First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. Flores wasn't talking. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". 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. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. James Murphy: Every day. You can go." Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. The last person to see her alive,. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. 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). Kristen Modafferi | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. Judge denies multiple unusual requests in Kristin Smart hearing And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. She didn't think that was OK. 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. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. Devastating. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. It's just a motivator for me. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. I guess the answer is yes. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. The Kristen Modafferi Mystery: 20 years later, private investigators After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. 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. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. A Timeline of the Kristin Smart Case - The New York Times Nic Coury / AP. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. Nikki Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the court, said the documents were not supposed to be public. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. 7,781 days.. That is all it took. "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. 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. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. D.A. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. 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. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Paul Flores killed Kristin Smart in dorm room during attempted rape, DA Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. 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. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. 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? But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. He was not welcome.. He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. 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. Scott Peterson set to testify in Kristin Smart slay case - New York Post 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.. 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. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. 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 reporter for The Tribune of San Luis Obispo. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. It's, like, she has nothing on her. 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. Hudson previously testified during the preliminary hearing that while hanging out with a group of skateboarders in San Luis Obispo in 1996, she heard Paul Flores use a derogatory term to refer to Kristin Smart and say, "I'm done playing with her and I put her out underneath my ramp in Huasna.". Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son 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. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? And she's like, "please come with me. They have not been able to proceed with the civil case while there was an ongoing criminal investigation, but that didn't stop them from following every lead and preparing for an eventual trial. In the late 1990s, the. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. Kristin Smart case: Shy podcaster led cops to arrest in California cold 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: What is the name of your father? But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Her dorm entrance is right over here. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. My job was to hunt them. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. Kristen Modafferi. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. Books from this author. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Kristen has facial dimples. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. 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. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. She was declared legally dead in 2002. 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 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. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. All Rights reserved. 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. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. In high school he was known as a loner. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time In June 1997, 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi arrived in San Francisco to take a photography class at UC Berkeley. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. 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. 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. 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. 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. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. 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. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. 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. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. I'm going to go back to the dorms. 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. Ian Parkinson: Yes. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. 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 . Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. In March, the Oakland Police Department released a statement saying that it had worked with the FBI and found no evidence indicating Durst was involved. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. What happens next? So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. Cole in 2019. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. The then eighteen-year-old . He says "no.". Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. He has not been charged in those incidents. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. 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. The documents also include several people the defense believes investigators should have looked into in addition to Flores, including convicted murderer and fellow then-student Scott Peterson, who was previously ruled out. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Kristin Smart: California jury finds man guilty in the 1996 murder of Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. 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. Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Wikipedia It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. 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. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. and offers to help. 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. 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. 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. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. 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. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. 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. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. . 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. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone.
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