Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. And according to that probation report, "dozens of women have recounted Paul Flores' sexual assaults and predatory behavior that document his 25 years as a serial rapist." 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. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Any evidence that might have been there was long gone. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. He has not been charged in those incidents. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. Cole in 2019. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. Kristen Modafferi. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. LOS ANGELES A California college student missing for nearly 25 years was once buried in the backyard of the home owned by the murder suspect's father, authorities said in a court document. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. 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. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. He never expected it would be a hit, but his podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in this decades-old unsolved case. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. 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. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. 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. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. 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. 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. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. [emotional] I will go outside at nighttime and I'll look up at the full moon and I'll think that that kid's buried somewhere real close. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. It's just a motivator for me. Det. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. During Tuesdays hearing, San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Detective Clint Cole testified about a conversation he had with Ruben Flores at his Arroyo Grande home when Cole was there to obtain a DNA swab. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. 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. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. 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. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. In the late 1990s, the. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. James Murphy: And it's 2:30 and 3 o'clock in the morning at Cal Poly this is not a a location from which Paul alone could easily move a body without a vehicle. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. But the investigation is ongoing. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. 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.. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. The Smart family. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). There's no question about it. Devastating. She loved swimming and skiing. The then eighteen-year-old . 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. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. And she's like, "please come with me. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. She didn't think that was OK. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. 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. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. You can go." Kristen has never been found. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. That's been our goal. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? 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. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. He was not welcome.. Missing-person posters and billboards offering rewards appeared along roads and in other public places. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. 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. Just very involved with their children. It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. Anyone can read what you share. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. Smarts family issues a statement following the news about Flores going to trial: Yesterday was a very good day and we want to take this opportunity to thank all of Kristins supporters in San Luis Obispo and beyond. Smart was declared dead in 2002. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. In the meantime, Paul Flores moved to Southern California, where he bounced from job to job. Just days after taking over the investigation, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office brought several dogs trained to detect human remains, to the Cal Poly dorms. 7,781 days.. That is all it took. 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. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. Cole said that Ruben then clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three to have been arrested. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. I'm going to go back to the dorms. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. or even her keys. 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. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. 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. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. 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. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. D.A. 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. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. Peterson. Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? They had become close friends despite their differences. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. 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. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. We just, "do you know anything about it". 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. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. ", 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.". 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. "Should he be allowed bail, it is a virtual certainty that he would use his freedom to continue his attempts to help Paul Flores thwart prosecution in this case and continue to hide her remains.. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. 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. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. D.A. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. But I've seen it. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. 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. And these girls are inviting us out. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Her books are available on Amazon. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. 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. And the body's not there now. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. Those were kind of unspoken things. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. Det. A hundred percent that was happening. 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). Her dorm entrance is right over here. He'd go anywhere. But cadaver dogs told a different story. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. Books from this author. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: I wasn't surprised, but there's also that shock value of kind of "oh my god, I knew it! PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. 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.
Jiop Screening Interview,
Robert Brockman House,
Standard Oil Co Pablo Neruda Analysis,
Publix Cbt Training,
Jim Cramer First Wife,
Articles K
