A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. They didn't bring a forensics team. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. 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. He wouldn't answer a single thing. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. It worked. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. James Murphy: Every day. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. Please enter valid email address to continue. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. I did have guilt about that. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. 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. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. 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. 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. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. Other witnesses are also questioned, but Flemmings testimony is noteworthy as he is the first to say he saw Flores and Smart together before the party. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? 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. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. In one of Paul's police interviews he mentioned that he wanted to be let out of the interview because he needed to help clean up concrete at his mom's house So, what was being done in Susan Flores's backyard in the weeks after Kristin went missing? He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. 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. He says "no.". Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. 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 Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. Smart was declared dead in 2002. The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. 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. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Plans & Pricing . Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. You can go." That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. But cadaver dogs told a different story. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. 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. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? It would be three more years before the property was searched again. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. The Smart family. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. 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. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. IE 11 is not supported. 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. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. Kristen Deborah Modafferi (born June 1, 1979; disappeared June 23, 1997) is an American woman who, at the age of 18, in the early summer of 1997, disappeared in mysterious circumstances after leaving her work at the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. 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. They're known for being a really safe school.". Just very involved with their children. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. We want to hear it. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. D.A. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? And the body's not there now. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. Produced by Lisa Freed. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. 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. Denise Pearce: To be almost there. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. Oct. 18, 2022 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. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. Kristen Modafferi. What's going on? For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. 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. The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. He'd go anywhere. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. Ken Blum is the editor. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. 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. to find the next challenge. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: 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: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. The defense also tells Lambert he will not be allowed back in the courtroom where he has been covering the hearing as he is now a potential witness. A hundred percent that was happening. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. 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. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. He also said there was suspicious staining in the soil indicative of human remains. D.A. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. Kristen has facial dimples. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. 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. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. In 2011, the Smarts hoped those boulders would become a little lighter when Ian Parkinson became the . Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. 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. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. 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. 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. 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 declared legally dead in 2002. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. And here's your key." And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. A college student at North Carolina State University, ABC 7 writes that Modafferi had received a scholarship to work and live in a different city for the summer. 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. He has denied any involvement. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. 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. She was gone. We just, "do you know anything about it". 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. 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. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. 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. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. 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 said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Her books are available on Amazon. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. A very close-knit family. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? 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. November 01, 2017. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. 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. So, she slowed down and walked with them. 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. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. From the start, investigators. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". 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. Cole said that Ruben then clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three to have been arrested. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. It's fine. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Her dorm entrance is right over here. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? But I've seen it. Garin Sinclair: He never once turned to the Smart family and said, hey, we have an earring, we'd like to show it to you to see if it matches any of your daughter's jewelry.
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