Paul Flores talks to his attorneys Sara Sanger and Robert Sanger on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. had been arrested in connection with her disappearance, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart, while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. PODCAST EPISODE 4: So, I walk him up to his sister's apartment, and all of a sudden, he just like picked me up, carried me inside, turned around and shut the apartment door, and locked it. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. On Tuesday, Cole testified that Ruben clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three who had been arrested. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks The younger Flores has long been the only person of interest in Smarts disappearance; she was last seen on May 25th, 1996, after attending a party near campus. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. Cole testified that Hudson told him about Paul's statement and that she'd also seen Paul with his white pickup truck at the skateboard ramp in Huasna. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. Smarts family issues a statement following the news about Flores going to trial: Yesterday was a very good day and we want to take this opportunity to thank all of Kristins supporters in San Luis Obispo and beyond. . The 18- year old coed from North Carolina was taking a summer photography class at the University of Califorina Berkeley when she vanished June 23rd, 1997. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. 7,781 days.. That is all it took. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Chris Lambert: Kristin became incredibly intoxicated, whether she was drugged or whether she just had a lot to drink in a short amount of time She ends up passed out on the lawn next door. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. In addition, the documents include a phone tap from January 2020 in which Pauls mother, Susan, tells her son: The other thing I need you to do is to start listening to the podcast. Chadwell answered no. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. Other witnesses are also questioned, but Flemmings testimony is noteworthy as he is the first to say he saw Flores and Smart together before the party. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. Just days after taking over the investigation, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office brought several dogs trained to detect human remains, to the Cal Poly dorms. Denise Pearce: To be almost there. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. Her dorm entrance is right over here. The investigation seemed to be hampered from the start by a series of missteps by campus police beginning with their assumption that Kristin was off having fun and ignoring worried friends who said she was missing. Flores defense team moves to recuse the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office from the Smart case because prosecutor Peuvrelle and others have been seen wearing purple clothing, Smarts favorite color. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Kristen Modaferri Observer file Family and friends of a Charlotte woman who has been missing for nearly two decades are awaiting results after a possible break in the case came Thursday.. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. In high school he was known as a loner. and offers to help. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. It was turned over to a detective with the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office, but Garin Sinclair says, the Smarts never knew it existed until the Lassiters were deposed in January 1997. Chris Lambert: It's hard to take too much credit But I was one piece of the puzzle that helped to make this all come together when it did. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Paul Flores, lower left, remained in jail without bail while Ruben Flores, upper right, was able to post bail after a judge agreed to lower the bail amount from $250,000 to $50,000, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court/Zoom, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Chilling details revealed in JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan deaths, Mother at center of international manhunt speaks out to "48 Hours". every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. We want to hear it. The arrests of the father and son came after investigators using ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs discovered evidence connected directly to Smarts death last month during a search at Ruben Flores home, authorities said. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. They described dropping her off at the party at an unofficial fraternity house, and said that when it was over, she needed support to walk as she was being accompanied home by Paul Flores. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. [emotional] I will go outside at nighttime and I'll look up at the full moon and I'll think that that kid's buried somewhere real close. She was never seen. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Why? D.A. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. Chris Lambert and it worked. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. In one of Paul's police interviews he mentioned that he wanted to be let out of the interview because he needed to help clean up concrete at his mom's house So, what was being done in Susan Flores's backyard in the weeks after Kristin went missing? So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could, Denise Smart told the court, according to CBS 13, a local television station. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. Peterson. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. IE 11 is not supported. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. PODCAST EPISODE 5: If you were making a film about a new law enforcer who's coming to a small town to save the day, you'd probably cast Parkinson. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. Lambert says Kristin could not stand on her own, so fellow student Cheryl Anderson who was also at the party began helping her back to campus. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. It's just a motivator for me. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. Sheriff Ian Parkinson was able to confirm that forensic physical evidence that authorities believe is linked to Kristin was located at, at least two homes. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. He also said that law enforcement leaked information to "Your Own Backyard" podcaster Chris Lambert. A single woman's earring. Ken Blum is the editor. Chris Lambert: Around the time Kristin disappeared, they cut out planter boxes in the backyard, so they cut out big chunks of concrete and filled it in with soil. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. It worked. No remains have been found. Billie Eilish Explains Her Complicated Relationship With Social Media: 'I Don't Look at It Anymore', Theres no evidence of a sex crime in the charged crime (the murder case) itself, van Rooyen says. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. "YOUR OWN BACKYARD" PODCAST: EPISODE 1: It's a cold and cloudy winter afternoon in San Luis Obispo and I'm retracing missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart's last known steps. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. Witness Jennifer Hudson takes the stand, where she tells the court that, in 1996, when she was 17 years old, Flores laughingly told her he had taken care of Smart. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. There's no question about it. I guess the answer is yes. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. He discussed some of the evidence that was collected during searches of the property, including anomalies in the backyard and a 4-foot deep hole under the deck containing fibers and human blood. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. The case recently reentered the public eye with the 2019 launch of the popular true-crime podcast, Your Own Backyard, hosted by musician Chris Lambert, who has spent his life haunted by a missing persons billboard featuring Smarts face. LOS ANGELES A California college student missing for nearly 25 years was once buried in the backyard of the home owned by the murder suspect's father, authorities said in a court document. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. Onuma was evicted from a Kaneohe, Hawaii residence after his connection to the Kristen Modafferi . Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. Convicted killer Scott Peterson is expected to be called to the witness stand at a pre-trial hearing in California involving the 25-year-old disappearance of co-ed Kristin Smart. But the judge indicated he would set a reasonable bail amount Wednesday for the father, who has health problems is currently in the San Luis Obispo jail on $250,000 bail. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. We just, "do you know anything about it". November 01, 2017. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? D.A. PODCAST EPISODE 3 | MARY LASSITER: It was like a red thing and it was like a smudge-like fingerprinted look on the back, just red, like maroon, like old looking and the smudge that it was like half a fingerprint. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. Due to the evidence gleaned from the excavation, it is reasonable to believe Ruben Flores currently knows the location of Kristin Smarts remains," Peuvrelle said. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen rules that having the podcaster testify and release his records would have a chilling effect on the medias ability to do their job. D.A. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. And these girls are inviting us out. The Smarts say they tried to file a missing person's report with the local police but were told it was too early, and the FBI told them Cal Poly police were in charge. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. In October 2022,. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. Chris Lambert: So much was lost in those first few days where if that very first phone call was taken seriously answers might have been uncovered the first week. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. Garin Sinclair: He never once turned to the Smart family and said, hey, we have an earring, we'd like to show it to you to see if it matches any of your daughter's jewelry. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Kristen has never been found. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. Members of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department and FBI searched the grounds of Susan Flores's home in Arroyo Grande on June 19, 2000, for any evidence that might shed light on the disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart.