First of all, God Bless the Wiles family. I pray that you find your son someday. As a 25 year career cop I am once again COMPLETLEY astonished at the inept work conducted by the FBI! How in the!@#$ did they NOT discover the cellular phone evidence at the onslaught of this investigation? Had they done their job, maybe the Wiles would have their son/brother to bury. Words can't describe the frustration I feel. Thank the good lord for the Florida DOJ. Very sad and disgusting.
Does anyone find it odd that the alleged kidnappers wanted the ransom money placed in a locked room? Why would he/she/they do this? Perhaps there was something in the room, hidden, and someone wanted it found.
In agreement with your notice in regards to the locked office room.
Perhaps the reason for that and the ransom never attempted to be taken is that it never was to be followed thru. Maybe the killing of Robert was never part of a scenario to kidnap for ransom. Rather, just a ruse to steer the authorities, fixate, and chase their tails in that direction rather then the real reason and person(s) involved in the death.
My gut tells me Toby was involved. However, I'm shocked he was proven guilty. They haven't shown overwhelming evidence needed for me, if I was a jurist, to convict.
I am aware that the USA have an especially weird jurisdiction with a lot of loopholes and exploits that causes a lot of false and unjustified sentences to happen.
I - just like all the other commentators here - haven't seen the whole prosecution but from what I have seen this man was convicted based on assumptions and the need for a culprit.
I understand that feelings run high when a family is confronted with the loss of their son and they have my honest condolences. I can't imagine how hard this must be for all of them - especially beeing left in the dark about the whereabouts of their son or his mortal remains.
Either way - justice can't be based on assumptions. This is just not right. Research for five minutes how many people have suffered years or even a life in prison for things they haven't done. There are hundreds upon hundreds of those. Most of the time it's because of sloppy police work, biased jurors, corruption or sometimes even shadier things going on.
However - Toby should be held in housearrest or put under surveillance while the investigation is resumed. Imo there are more than enough open leads to look into. Convicting the man on that weak of a case is just lazy and an embarrasing farce.
Wow, 48 hours either did a REALLY bad job of presenting this one or that guy got convicted on absolutely no evidence and that is scary because it could happen to any of us.
Even though we were not sitting in the courtroom to hear everything that was said by both sides, the prosecutor and denfense attorney; cases can be solved with Circumstantial Evidence. There is no body, there is nothing showing that Toby directly did it but there had to be something for even the DA to say that this can go to trial. Look at the fact that Toby set up the camera where the ransom package was placed and the package was never touched. Look at the fact that he cheated on his wife before the divorce with a number of females but his cell phone was turned off (because he watched CSI and knew he could be pinpointed with the cell phone towers). He didn't think about the camera from which his car was spotted and him having his hand raised, would ever come into play. So I can only give my opinion that the verdict got it right in this circumstantial case.
Tough case.... The truth is that none of us were at the trial and thus we have not heard the prosecutor's entire case. Many people are convicted without solid forensic evidence because the circumstantial evidence, when brought together under the light of scrutiny, points clearly to the defendant's involvement. From what was shared with the viewers, it seems like a pretty flimsy case, but then again, we did not see all of it. Apparently the family, law enforcement, the D.A. and the jurors saw enough to believe in Mr. Holt's guilt. It is a sad situation for all concerned- especially the Wiles family who have lost their beloved son and brother for no discernable reason.
wow. there was no evidence at all to convict this guy. If we can be sent to prison because of a conflict then I would be going to prison for the rest of my life. It is not fair to go after someone like that. Even if the man is guilty there is not enough to support he has done it or not. If there is nothing to support the guilty verdict then there is nothing there at all. One has to have physical proof of a crime. Based on our laws they need to prove it. They don't. They didn't. They can't. This is not right. Shame on these people
that was my feeling too, I was absolutely shocked he was convicted because there was no evidence, at least none that 48 showed in their coverage of this case. People shouldn't be convicted because you think my might have done it, there should have to be solid evidence before you take someone's freedom away like that.
I believe Toby has something to do with this whole plot but the other culprit is the mechanic. I can't believe that Toby's wife keeps defending him like there is just no way he could be involved when obviously his moral compass is a tad bit off when he slept with not 1 or 2 but 12 women during their marriage.
30 years for supposedly having murdered a young man
without a body without fingerprints, footprints... without a single witness without a phone (Robert's) without even a snapshot where Mr. Holt holds the phone
?
And this is justice? If you can't prove your alibi at a steak restaurant with a surveillance camera picture, that's going to happen?
This is nonsense. If the family is imagining that Robert could walk back into a room, that would mean they don't think he is really dead. So how can they say that justice has been served by putting Toby in prison when there isn't even a body? That is not sufficient evidence, and the jurors must have been chosen for their low IQs. Robert's barber said he had toyed with the idea of his own kidnapping, but they didn't give that any weight when there is no other evidence? A person should not go to jail on so little evidence and with so many suppositions. The family just wanted someone to be responsible as they all do.
great point...I'd use that footage in their appeal of the sister saying she hopes he walks in someday. Because that shows even she has doubt...and that isn't "beyond all reasonable doubt"
The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
Reply to Comment The posting of advertisements, profanity, or personal attacks is prohibited. By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.
Perhaps the reason for that and the ransom never attempted to be taken is that it never was to be followed thru. Maybe the killing of Robert was never part of a scenario to kidnap for ransom. Rather, just a ruse to steer the authorities, fixate, and chase their tails in that direction rather then the real reason and person(s) involved in the death.
My gut tells me Toby was involved. However, I'm shocked he was proven guilty. They haven't shown overwhelming evidence needed for me, if I was a jurist, to convict.
I - just like all the other commentators here - haven't seen the whole prosecution but from what I have seen this man was convicted based on assumptions and the need for a culprit.
I understand that feelings run high when a family is confronted with the loss of their son and they have my honest condolences. I can't imagine how hard this must be for all of them - especially beeing left in the dark about the whereabouts of their son or his mortal remains.
Either way - justice can't be based on assumptions. This is just not right. Research for five minutes how many people have suffered years or even a life in prison for things they haven't done. There are hundreds upon hundreds of those. Most of the time it's because of sloppy police work, biased jurors, corruption or sometimes even shadier things going on.
However - Toby should be held in housearrest or put under surveillance while the investigation is resumed. Imo there are more than enough open leads to look into. Convicting the man on that weak of a case is just lazy and an embarrasing farce.
It is a sad situation for all concerned- especially the Wiles family who have lost their beloved son and brother for no discernable reason.
without a body
without fingerprints, footprints...
without a single witness
without a phone (Robert's)
without even a snapshot where Mr. Holt holds the phone
?
And this is justice? If you can't prove your alibi at a steak restaurant with a surveillance camera picture, that's going to happen?