Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. Margarita Campos: I'll never forget her shadow against the building, this apartment complex, just standing like kind of cross-armed with the long leg And she was just kind of like looking at me like, [sighs] you're really walking away now, like you're really, you're leaving? Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. Plans & Pricing . 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. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. So, she slowed down and walked with them. My job was to hunt them. 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. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. . Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. 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. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. 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. 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? Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. 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. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. 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. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. 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. But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. Below, Rolling Stone outlines where the Smart case is now: San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow announces chargesagainst Paul Flores and his father Ruben in connection with what he calls the 1996 homicide of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. I'm going to go back to the dorms. Please come with me." Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. They did an interview with the Cal Poly Mustang Daily and explained that they didn't think there was any evidence that a crime had taken place. On April 13, 2021, almost 25 years after Kristin Smart went missing, longtime suspect Paul Flores, 44, was arrested at his home in San Pedro, California, and charged with murder. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. In April, Paul Flores, 44, was arrested on one count of murder in connection to the case, and his father, Ruben Flores, 80, was arrested as an accessory after the fact. Case His is the latest in a line of true-crime podcasts to play a role in an arrest, a court appeal or even an exoneration. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Produced by Lisa Freed. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? You can go." The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. During Tuesdays hearing, San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Detective Clint Cole testified about a conversation he had with Ruben Flores at his Arroyo Grande home when Cole was there to obtain a DNA swab. In March, the Oakland Police Department released a statement saying that it had worked with the FBI and found no evidence indicating Durst was involved. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. 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. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. 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. Nic Coury / AP. 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. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. 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. After almost 25 years of suspicion, on April 13, 2021, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announced the arrest ofPaul Flores in the disappearance of Kristin Smart. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. 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. 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.". DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. That's been our goal. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? Despite the fact that law enforcement had collected substantial evidence that Kristin Smart may have had reason not to return to her dorm room after leaving (fellow party-goers) Cheryl (Manzer) Anderson and Paul Flores and despite the fact that they had collected substantial evidence that there were multiple potential suspects who stalked, harassed or otherwise had conflicts with Kristin Smart, law enforcement made an early choice to change their focus to murder and to Paul Flores as the only suspect, Sanger wrote in a defense motion. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. Her books are available on Amazon. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. He also said that law enforcement leaked information to "Your Own Backyard" podcaster Chris Lambert. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. 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. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. 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. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. 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. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office personnel dig in an area in the backyard of the home of Ruben Flores, in Arroyo Grande, Calif., March 16, 2021. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Kristin Smart was a 19-year-old freshman at Cal Poly, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, when she disappeared after a walk home from an off-campus party early in the. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. 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. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. There's no question about it. 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By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. 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. 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. 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. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. And there would be more disappointment in 2007, after the Smart's legal team searched a small portion of Susan Flores's backyard with ground penetrating radar and did not find any evidence. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? 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. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. Cole reportedly testified that Ruben asked why Susan Flores, who is Pauls mother, and her boyfriend were also being swabbed when he was the only one who committed a felony. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. On Aug. 2, local media reported that Denise Smart, Ms. Smarts mother, spoke at a preliminary hearing, where the judge was deciding whether prosecutors had established probable cause to proceed to trial. Kristen has never been found. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. 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. Berkeley. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 3. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. You, youre the one that can tell me, a reference to Lamberts Your Own Backyard, the podcast about Smart and Flores that has brought new attention to the case. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. Unsealed court documents in the Kristin Smart murder case include allegations of a discovery of human blood and witnesses who claim to have seen suspicious . 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. 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. D.A. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. No remains have been found. D.A. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. The Smart's attorney James Murphy, and his wife and office manager Garin Sinclair, have had Kristin's billboard in their front yard since late 1997. But cadaver dogs told a different story. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. Please enter valid email address to continue. Anyone can read what you share. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. After over 25 years, there is no evidence that Paul Flores committed the crimes for which there is no evidence.. D.A. Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. 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. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. I did have guilt about that. Instead, on Monday, May 27, Denise Pearce says the Smarts got a call from Cal Poly's campus police asking if Kristin was with them. 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. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. 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. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. And she's like, "please come with me. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. The then eighteen-year-old . Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. Flores defense team serves Your Own Backyard podcaster Chris Lambert with a subpoena to serve as a witness in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on August 30th, as he has interviewed several witnesses before they spoke to law enforcement. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. It's fine. The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. Kristin Denise Smart (born February 20, 1977 [1] [6] -declared legally dead May 25, 2002) was an American woman who was found to have been murdered by Paul Flores at the end of her freshman year on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). Once, he says, Flores was lurking in the lobby of Smarts dorm at 1 a.m.; another time, he says he saw the man in Smarts dorm room. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. In fact, Cheryl Anderson, who trusted Flores to walk Kristin back to her dorm alone, told police that her friends called him "Chester the molester," because he was known for groping girls. 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." So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. Kristen Deborah Modafferi (born June 1, 1979; disappeared June 23, 1997) is an American woman who, in the early summer of 1997, disappeared in mysterious circumstances after leaving her work at the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. 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. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. We just, "do you know anything about it". Maybe we cant. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. 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. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast.
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