Robert Wiles, 26, FL 4/1/08 Son of local aircraft executive kidnapped presumed dead/conviction

[Searching]

It is unfortunate that the parents paid the ransom, apparently without first notifying the police/fbi. Now the kidnappers have the entire world to roam in and have no need to make contact with the family.

Some countries have kidnapping as an industry and prompt payment of a ransom only raises the price.

I would think anyone kidnapping an executive from an airport-area business would need to know the layout: location, numbers of personnel around, access. So I'd look for prior visitors to the airport and probably to that business. In order to "case the joing" in Florida one would need air conditioning, so look for vacant offices that provide vantage points, check local parking citations, check the airport cafe. Even if its a disgruntled worker who knew alot about the building and the offices and the routines involved, his coconspirators would still want to take a look at the target first.

Hate to say this but ofcourse its likely he is dead. Might have been killed before the ransom was paid. Certainly killed after it. Its hard to investigate a crime like this because the disgruntled employee might be from a geographically remote location such as their Ohio facility and merely treked to Florida because that is where the son worked.

Might well have been someone from the world of sports who simply spotted someone who was wealthy and would be a good victim. The key is recent spending. These types who kidnap often can't hold onto the money for long without wives and girlfriends and drinking buddies noticing the sudden wealth.

This place,if it is the one I am thinking of in or around winter haven, is used for many other things. One being a storage/staging area for furniture and other items for the needy to pick up as well as other things. I live in Lakeland and have made calls for young couples,elderly people in need to find assistance and have heard of the hangers being used for various things. Thought I would throw that out there.

Ok,just looked..not the same airport..Gilbert is the one I was thinking of...as far as i know,airports here are not really "airports"..thats why family has to fly in to Tampa or Orlando when they come to visit.. The whole story struck me as odd when I read it when it broke.. LOTS of mistakes made by the family as well as investigators in this case IMO

[bleachedblack]

I agree searching. There is alot about this case that doesn't add up.

[Searching]

I agree searching. There is alot about this case that doesn't add up.

This was suppose to have happened during the day?? I have to say,that area of Lakeland is VERY busy until late night time and even then has regular traffic. I can not see, being the airport,which as I said,here is not really what I call an airport since no big passenger planes go to and from there,but never the less,very busy,that someone could "kidnap" him without drawing attention. I thought I read that there were some financial issues within the company?? The reason I remember that is,my first thought was that it was staged to get the money.. I figured after a bit of time he would surface and all would be well. Surprised he has not surfaced as yet.. I just can not see it being a kidnapping though.. Will try to get some photos of the area there when my car is finished being repaired so you can see what I mean. I just think it is to busy for something like that to go unnoticed. Something is definitely off about this case. Someone is not telling all they know.. JMO

[Searching]

Was just noticing..the date.. Could this have been an April fools day gag gone bad??

[Nut44x4]

I have my own thoughts (2 different scenarios) on this case that I have juggled back and forth. I have been waiting this one out and not saying much. Still going to wait a while before I speak. My thoughts probably won't be very popular, lol. Something IS very wrong here and it has bugged me from the start.

[Nut44x4]

FBI 'Close' To Solving Kidnapping, Seeks Public's Help

February 26, 2009

TAMPA - Nearly a year after their son, Robert, was kidnapped from the family business at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, Pamela and Thomas Wiles believe he is still alive and are willing to work with the kidnappers to get him back.

"We aren't zillionaires, and business is bad, but we'll do whatever it takes," Thomas Wiles said in an interview today at the FBI's Tampa headquarters.

"We just want to work with them," Pamela Wiles said. "There's no hate. …What are their needs? What are their concerns?

"I don't care what condition he's in," she said. "I just want to know where he is."

Robert Wiles was business development manager for National Flight Services, the family's Toledo, Ohio-based aircraft service and maintenance company.

Two days after his April 1 disappearance, Wiles' parents received a ransom note. They followed the instructions to get their son back, but something went wrong. The kidnappers cut off communication.

Now the FBI says it is close to solving the case; agents have developed a prime suspect and persons of interest, according to agency spokesman Dave Couvertier. But investigators need a little more information and are seeking the public's help.

"We're just that close," Couvertier said. "A couple of grains more information will tip the scales."

The key suspect and persons of interest had connections and associations in the Lakeland area, as well as Orlando and Melbourne, Couvertier said.

