Robert Wiles, 26, was believed to have been kidnapped and held for ransom 21 months ago. On Friday, authorities arrested a man who used to work for Wiles in Florida. The former co-worker faces 4 separate charges, including first degree murder.
Officers arrested Stobert Holt in Orlando, Florida after he arrived from Columbia where he was on a business trip. Agents say the 42 year old, known as Toby, offered no resistance and no comment.
Wiles' parents held a news conference after they found a ransom note. Tom and Pamela Wiles of Springfield Township own National Flight Services, which is headquartered at Toledo Express. Their son Robert headed up the Lakeland Florida operations.
One year after that news conference, with no sign of their son, they offered a quarter million dollar reward for his safe return. 13abc's Lee Conklin talked to the couple back then and an FBI agent who said they were close to cracking the case. "The key suspect had a strong dislike for Robert, maybe even jealous at some point," said David Couvetier of the FBI.
The FBI now believes Wiles was killed, but they don't know where his body is. And the man authorities likely suspected all along, Stobert Holt, faces charges of first degree murder, kidnapping, extortion and for written threats to kill or do bodily harm.
The FBI won't say why they believe Wiles is dead. The FBI also isn't making a motive public, but agents do say after tracing Wiles' trips, travelling to 6 countries and 3 states, their investigation led them back to Holt.
