You can go." The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. Judge denies multiple unusual requests in Kristin Smart hearing Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. And here's your key." She didn't think that was OK. D.A. 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. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. 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. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. 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. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. 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. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Missing-person posters and billboards offering rewards appeared along roads and in other public places. 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. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. 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. 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. Flores wasn't talking. In 2011, the Smarts hoped those boulders would become a little lighter when Ian Parkinson became the . Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. Maybe we cant. 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. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. It's just a motivator for me. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. Chris Lambert: Around the time Kristin disappeared, they cut out planter boxes in the backyard, so they cut out big chunks of concrete and filled it in with soil. On Tuesday, Cole testified that Ruben clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three who had been arrested. Um, wherever we can punch holes. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. and offers to help. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. 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. 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. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. Margarita Campos: But when we got to the house it was pretty dead too, it was really -- it was like a couple of roommates hanging out playing video games And Kristin was, like oh gosh, there has to be something better than this. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. From the start, investigators. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. She was never seen. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? D.A. It is every parent's worst nightmare. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. And when they did . Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. 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. 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. 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. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. 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. They're known for being a really safe school.". Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. No remains have been found. 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. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 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. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. 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. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. D.A. James Murphy: Every day. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. The then eighteen-year-old . The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. The search for Smart did not begin until a week after her disappearance, as campus police refused to take a missing persons report from a dorm mate; the hunt only began in earnest after the student called the police and the Smart family. 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. 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. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? - AdvertisingRow.com This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. I didnt understand why. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. 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. Kristin Smart case: Suspects Paul and Ruben Flores arrested in the Produced by Lisa Freed. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. 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He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Dennis Mahon's Podcast The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. 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? 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. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. She was never seen again. 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. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Let's go." I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. 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." It worked. Her dorm entrance is right over here. 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. It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? 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. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. 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. 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. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. We just, "do you know anything about it". And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. 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. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. I've got her. In June 1997, 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi arrived in San Francisco to take a photography class at UC Berkeley. 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. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Wikipedia The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. Related Stories every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. Chadwell answered no. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. 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. Kristen has never been found. He'd go anywhere. 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. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. ", 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.". Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. She was declared legally dead in 2002. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Lambert says Kristin could not stand on her own, so fellow student Cheryl Anderson who was also at the party began helping her back to campus. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . 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. D.A. 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. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. The investigation seemed to be hampered from the start by a series of missteps by campus police beginning with their assumption that Kristin was off having fun and ignoring worried friends who said she was missing. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. 3. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . Books from this author. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. 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. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Her books are available on Amazon. The last person to see her alive,. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. 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. Kristen Modaferri Observer file Family and friends of a Charlotte woman who has been missing for nearly two decades are awaiting results after a possible break in the case came Thursday.. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. 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. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. But cadaver dogs told a different story. After over 25 years, there is no evidence that Paul Flores committed the crimes for which there is no evidence.. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. Kristin Smart's body once buried in suspect's backyard - NBC News Murder of Kristin Smart - Wikipedia Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. But on April 13, 2021, after an investigation that spanned nearly a quarter of a century, the authorities announced that two California men Paul Flores, now 45, and his father, Ruben Flores, 81 had been arrested in connection with her disappearance. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. D.A. 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. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? to find the next challenge. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. 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. 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. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. 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. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. 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. Cole in 2019. 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. So, she slowed down and walked with them. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. Ken Blum is the editor. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. 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. September 15, 2017. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande.
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