In particular, agents want to hear from anyone with information about Wiles' activities the afternoon of April 1, whether it is someone who had lunch with him or talked to him on the telephone or communicated with him in any way.

Agents also need information about who might have been upset with Wiles or may have consistently complained about him, as well as anyone who was jealous, almost to the point of being obsessed.

The suspect and persons of interest knew his work routine and his parents' affairs, Couvertier said. They are manipulative and may intimidate others who have information.

Wiles' parents said he had no enemies and that everyone who met him automatically liked him.

"He just loved spending time with people, with fun people," Pamela Wiles said.

But the family business is "very cutthroat," Thomas Wiles said. He believes there is a "very high probability" that the kidnapping was connected to it.

"In our industry, violence is something that doesn't happen," he said. But "competition is very intense. The truth is not always spoken. … People try to snatch business away."

His son's job was to attract new business.

Patricia Wiles isn't as firm in her belief that the business is connected to the kidnapping but said it's possible.

"Robert was very respected," she said. "He believed honesty is a marketable commodity. He did things according to principle. That's who he was."

The family's company services airplanes that carry up to 19 passengers, Thomas Wiles said. He said about five such companies nationwide compete, and that their company ranks about in the middle in size.

It has been in business since the 1970s, has about 120 employees and has never had any layoffs, he said.

The year before the kidnapping, the business had $8.5 million in sales, according to public records. In addition to Toledo and Lakeland, it has branches in San Antonio, Texas, and Toronto.

Robert grew up around airplanes; his parents met on one.

When he and his two younger sisters were children, the family had a plane with child seats that they used to visit grandparents. Their white dog, Sherbert, also flew with them. Once they accidentally left Sherbert behind, and they were called about a white dog running down the runway.

When Robert was about 5, Thomas Wiles arranged for them to ride in the Goodyear blimp. Robert passed up the chance to brag to a friend, though. To him, it was just another airplane ride.

After Robert was kidnapped, the family received at least 300 cards and e-mails of support from around the world, Thomas Wiles said.

He said there is "zero" chance his son was involved in his own kidnapping.

"He had no concerns about family loyalties," Wiles said. "He didn't have concerns about his future …Robert was not driven by money and power."

The couple said the professionalism, humility and compassion of the FBI has sustained them the past year.

"They're real people," Patricia Wiles said. "I don't know that I knew that."

Robert had plans to travel to the Keys with friends last June. He loves to fish and owns a 21-foot catamaran. His father was going to help him buy a bigger boat.

Pamela Wiles said her handsome, gregarious son, who turned 27 in September, didn't know what to do about all the women he attracted.

He's "just a real uplifting person," his mother said. He's funny, too – gently teasing his father about his expanding gut and calling his parents "Mambo" and "Daddio."

He gave his mother a dream catcher he made while volunteering as a camp counselor. It hangs over the headboard of her bed.

"I touch it every night," she said. "I have dreams about him. Sometimes, I don't want to get out of bed. I want to stay sleeping."

In the dreams, they're talking and hugging like they always did.

"It feels good," Patricia Wiles said. "I could feel him a lot. I can feel Robert's energy in me every day. Sometimes, that tells me he is alive."

INFORMATION SOUGHT

Anyone with information on the kidnapping of Robert Wiles can call the FBI at 1-866-838-1153 or go to the agency's Web site, tampa.fbi.gov for e-mail and other contact information.

Anonymous tips also can be mailed to the FBI at: 5525 W. Gray St., Tampa FL 33609. Or you can ask someone from the clergy or an attorney to contact the agency on your behalf; the FBI says it is will honor confidentiality.
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2009/feb/26/fbi-close-solving-kidnapping-seeks-publics-help/

[klaasend]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,502164,00.html

FBI Close to Solving Case of Abducted Florida Pilot
Saturday, February 28, 2009 


The FBI is closing in on a key suspect in the kidnapping of a Florida pilot who mysteriously vanished from his office nearly a year ago.

Federal agents believe Robert Wiles was abducted last April after going to work at his family's aviation business, the National Flight Service, in Lakeland, Fla.

Two days later, relatives found a ransom note demanding money.

FBI Special Agent David Couvertier said investigators believe the suspect knows Wiles.

The person is likely "someone who was jealous of Robert, (had) contempt for him and was almost obsessed with him," Couvertier told FOX News.

The FBI says Wiles' family tried to comply and has offered rewards of up to $250,000 for information leading to an arrest and conviction.

