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. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Judge van Rooyen announced in April that the trial would be moved to Monterey County, about 140 miles north of San Luis Obispo, after the defense team requested the change of venue because of extensive publicity around the case. After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. 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. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. Denise Pearce: To be almost there. Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". In high school he was known as a loner. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. 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. Nic Coury / AP. ", 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.". Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. DAN DOW [press conference]: We have evidence that we do believe there are other people that are not yet identified that have had some kind of a criminal act perpetrated on them by Mr. Flores. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. 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. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. In October 2022,. He wouldn't answer a single thing. 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. to find the next challenge. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? Flores was also in possession of Tramadol and Flexeril, known as date rape drugs. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. Dennis Mahon's Podcast - Blubrry Podcasting The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. Just very involved with their children. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. The Strange Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Medium Please come with me." Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. 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. IE 11 is not supported. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. You can go." That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. PODCAST EPISODE 4: So, I walk him up to his sister's apartment, and all of a sudden, he just like picked me up, carried me inside, turned around and shut the apartment door, and locked it. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. 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. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. A separate jury for Ruben Flores started deliberating on Oct. 5. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. 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. It's, like, she has nothing on her. It's fine. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. 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. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. 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. From the start, investigators. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? Flores wasn't talking. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. Cole said that Ruben then clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three to have been arrested. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. In April 2021, investigators charged Paul Flores, left, with Kristin Smart's murder, and his then-80-year-old father Ruben, as an accessory after the fact. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. A hundred percent that was happening. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. UPDATE - San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Detective Clint Cole returned to the witness stand Wednesday in the preliminary hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores, testifying that searches of Ruben's home turned up evidence leading them to believe human remains had been buried there. Ian Parkinson: Yes. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. 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 . Kristin Smart Case Update: Where Is the Investigation Today? - Heavy.com 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 was declared legally dead in 2002. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. 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. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. 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. They didn't bring a forensics team. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. Any evidence that might have been there was long gone. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. 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. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. Human Remains Possibly Found In Home Of Missing Woman Kristen Modafferi Her books are available on Amazon. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Back in San Luis Obispo, the Smarts, feeling ignored by the sheriff's office, continued a relentless campaign to get them to do more to find their daughter. But I've seen it. September 15, 2017. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. Maybe we cant. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. But the investigation is ongoing. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. 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. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. 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It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. 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. 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. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. Those were kind of unspoken things. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Her dorm entrance is right over here. 3. 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. It is every parent's worst nightmare. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. 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. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. Anyone can read what you share. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. Kristen Modafferi. 7,781 days.. That is all it took. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. She was never seen. After over 25 years, there is no evidence that Paul Flores committed the crimes for which there is no evidence.. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . 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. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Judge denies multiple unusual requests in Kristin Smart hearing JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? 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. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. 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. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Case It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. 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. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next 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. Plans & Pricing . Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. 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. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. Shocking allegations in newly unsealed docs in Kristin Smart case The then eighteen-year-old . 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. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. 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. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. 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. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. 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. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. 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. In the meantime, Paul Flores moved to Southern California, where he bounced from job to job. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? but I knew that I could try to do a small part. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. D.A. Smart was declared dead in 2002. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". 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. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. 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. Investigators in Kristin Smart case serve search warrant at the home of the prime suspect's father Smart was last seen near her California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) dorm, but she.