It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . Even more difficult to understand was why they waited two months to search the family home where Paul Flores was living with his father, Ruben. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. 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. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: I wasn't surprised, but there's also that shock value of kind of "oh my god, I knew it! The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. It's, like, she has nothing on her. In high school he was known as a loner. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. They have not been able to proceed with the civil case while there was an ongoing criminal investigation, but that didn't stop them from following every lead and preparing for an eventual trial. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. D.A. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Defense lawyers have criticized the evidence used to arrest both men last week. and I was like, "Noooo.". So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." He also said that law enforcement leaked information to "Your Own Backyard" podcaster Chris Lambert. 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. She was never seen. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Nic Coury / AP. 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. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. 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. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. The defense also tells Lambert he will not be allowed back in the courtroom where he has been covering the hearing as he is now a potential witness. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. It is every parent's worst nightmare. She was never seen again. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. Her books are available on Amazon. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. 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. 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. 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. Books from this author. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. Kristen Modafferi was an 18-year-old college student who was about to start a summer photography course at UC Berkeley when she disappeared after leaving work at a San Francisco coffee shop. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. In the late 1990s, the. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Kristen has facial dimples. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". We just, "do you know anything about it". But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. 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. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. And here's your key." 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. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. I've got her. 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. Just very involved with their children. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. 3. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. 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. It's just a motivator for me. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. Everyone knew Paul (Flores) was creepy. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. 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. 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. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". 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. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. No remains have been found. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. to find the next challenge. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. 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. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. 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. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. 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? The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. How could she have gone out of town? In March 2021, investigators used cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Floress property in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. He'd go anywhere. A hundred percent that was happening. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. Related Stories Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. So, she slowed down and walked with them. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? He was not welcome.. Peterson. 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. That's been our goal. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. It worked. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. Smart was declared dead in 2002. James Murphy: It was just a sad phone call to have somebody say, our daughter disappeared and we think she's the victim of foul play and we'd like to pursue the guy that we think is responsible. 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. Murphy and his wife, Garin Sinclair, agreed to take the case pro bono promising to go after Paul Flores and put pressure on the sheriff's office. And these girls are inviting us out. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. 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. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. 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? On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. On day two, August 3rd, a close friend of Smarts from college, Steven Flemming, tells the court that Flores had interacted with Smart before the party they both attended prior to her disappearance. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. In June 1997, 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi arrived in San Francisco to take a photography class at UC Berkeley. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. 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.". But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. On Tuesday, Cole testified that Ruben clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three who had been arrested. 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. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. Dozens of community members on Saturday evening gathered for a vigil at Santa Rosa Park in San Luis Obispo to light candles in the memory of Kristin Smart, the Cal Flores was also in possession of Tramadol and Flexeril, known as date rape drugs. In 2011, the Smarts hoped those boulders would become a little lighter when Ian Parkinson became the . Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. She was gone. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son 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. She was declared legally dead in 2002. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. 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). "Should he be allowed bail, it is a virtual certainty that he would use his freedom to continue his attempts to help Paul Flores thwart prosecution in this case and continue to hide her remains.. "Up and Vanished" led a man to confess to killing a . They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. He has denied any involvement. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. November 01, 2017. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. In the spring of 1996, Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old college student, left an off-campus party in San Luis Obispo, Calif., and walked home to her dormitory. 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.". Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. 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. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. A single woman's earring. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. 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. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. Please come with me." The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. 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. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. All Rights reserved. 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. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. 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. And she was growing as an individual. and offers to help. 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." Kristin Smart 19, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University had gone to a party on Friday, May 24 , 1996 -- and has not been seen since. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. D.A. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Chris Lambert says, two days after that, when Flores was interviewed by campus police, they asked how he got his black eye as well as scratches on his hands and knees. Anyone can read what you share. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. 1 of 47. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. 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. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. 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.
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