Defense strategy becomes clear in the kidnapping, murder, and extortion trial of Toby Holt

BARTOW, Fla. - Family members of Robert Wiles took the witness stand Thursday in the trial for his accused killer, Stobert "Toby" Holt.

The murder, kidnapping, and extortion trial that has gained national attention started this week in Polk County.

Investigators say Holt was the last person to see his co-worker, Wiles, as Holt left work at National Flight Services in Lakeland on April 1, 2008.

Wiles' body has never been found, but he's presumed to be dead.

Investigators say Holt kidnapped Wiles, sent a ransom note to his dad, the owner of the company, and ultimately killed him.

A key piece to the state's case is Wiles' cell phone. Prosecutors claim that after he disappeared, the victim and defendant's phones were traced to the same location.

"Virtually synchronized with the cell tower usage," said Cass Casstillo, State Prosecutor, during opening statements.

It's also from that phone that Wiles' dad, Tom, received a text -- alerting him of the ransom e-mail.

Tom testified Thursday that he first thought it was an April fool's prank.

Until he read the e-mail.

"That scared me," he said.

Tom recalled the long list of demands in the ransom note. His son's kidnapper wanted $750,000 delivered to his son's office.

It ended with this stern warning: "Remember we are watching everything and if you think you can outsmart us it will cost your son his life."

Ultimately, the extortion attempt failed. Prosecutors say the bag of fake money they dropped off was never picked up because Holt learned the FBI was on to him.

The defense painted a totally different theory. They first poked holes in the prosecution's evidence of cell tower usage -- saying it's far from an exact science.

Holt's public defender also implied that her client is just not that foolish.

"He says to them I watch CSI, I love those shows. I know you can track cell phones, I didn't have his phone," she said.

Perhaps the biggest bombshell of the day late during opening statements. For the first time, the defense suggested who really killed Wiles: a former co-worker by the name of Steven Lindsay.

"He was desperate financially. He needed money desperately. He knew the ins and outs of National Flight Services well," she said.

More details on this theory are expected later in the trial.