Agents believe they are now close to solving the case.

"The investigation has identified individuals of interest and a key suspect," Couvertier told FOX. "We have no information to indicate that he is deceased."

The key suspect and persons of interest live or work in Lakeland, Orlando or Melbourne. Their names were not released.

[Nut44x4]

FBI: New Break In Case Of Missing Polk Co. Pilot
Tuesday, March 03, 2009 6:51:20 AM

MAITLAND -- The FBI believes its close to cracking the case of a Polk County pilot missing since April 2008.

FBI agents in Maitland are expected to give an update Tuesday on their progress in the case of Robert Wiles, 26.

It has been 10 months since Wiles was last seen, but for his parents, that is 10 months too long.

"Every day, you wake up in the morning from a deep relaxing sleep, and you get up and this wave just comes over you of the reality that you don't have your son," said Pamela Wiles, Robert's mother.

Agents told News 13 Wiles' parents received a ransom note just after their son disappeared, but they have not heard from the kidnappers since, even after paying the ransom.

The family said they hope a $250,000 reward would encourage someone with information to help them find their son.

"I'm hoping someone out there, please step forward. We are willing to do whatever it takes, whatever you need to help protect you and help you start a new life, and keep you out of this," Pamela Wiles said. "Whatever it is, we are willing to work with them."

FBI agents have developed a prime suspect and persons of interest, but need more information.

If you have information on the kidnapping of Robert Wiles, call the FBI's Tampa office at (866) 838-1153.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/3/3/fbi_new_break_in_case_of_missing_polk_co_pilot.html

[Jennifer34]

Nut, what is your theory on this?

[MuffyBee]

    Robert Wiles still missing

Contributed by Jeremy Maready and Shoshana Walter - Posted: April 2, 2009 2:02:02 PM
The FBI is still waiting for some good leads in the now 1-year-old case of missing Lakeland man Robert Wiles.

I called spokesman Dave Couvertier earlier this week, and he told me not much is new since The Ledger's last article about the case in February. In that story, Couvertier said the FBI was very close to solving the case and asked that anyone with information call the tips line at 866-838-1153.

Yesterday was the one year anniversary of Wiles' disappearance. He was last seen April 1, 2008 working at National Flight Services, his family's business at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Two days later, his parents discovered a ransom note and followed its instructions, but have yet to see their son or his kidnappers.

His parents are offering a $250,000 reward for his return. A neighbor told me they're apparently still paying rent for Robert's apartment on Charles Street in Lakeland, although no one is currently living in it.

-- Shoshana
http://blogs.theledger.com/default.asp?item=2358626

[Searching]

Suspect In Lakeland Man's Disappearance Arrested

http://www.theledger.com/article/20091218/NEWS/912189975/1410?Title=Suspect-In-Lakeland-Man-s-Disappearance-Arrested

[Searching]

http://www.theledger.com/article/20091219/NEWS/912195022/1410?Title=Man-Charged-With-Murder-In-Case-of-Missing-Pilot

Man Charged With Murder In Case of Missing Pilot

held without bail
Man Charged With Murder In Case of Missing Pilot

BARTOW | An investigation into the kidnap-for-ransom case of a young Lakeland pilot led to the arrest of a Melbourne man Friday, according to the FBI.

Stobert Lindell Holt Jr., 42, also known as Toby Holt, was arrested Friday afternoon while getting off a flight from Colombia at Orlando International Airport, officials said.

Holt was indicted by a grand jury Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, extortion and writing threats to kill or do bodily harm in the case of Robert Arthur Wiles.

Holt was taken to the Polk County Jail, where he is being held without bail. He will most likely have his first court appearance at 9 a.m. today.

FBI agent Dave Couvertier said agents have not found Wiles' body, but they have reason to think he is dead.

When asked about the charges at the jail book-in, Holt replied, "No comment."

Little is known about the connection between Wiles and Holt or what evidence led investigators to Holt as a suspect.

In declining comment about the specifics of the case, State Attorney's Office spokesman Chip Thullbery said, "Once discovery (evidence) is provided to the defense, the offense reports will become public record."

Wiles was last seen April 1, 2008, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, where he worked with his family's Ohio-based aircraft maintenance business, National Flight Services (NFS). He was 26 years old at that time.

Holt was previously employed by NFS as the company's operation manager, the FBI said. He lived in Apollo Beach at the time of Wiles' disappearance.

