The facts need to be turned over and over, and people need to think back to that day. What do they remember? Did they see anything out of the ordinary? Or did they see this baby, maybe with someone else? Your show provides a huge service by focusing on those things.

FATE: Whatever help we can provide, we are glad to do so. Also joining us today are two very special guests, the mother and father of missing 18-month-old Brandon Gardner-Tippets. On the line with us we have Jason Tippets, Brandon's father. Welcome, Jason. You just told us that you cooperated with police, and they checked everything out and cleared where you were that night. Now, do you think it's possible someone could have leaned in the window and taken your baby, and he just slept through it?

JASON TIPPETS, MISSING BOY'S FATHER: I find that one hard to believe, because Brandon is a very, very light sleeper. I mean, if you move him while he is asleep, he automatically wakes up.

FATE: Interesting. With us also is a special guest, Brooke Gardner, Brandon's mom, who is divorced from Jason Tippets. This is a mother who is simply watching TV in the next room, she goes in to check on her son, and he's gone. Brooke, thank you for being with us. Now, Brooke, where is the crib in relation to the window?

BROOKE GARDNER, MISSING BOY'S MOTHER: The crib is directly underneath the window. As soon as I saw Brandon was not in the crib, I looked through the room and in the closet. I didn't know what to think. I thought maybe he had climbed out of his crib. He had done that once before.

HANAWA: Was he sleepy that night? Was he ready to go to bed, or did he want to stay up?

GARDNER: He was very tired. We had had a long day. And my son is not a light sleeper whatsoever. You can move him from room to room, and he'll still be asleep. And on top of that, he is very friendly and outgoing. He can walk into a room full of strangers and make friends with people.

HANAWA: Now, Brooke, what did you do first after you opened the door to his room?

GARDNER: Like I said, I looked all around his room, I looked in the closet, and then I checked the bathroom and my room, which are right down the hall, which he could have gotten to without me seeing him. And after that, I looked in his room again and realized the window was wide-open. It wasn't obvious at first because there are curtains in front of it.

FATE: Brooke, the window--you said that when you put him to bed, the window was up about three inches. What position was the window in when you saw it again?

GARDNER: At that point, it was all the way open.

HANAWA: Is there any way Brandon could have climbed out that window?

GARDNER: Even if he stood on tippy toes, he couldn't have reached the edge.

FATE: I'm struggling with how somebody gets into a room, takes a little baby, and somehow struggles out the window with that baby. It seems kind of inconceivable.

GARDNER: When the investigators came in to do the visuals and everything, when they leaned in through the window, they could reach the crib. God forbid if Brandon was up or something like that. Nobody would need to crawl in the window.

FATE: Brandon's father, Jason Tippets, you're on the air. Have you taken a polygraph?

TIPPETS: Yes, sir. FATE: You pass it?

TIPPETS: They don't say whether you pass or fail, but they said the response was favorable.

HANAWA: What questions did they ask you on the polygraph?

TIPPETS: Like if I knew where Brandon was, if I had anything to do with it, just the kind of questions that they would ask in a case like this.

FATE: Let's ask Brooke Gardner, Brandon's mom. Brooke, have you taken a polygraph?

GARDNER: I've spoken to the investigators, and as far as the investigative techniques are concerned, you know, polygraph, stress test, physical searches, interviews, etc., my family and I have fully cooperated with local law enforcement and--

FATE: Have you taken a polygraph?

GARDNER: Locally, they don't have enough necessary experience, and that's why the FBI was called in to begin with. I've been instructed to only speak with them, with their unit, and anything that they release to the media or public is up to them. Now, as far as—

FATE: Have you taken a polygraph?

GARDNER: Like I said, I mean, anything that I do is in cooperation with them. I'm doing everything they want me to. But as far as details and everything, I'm leaving everything up to them.

FATE: Right. Have you taken a polygraph? GARDNER: I've done everything they've asked me to.