Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. 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. 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. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Also included is the result of a February 4th, 2020 search of Paul Flores San Pedro home, where San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs investigators seized electronic devices that featured videos showing Flores having sex with seemingly incapacitated women. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. Her dorm entrance is right over here. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Chris Lambert: Kristin became incredibly intoxicated, whether she was drugged or whether she just had a lot to drink in a short amount of time She ends up passed out on the lawn next door. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. She was declared legally dead in 2002. 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. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Devastating. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Shocking allegations in newly unsealed docs in Kristin Smart case Nic Coury / AP. Please come with me." Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. 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. 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. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. I didnt understand why. Kristin Smart case: Suspects Paul and Ruben Flores arrested in the 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. What's going on? The Smart family. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. 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.. 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. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? Books from this author. November 01, 2017. 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. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Nikki Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the court, said the documents were not supposed to be public. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. 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.. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. 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. 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. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. We just, "do you know anything about it". Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. Maybe we cant. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. 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. 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. It's fine. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. 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 two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. IE 11 is not supported. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. In high school he was known as a loner. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. But the investigation is ongoing. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. They didn't bring a forensics team. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. Cole testified that Hudson told him about Paul's statement and that she'd also seen Paul with his white pickup truck at the skateboard ramp in Huasna. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Chadwell answered no. Let's go." He wouldn't answer a single thing. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. Please enter valid email address to continue. Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. Margarita Campos: I'll never forget her shadow against the building, this apartment complex, just standing like kind of cross-armed with the long leg And she was just kind of like looking at me like, [sighs] you're really walking away now, like you're really, you're leaving? He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. A hundred percent that was happening. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Plans & Pricing . 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. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, via Associated Press. San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office personnel dig in an area in the backyard of the home of Ruben Flores, in Arroyo Grande, Calif., March 16, 2021. I guess the answer is yes. 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. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. 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. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. She was looking forward to hearing from Kristin that Sunday. D.A. 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. The investigation seemed to be hampered from the start by a series of missteps by campus police beginning with their assumption that Kristin was off having fun and ignoring worried friends who said she was missing. Kristen has never been found. were in the room exactly where she had left them. 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. Was the beeping in a backyard coming from Kristin Smart's watch Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. It worked. All Rights reserved. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. They had become close friends despite their differences. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. 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. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: We have evidence that we do believe there are other people that are not yet identified that have had some kind of a criminal act perpetrated on them by Mr. Flores. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. 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. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. Why? It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. What happens next? D.A. Billie Eilish Explains Her Complicated Relationship With Social Media: 'I Don't Look at It Anymore', Theres no evidence of a sex crime in the charged crime (the murder case) itself, van Rooyen says. Kristen Deborah Modafferi (born June 1, 1979; disappeared June 23, 1997) is an American woman who, in the early summer of 1997, disappeared in mysterious circumstances after leaving her work at the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. The Smart's attorney James Murphy, and his wife and office manager Garin Sinclair, have had Kristin's billboard in their front yard since late 1997. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. He also said there was suspicious staining in the soil indicative of human remains. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Flores was first interviewed by Cal Poly police investigators near the end of May 1996, according to The San Luis Obispo Tribune, and the Cal Poly police didnt search his room until June 10th. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? She didn't think that was OK. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. 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. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. His is the latest in a line of true-crime podcasts to play a role in an arrest, a court appeal or even an exoneration. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. 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. 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. D.A. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. Dennis Mahon's Podcast to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. Related Stories Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. On Tuesday, Cole testified that Ruben clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three who had been arrested. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. 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. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. 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. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. A separate jury for Ruben Flores started deliberating on Oct. 5. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. I'm going to go back to the dorms. Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. Chris Lambert says, two days after that, when Flores was interviewed by campus police, they asked how he got his black eye as well as scratches on his hands and knees. Um, wherever we can punch holes. How could she have gone out of town? Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Human Remains Possibly Found In Home Of Missing Woman Kristen Modafferi Dennis Mahon's Podcast The Mysterious Disappearance Of Kristen Modafferi - Grunge.com Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. That's when Cole said Ruben asked why they would also be collecting DNA from Susan Flores and her boyfriend and Ruben told him, "They did not commit a felony, only I did.". Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 'Keep her memory alive': Organizer encourages community to spread There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. He discussed some of the evidence that was collected during searches of the property, including anomalies in the backyard and a 4-foot deep hole under the deck containing fibers and human blood. His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. But cadaver dogs told a different story. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. 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. That's been our goal. 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. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. 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. Judge denies multiple unusual requests in Kristin Smart hearing 3. The then eighteen-year-old . 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.
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