The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. 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. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Kristin Smart case: Suspects Paul and Ruben Flores arrested in the His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. The last person to see her alive,. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. Flores was also in possession of Tramadol and Flexeril, known as date rape drugs. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. Kristin Smarts family in 1999, three years after she was last seen walking home from a party in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Earthmovers were used in searches on and near the California Polytechnic State University campus in 2016. And she was growing as an individual. 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. 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. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. were in the room exactly where she had left them. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. 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. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. 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. It's fine. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Kristin Smart Case Update: Where Is the Investigation Today? - Heavy.com Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. Devastating. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. The defense claims the prosecution is wearing said color as a result of a Facebook request on the site Justice for Kristin Smart' to wear purple during a Memorial Day celebration. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. 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. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. And she's like, "please come with me. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Her books are available on Amazon. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. 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. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. That turned out to be college. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. 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. James Murphy: An eyewitness actually documented the fact that throughout the night that there was activity in the area of the underside of that deck. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? - AdvertisingRow.com He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. The Smart family. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. Related Stories Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. 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. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . And when they did . 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.. He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. Murder of Kristin Smart - Wikipedia But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. 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. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. 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. 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". Flores, who had been seen with Smart earlier in the evening he attempted to flirt with her and apparently fell on her at one point, according to witnesses joined the group and allegedly accompanied Smart home. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. "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. The defense argued that other skateboarders who were at the San Luis Obispo location said they never saw Paul there, and Hudson's boyfriend denied ever seeing Paul in Huasna or anywhere else. 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. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? 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. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? and offers to help. 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. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. 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. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. IE 11 is not supported. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, via Associated Press. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. 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.". They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. Just very involved with their children. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. She was never seen. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. A separate jury for Ruben Flores started deliberating on Oct. 5. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. 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. Nikki Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the court, said the documents were not supposed to be public. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. 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. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [to reporters]: It's been a puzzle and it's a very slow process to find each of those little pieces some of that information came to light through the podcast many of you are familiar with. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. 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. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. to find the next challenge. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25 years ago, and, this summer, her case is finally getting its day in court. It encouraged the previously reluctant to come forward. This obviously gave law enforcement new leads to follow and connect with what they already were holding close.. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. She was never seen again. They had become close friends despite their differences. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. D.A. A very close-knit family. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. 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. Shocking allegations in newly unsealed docs in Kristin Smart case Chris Lambert: Paul worked with a number of women that he made incredibly uncomfortable girls who he tried to make a pass at sexually, girls that he tried to force to kiss him. The Sheriffs Office investigators and forensic specialists assigned to Ms. Smarts case executed 18 search warrants, submitted 37 items that were collected in the early days of the case for DNA testing, recovered 140 new items of evidence and conducted 91 interviews from 2011 to 2020, the office said. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. 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. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. I didnt understand why. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Smart was declared dead in 2002. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? It is every parent's worst nightmare. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. 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. Chadwell answered no. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. I'm going to go back to the dorms. Nic Coury / AP. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. Oct. 18, 2022 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. But cadaver dogs told a different story. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. He said a chemical called Bluestar, which detects bodily fluids, was used on the trailer and that there was a reaction on the right side of the trailer showing a stain that could be similar to a human being lying on its side. Det. 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." Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. 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. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM D.A. And I was screaming. 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). Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. Since Parkinson came on the scene, investigators have dug up hillsides; searched the homes and properties of all the Flores'; collected evidence; seized Paul Flores' computers; monitored his cell phone and text messages, and found new witnesses -- some with the help of Chris Lambert. He has denied any involvement. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. 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. After over 25 years, there is no evidence that Paul Flores committed the crimes for which there is no evidence.. 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. James Murphy: And it's 2:30 and 3 o'clock in the morning at Cal Poly this is not a a location from which Paul alone could easily move a body without a vehicle.
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