Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Flores was also in possession of Tramadol and Flexeril, known as date rape drugs. 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. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. Kristin Smart case: Suspects Paul and Ruben Flores arrested in the or even her keys. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. What happens next? They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. Ken Blum is the editor. 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. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time In high school he was known as a loner. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. He also said that law enforcement leaked information to "Your Own Backyard" podcaster Chris Lambert. The Kristen Modafferi Mystery: 20 years later, private investigators 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. But cadaver dogs told a different story. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. And I was screaming. DAN DOW [press conference]: But the allegation that he was committing or attempting to commit a rape when he killed her, is the basis for which we are able to file first-degree felony murder charges. Smart was declared dead in 2002. So, she slowed down and walked with them. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. She was gone. . 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. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. Det. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 'Keep her memory alive': Organizer encourages community to spread But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. 1 of 47. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. But I've seen it. They had become close friends despite their differences. 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 while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. 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. You can go." Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Berkeley. 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. 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. 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. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". Let's go." September 15, 2017. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. 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. and I was like, "Noooo.". And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, via Associated Press. 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. That's been our goal. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. 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. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. 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. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Helicopters were used to canvas the area. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. And she was growing as an individual. 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 his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. 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.". Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later - KSBY The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? Chris Lambert and it worked. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. Scott Peterson set to testify in Kristin Smart slay case - New York Post In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. Please come with me." Additionally, the documents include information about a March 15th, 2021 search by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office of Ruben Flores Arroyo Grande property that included ground-penetrating radar. 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. Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Wikipedia Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. 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. We want to hear it. Any evidence that might have been there was long gone. Human Remains Possibly Found In Home Of Missing Woman Kristen Modafferi And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. 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. It's fine. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. 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. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. The day after the arrests, Dan Dow, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney, said that Paul Flores had caused the death of Ms. Smart while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. Ruben Flores helped to hide her remains, he said. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 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. 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. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. Her books are available on Amazon. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. That turned out to be college. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. Please enter valid email address to continue. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. In addition, the documents include a phone tap from January 2020 in which Pauls mother, Susan, tells her son: The other thing I need you to do is to start listening to the podcast. D.A. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries 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. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. By herself, which is pretty amazing. James Murphy: The podcast is out. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. Kristin Smart: California jury finds man guilty in the 1996 murder of 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. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. D.A. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. 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. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. 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. 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. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. 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. Ms. Smarts family said they had faith in the justice system, comforted in the knowledge that Kristin has been held in the hearts of so many and that she has not been forgotten.. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. In April 2021, investigators finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and decided they had enough to charge the then-44-year-old Paul Flores with Kristin's murder, and his then-80-year-old father with being an accessory after the fact. 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. The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. He'd go anywhere. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Kristen Modafferi was last seen on the afternoon of June 23, 1997, at the coffee shop where she was working in the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? - AdvertisingRow.com 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. 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: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. 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's body once buried in suspect's backyard - NBC News Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? 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. to find the next challenge. 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. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). Real Name: Kristen Deborah Modafferi Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: San Francisco, California Date: June 23, 1997 Bio Occupation: Student Date of Birth: June 1, 1979 Height: 5' 8" Weight: 140 lbs. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. IE 11 is not supported. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. 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. The Mysterious Disappearance Of Kristen Modafferi - Grunge.com He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person.
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