Closing arguments held in Luis Toledo murder trial

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Closing arguments were presented Thursday in the murder case of Luis Toledo, who is accused of killing his wife and her children.

Toledo, 35, is accused of killing 28-year-old Yessenia Suarez and her two children, Thalia Otto, 9, and Michael Otto, 8, in Volusia County on Oct. 23, 2013. Their bodies have not been found.

The defense began its portion of closing arguments after a lunch break, telling the jury, "We're counting on you to follow the law."

The defense then explained that the state described first-degree murder charges in Suarez's death, but he's charged with second-degree murder in her death.

The state replayed an interview with police that showed Toledo crying and saying that he would never murder his family.

Earlier, the state told the jury that Toledo killed Suarez because she cheated on him, and that he killed her children to eliminate witnesses.

Prosecutors said that although the bodies have not been found, it's certain they are dead because no one has heard from them in four years.

The state said Toledo is the only person who had a motive to kill Suarez, and his efforts to clean her car and house show that he was trying to cover his tracks.

The state told the jury that if they have any doubt that Toledo killed Suarez and her children, they should remember what he told investigators after being arrested, "I'll never tell you where the bodies are."

The jury can consider first-degree murder, second-degree murder or aggravated manslaughter in the deaths of the children; second-degree murder or manslaughter in the death of Suarez; and guilty or innocent on the charge of tampering with evidence.

Jury deliberations will begin Friday at 8:30 a.m.

A judge ordered that Toledo's first-degree murder trial be held in St. Augustine so the court could seat a jury that had not been exposed to the media attention surrounding the case in Central Florida.

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