Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. 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. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. 1 of 47. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. 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. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. 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. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. Chadwell answered no. He'd go anywhere. 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. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. 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. Ian Parkinson: I committed to them that I was going to go back to the beginning and re-examine every piece of evidence that we had. They didn't bring a forensics team. That technology uncovered a soil disturbance under the deck as well as four soil samples that tested positive for human blood; an April evacuation also tested positive for blood. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Peterson. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. Kristen has never been found. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. 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. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. . 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. But I've seen it. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. 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. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. And when they did . 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. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. No remains have been found. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. ", 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.". 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.. 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. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. In fact, Cheryl Anderson, who trusted Flores to walk Kristin back to her dorm alone, told police that her friends called him "Chester the molester," because he was known for groping girls. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. 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. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. On Aug. 2, local media reported that Denise Smart, Ms. Smarts mother, spoke at a preliminary hearing, where the judge was deciding whether prosecutors had established probable cause to proceed to trial. Plans & Pricing . 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. 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. 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. And I was screaming. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" A single woman's earring. Members of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department and FBI searched the grounds of Susan Flores's home in Arroyo Grande on June 19, 2000, for any evidence that might shed light on the disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". D.A. Det. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. PODCAST EPISODE 4: At 8 a.m. on June 19th, 2000, a team of sheriff's investigators knocks on the front door of Susan Flores's East Branch Street home. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. 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. 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. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. He has not been charged in those incidents. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. or even her keys. He wouldn't answer a single thing. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. So, she slowed down and walked with them. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. Missing-person posters and billboards offering rewards appeared along roads and in other public places. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Those were kind of unspoken things. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. 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 as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. 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. That's when the campus police finally handed the investigation over to The San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office but they did not find Kristin. Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. She was declared legally dead in 2002. I've got her. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could, Denise Smart told the court, according to CBS 13, a local television station. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? The county sheriffs office searched his room once more during the weekend of June 29th, when a team of cadaver dogs signaled the smell of human decay. 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. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. 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. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. In February 2020, the authorities executed search warrants at four locations in California and Washington State and recovered what the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office described as items of interest. One location was the Los Angeles home of Paul Flores, KCAL-TV reported. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. "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. 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. 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. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. IE 11 is not supported. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Flores was also in possession of Tramadol and Flexeril, known as date rape drugs. 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. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. 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.
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