As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. 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. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. So, she slowed down and walked with them. Plans & Pricing . The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Dozens of community members on Saturday evening gathered for a vigil at Santa Rosa Park in San Luis Obispo to light candles in the memory of Kristin Smart, the Cal The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. D.A. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". 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. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. Produced by Lisa Freed. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. 1 of 47. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? And she's like, "please come with me. 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. 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.". But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. 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. 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. 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. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. "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. 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. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. But the investigation is ongoing. 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. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. IE 11 is not supported. He has denied any involvement. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: I didnt understand why. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. 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. What happens next? On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. And when they did . On day two, August 3rd, a close friend of Smarts from college, Steven Flemming, tells the court that Flores had interacted with Smart before the party they both attended prior to her disappearance. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Her dorm entrance is right over here. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, via Associated Press. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Below, Rolling Stone outlines where the Smart case is now: San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow announces chargesagainst Paul Flores and his father Ruben in connection with what he calls the 1996 homicide of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. On April 13, 2021, almost 25 years after Kristin Smart went missing, longtime suspect Paul Flores, 44, was arrested at his home in San Pedro, California, and charged with murder. 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. I guess the answer is yes. 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. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. Ian Parkinson: Yes. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. 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. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Ken Blum is the editor. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. 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. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. 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. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. 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. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time September 15, 2017. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. A very close-knit family. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. 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. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. 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. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. Smart was declared dead in 2002. 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. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen rules that having the podcaster testify and release his records would have a chilling effect on the medias ability to do their job. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. All Rights reserved. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. Det. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. We want to hear it. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? 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. 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.. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. And the body's not there now. 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. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. 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. The document said investigators at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department had biological evidence indicating Smart was once buried under Ruben Flores' deck behind his home in nearby Arroyo Grande. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. 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. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. 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. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could, Denise Smart told the court, according to CBS 13, a local television station. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. The Smart family. Please come with me." She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. 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. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. In the late 1990s, the. But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. November 01, 2017. 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. 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. 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. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. But cadaver dogs told a different story. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. From the start, investigators. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. The search for Smart did not begin until a week after her disappearance, as campus police refused to take a missing persons report from a dorm mate; the hunt only began in earnest after the student called the police and the Smart family. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. 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. 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. 3. 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. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. They're known for being a really safe school.". Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. It's, like, she has nothing on her. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. She was gone. Case That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. She loved swimming and skiing. Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Witness Jennifer Hudson takes the stand, where she tells the court that, in 1996, when she was 17 years old, Flores laughingly told her he had taken care of Smart. Cole reportedly testified that Ruben asked why Susan Flores, who is Pauls mother, and her boyfriend were also being swabbed when he was the only one who committed a felony. He says "no.". 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. 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. Related Stories On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. And these girls are inviting us out. Her books are available on Amazon. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Those were kind of unspoken things. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" My job was to hunt them. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. He was not welcome.. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. 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. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. and offers to help. 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. D.A. 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. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. She was never seen. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. Maybe we cant. They had become close friends despite their differences. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. [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. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. 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. 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. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. 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. Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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.. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. 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. The arrests of the father and son came after investigators using ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs discovered evidence connected directly to Smarts death last month during a search at Ruben Flores home, authorities said. Margarita Campos: But when we got to the house it was pretty dead too, it was really -- it was like a couple of roommates hanging out playing video games And Kristin was, like oh gosh, there has to be something better than this. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. Flores wasn't talking. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Let's go." After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. Flores defense team moves to recuse the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office from the Smart case because prosecutor Peuvrelle and others have been seen wearing purple clothing, Smarts favorite color. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. I did have guilt about that. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. 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. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student.
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