to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? The county sheriffs office searched his room once more during the weekend of June 29th, when a team of cadaver dogs signaled the smell of human decay. Please come with me." Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. Denise Pearce: To be almost there. Flores claimed after walking Kristin back from the party, he went to his room in Santa Lucia Hall while she walked alone to her dorm. Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. That turned out to be college. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. 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". But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. Nic Coury / AP. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. The two men made their first courtroom appearance on July 14 in San Luis Obispo Superior Court, where Judge Craig B. van Rooyen denied the district attorneys motion to add two rape charges against Paul Flores, The Tribune of San Luis Obispo reported. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. The excavation below his deck showed damning evidence that a body had been buried in that location and then recently moved, prosecutor Christopher Peuvrelle said. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). 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. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. Additionally, the documents include information about a March 15th, 2021 search by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office of Ruben Flores Arroyo Grande property that included ground-penetrating radar. A California jury has found Paul Flores, the man accused of the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart, guilty of first-degree murder, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County District. And according to that probation report, "dozens of women have recounted Paul Flores' sexual assaults and predatory behavior that document his 25 years as a serial rapist." The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. DAN DOW [press conference]: But the allegation that he was committing or attempting to commit a rape when he killed her, is the basis for which we are able to file first-degree felony murder charges. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. It's, like, she has nothing on her. James Murphy: Paul Flores had a reputation amongst the girls that knew him at Cal Poly as being a creeper that he was always trying to hit on women. DAN DOW [press conference]: We intend to use evidence of other sexual crimes in this prosecution to prove the facts necessary for the attempted rape in this case. It's fine. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. Ian Parkinson: I committed to them that I was going to go back to the beginning and re-examine every piece of evidence that we had. In February 2020, the authorities executed search warrants at four locations in California and Washington State and recovered what the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office described as items of interest. One location was the Los Angeles home of Paul Flores, KCAL-TV reported. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. She didn't think that was OK. The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. I've got her. "Up and Vanished" led a man to confess to killing a . 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. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. And I was screaming. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. D.A. The Smart family filed a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit against Paul Flores in 1997, but he was not immediately charged criminally in the case. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. Hudson previously testified during the preliminary hearing that while hanging out with a group of skateboarders in San Luis Obispo in 1996, she heard Paul Flores use a derogatory term to refer to Kristin Smart and say, "I'm done playing with her and I put her out underneath my ramp in Huasna.". Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. 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. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? IE 11 is not supported. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. 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. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. Peterson. But the investigation is ongoing. 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. Flores, 44, was arrested Tuesday at his home, nearly 25 years after Smart left a party near the Cal Poly campus and vanished on the way back to her campus dormitory. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. or even her keys. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. D.A. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. She was gone. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. to find the next challenge. In high school he was known as a loner. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. She was never seen. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. The day after the arrests, Dan Dow, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney, said that Paul Flores had caused the death of Ms. Smart while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. Ruben Flores helped to hide her remains, he said. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. Flores was first interviewed by Cal Poly police investigators near the end of May 1996, according to The San Luis Obispo Tribune, and the Cal Poly police didnt search his room until June 10th. Paul invoked the Fifth Amendment when the DAs office subpoenaed him to testify before a grand jury in 1996 and after the Smarts filed a $40 million wrongful-death lawsuit against him; during a 1997 deposition, he again pleaded the Fifth. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. and I was like, "Noooo.". Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. She disappeared in 1996 after attending an off-campus party and while she was declared legally dead in 2002, her body has never been found. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. After over 25 years, there is no evidence that Paul Flores committed the crimes for which there is no evidence.. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. Recently unsealed court documents show the extent to which law enforcement has looked into Flores over the years: 48 search warrants involving wiretaps and GPS tracking, and a search of Flores former Cal Poly dorm room. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. But cadaver dogs told a different story. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. In April 2021, investigators finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and decided they had enough to charge the then-44-year-old Paul Flores with Kristin's murder, and his then-80-year-old father with being an accessory after the fact. Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. 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. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. . They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. putting murder on the lawsuit was sending a message to Paul Flores and his family, that we believe that he killed Kristin and that we're coming for him. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. 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. She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. 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. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. 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. No remains have been found. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. 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? He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. Real Name: Kristen Deborah Modafferi Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: San Francisco, California Date: June 23, 1997 Bio Occupation: Student Date of Birth: June 1, 1979 Height: 5' 8" Weight: 140 lbs. Let's go." He has not been charged in those incidents. Defense lawyers have criticized the evidence used to arrest both men last week. And when they did . Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. Sources tell us investigators discovered videos and photographs on Flores' computer showing him engaged in sexual activity with at least 10 different women, apparently in various states of consciousness. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. Any evidence that might have been there was long gone. ", Although suspicion surrounded Flores almost from the beginning, any hopes for an arrest were dashed in May 1997 when then-Sheriff Ed Williams made an admission to the San Luis Obispo Telegraph: "We need Paul Flores to tell us what happened to Kristin Smart so absent something from Mr. Flores, I don't see us completing this case.". That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Paul Flores, a fellow freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, was the last person seen with Smart on May 25, 1996. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? 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. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. Flores wasn't talking. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks The document said investigators at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department had biological evidence indicating Smart was once buried under Ruben Flores' deck behind his home in nearby Arroyo Grande. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. 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. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She definitely, like, took advantage of life, seized the day she was super ambitious and was determined you know, to find the next adventure. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. So many people have played such important roles over the past 25 years, and we are humbled by the amazing support and generosity we have received. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. 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. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. Those were kind of unspoken things. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. 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. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. Kristen has never been found. That's when Cole said Ruben asked why they would also be collecting DNA from Susan Flores and her boyfriend and Ruben told him, "They did not commit a felony, only I did.". KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. She was never seen again. The body of Kristin Smart, which has never been found, was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said, according to a document filed Monday and posted on social media by a reporter for The Tribune of San Luis Obispo. Ms. Smarts family said they had faith in the justice system, comforted in the knowledge that Kristin has been held in the hearts of so many and that she has not been forgotten.. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. A single woman's earring. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. 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. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. All Rights reserved. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. She loved swimming and skiing. And she was growing as an individual. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. But I've seen it. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. A college student at North Carolina State University, ABC 7 writes that Modafferi had received a scholarship to work and live in a different city for the summer. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. Paul and Ruben Flores appear at the San Luis Obispo Superior Court for the first time, at which time Judge Craig van Rooyen denies Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelles request to add two rape charges against Paul, according to The Tribune of San Luis Obispo. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. Margarita Campos: I was a little bit more introverted and inhibited and she was like, "no, we have to go out and we have to go like live life." They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. The body of Kristin Smart, which has never been found, was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said, according to a document filed Monday and posted on social media by a. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. So, she slowed down and walked with them. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. November 01, 2017. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. Kristen Deborah Modafferi (born June 1, 1979; disappeared June 23, 1997) is an American woman who, at the age of 18, in the early summer of 1997, disappeared in mysterious circumstances after leaving her work at the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California.
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