Two days after Wiles disappeared, his family received a ransom note demanding money and threatening to harm Wiles if the demands were not met.

The note spurred a joint investigation by the FBI, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Polk County Sheriff's Office and Lakeland Police Department.

The case quickly gained national attention as the investigation continued.

In May 2008, Wiles' parents, Thomas and Pamela Wiles of Ohio, were shown on the "Today" show and other morning entertainment programs on major broadcast and cable channels.

The couple had been offering a reward for information about their son or about those who might be involved in his disappearance. Earlier this year, that reward was increased to $250,000.

At a news conference in February, family members said they were willing to do whatever it took to get their son back.

"We're not zillionaires," Thomas Wiles said at the time. "Whatever we can do, we will."

The investigation led authorities around the world. Investigators pursued leads in nine Florida cities, along with other cities in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee. Internationally, leads were followed in Canada, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Venezuela and Thailand, the FBI reported.

[Nut44x4]

  wow ...I will have to say my thoughts on this case were wayyyy off. I was wrong, I admit it. Thanks for bringing this here searching!

[Searching]

wow ...I will have to say my thoughts on this case were wayyyy off. I was wrong, I admit it. Thanks for bringing this here searching!

You are welcome. I went back and forth on this one, I thought maybe he was involved in a scheme and then thought no way, he was killed and someone is trying to get a ransom for a dead man and then back to the first thought and so on.. as time went on though, I figured he was deceased and thought about doing some hiking in the area to see what could be found by way of remains etc just never did go as would be best in numbers and had no one to go with me. His remains are still missing, maybe the perp will say where he put him, but I doubt it.

[Nut44x4]

The Ledger (Lakeland, FL) 
December 24, 2009 Thursday 
 
Family: 'We Carry the Burden of Unknowing';
Relatives of missing Lakeland pilot Robert Wiles speak about investigation.

LAKELAND | The parents of missing Lakeland pilot Robert Wiles broke their silence Wednesday and released a statement about the investigation and recent arrest of a co-worker in the slaying of their son.

A Polk County grand jury indicted Stobert "Toby" Holt Jr. last week on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, extortion and writing threats to kill or do bodily harm.

"The Federal Bureau of Investigation embraced Robert Wiles' case bringing us to this point in the investigation," Pamela and Tom Wiles said Wednesday in a statement released by the FBI. "Their tenacity and dedication has involved many thousands of hours to bring in the evidence necessary to arrest and charge this individual. We are assured that the investigation shall continue until a total resolution is achieved."

Robert Wiles was last seen April 1, 2008, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, where he worked with his family's Ohio-based aircraft maintenance business, National Flight Services.

Two days after Wiles disappeared, his family received a ransom note demanding money and threatening to harm Wiles if the demands were not met.

Wiles' body has not been found, but an FBI spokesman said Wiles is thought to be dead.

Holt, 42, of Melbourne had previously been employed by NFS as the company's operation manager, according to the FBI.

Holt's wife and lawyer maintain he is innocent. He was arrested Friday while getting off a flight from Colombia at Orlando International Airport.

"This has been, and continues to be a horrifying experience which has, and continues to have, a devastating effect on our family life, business, and that of Robert's friends and associates," Pamela and Tom Wiles said in their statement.

"Daily, we carry the burden of the unknowing, heartache, trauma, and unease. We resist tears in the hardest hours, we thrive on all the amazing love and support our family and Robert receives, we do not resist the sympathy and stimulation of social interaction, we take one day at a time, and we have great faith in the professionals working this investigation."

Polk County Judge Robert L. Williams Jr. ruled Monday that Holt should remain in jail without bail until a hearing can be held to review evidence. The earliest that such a hearing is likely to be scheduled would be next week.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:1097689586&start=8

[Searching]

http://www.theledger.com/article/20091223/NEWS/912235054/1410?Title=Relatives-of-Missing-Lakeland-Pilot-Robert-Wiles-Break-Their-Silence

Relatives of Missing Lakeland Pilot Robert Wiles Break Their Silence

By Jeremy Maready
THE LEDGER

Published: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 10:14 p.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at 10:14 p.m.

LAKELAND | The parents of missing Lakeland pilot Robert Wiles broke their silence Wednesday and released a statement about the investigation and recent arrest of a fellow co-worker for the murder of their son.
Continued at link.

[Nut44x4]

The Ledger (Lakeland, FL) 
February 4, 2010 Thursday 
 
Defendant in Pilot's Death Sports Black Eyes in Court
 
BARTOW | Stobert "Toby" Holt Jr. sported two black eyes Wednesday when he walked into a Bartow courtroom.

The 42-year-old Melbourne man, accused of killing a Lakeland pilot missing since 2008, had gotten beat up by a group of inmates, jail records show.

Holt told deputies he was attacked on Sunday over a rumor spreading in his dorm that accused him of being a pedophile, according to an incident report.

He received medical treatment and signed a waiver of prosecution, the report states.

Holt attended Wednesday's hearing where his lawyers requested that prosecutors hand over more documents in his case.

Prosecutors agreed to provide additional records by the end of the week.

A grand jury indicted Holt in December on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, extortion and writing threats to kill or do bodily harm.

Robert Arthur Wiles was last seen April 1, 2008, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, where he worked with his family's Ohio-based aircraft maintenance business, National Flight Services.

Wiles' family received a ransom note two days after his disappearance that included a demand for money and a threat to harm Wiles.

At the time, Holt was employed by NFS as the company's operation manager.

So far, records released by the State Attorney's Office haven't shed much light on the evidence against Holt.

Some employees who worked for NFS told investigators that Wiles was inexperienced and wasn't charging enough for repairs. Jennifer Leigh Griffin, a friend of Wiles, told an FBI agent that Wiles complained that "Toby" and another co-worker didn't give him any respect and "talked down to him a lot."
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100020825&docId=l:1121057839&start=3

[Nut44x4]

New Documents Released in Case of Missing Lakeland Man

Last Modified: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 3:50 p.m.
BARTOW | Newly released documents in the case of Robert Arthur Wiles, a Lakeland man reported missing in 2008, give clues to the prosecution’s case against Stobert “Toby” Holt Jr., who is accused of killing Wiles.

The documents detail an anonymous call, a demand for ransom and the threat of violence if the demand was not met.

So begins the complex case that reads like a plot for a Hollywood thriller. Prosecutors have released more than 800 pages of documents with thousands more to go.

According to the documents:

A rich businessman gets a text message one night sent from his son’s cellular phone. It directs him to check his e-mail if he wants to ever see his son again.

He discovers a mysterious ransom e-mail sent from “Group X” demanding $750,000 and threatening to kill his son if the money is not sent.

The e-mail warns, “Remember we are watching everything and if you think you can out smart us it will cost your son his life.”

The son is never heard from again, and investigators look inside the businessman’s company for the culprit.

On Dec. 18, Holt was arrested as he steps off a plane arriving in Orlando from Colombia and accused of killing Wiles, his co-worker, whose body has never been found. Earlier that week, a grand jury had indicted him on charges of first-degree murder, kidnapping, extortion and writing threats to kill or do bodily harm.

Wiles was 26 years old when he was last seen April 1, 2008, at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport, where he worked with his family’s Ohio-based aircraft maintenance business, National Flight Services.

At the time, Holt was employed by NFS as the company’s operation manager.

Holt, 42, of Melbourne, was living in Apollo Beach at the time of Wiles’ disappearance. He remains in the Polk County Jail without bail. He is scheduled for a Friday bond hearing.

http://www.theledger.com/article/20100210/NEWS/100219959?Title=New-Documents-Released-in-Case-of-Missing-Lakeland-Man

[Nut44x4]

BARTOW, Fla. -- An e-mail from a kidnapper demanding $750,000 in ransom is among the documents newly released in the case of a missing central Florida pilot.

The April 2008 e-mail to Robert Wiles' father demanded that the money be shipped in small bills to a specific location. Tom Wiles followed instructions but his son, then 26, has not turned up.

The FBI believes Wiles is dead but his body hasn't been found. Stobert Lindell Holt Jr. was indicted in December on murder and kidnapping charges.

The 42-year-old Holt is a former employee of the aircraft maintenance business owned by the Wiles family at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport.

The ransom e-mail was among documents made available by prosecutors this week.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/florida/AP/story/1475151.html

[klaasend]

NEW BLINK POST:

http://blinkoncrime.com/2010/02/12/robert-wiles-murder-unidentified-remains-found-in-st-cloud-reserve/

Robert Wiles Murder: Unidentified Remains Found in St Cloud Reserve