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. "Should he be allowed bail, it is a virtual certainty that he would use his freedom to continue his attempts to help Paul Flores thwart prosecution in this case and continue to hide her remains.. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. 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. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. "Up and Vanished" led a man to confess to killing a . Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. But I've seen it. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. 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. His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. In March 2021, investigators used cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Floress property in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder. Defense lawyers have criticized the evidence used to arrest both men last week. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. 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. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. 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. 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. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. She loved swimming and skiing. 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. In April, Paul Flores, 44, was arrested on one count of murder in connection to the case, and his father, Ruben Flores, 80, was arrested as an accessory after the fact. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . James Murphy: Having a black eye doesn't make you guilty of anything but if the person you were with disappeared from the planet that's physical evidence. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. 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. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? 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. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. Books from this author. 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 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. Her dorm entrance is right over here. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. 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. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. In October 2022,. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. 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. D.A. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Chadwell answered no. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. He has denied any involvement. 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. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." 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. D.A. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. 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. 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? Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. And these girls are inviting us out. And the body's not there now. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. Anyone can read what you share. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. 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. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? 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. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. Her books are available on Amazon. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. IE 11 is not supported. Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. In June 1997, 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi arrived in San Francisco to take a photography class at UC Berkeley. No remains have been found. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". 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. Once, he says, Flores was lurking in the lobby of Smarts dorm at 1 a.m.; another time, he says he saw the man in Smarts dorm room. D.A. Why? Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. 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. What happens next? They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". 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. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. 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. Chris Lambert and it worked. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. It was turned over to a detective with the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office, but Garin Sinclair says, the Smarts never knew it existed until the Lassiters were deposed in January 1997. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. 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. 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. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. 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. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Case I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: I wasn't surprised, but there's also that shock value of kind of "oh my god, I knew it! I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? September 15, 2017. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. They're known for being a really safe school.". Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . And she was growing as an individual. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. 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. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? He'd go anywhere. 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Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. 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. Flores defense team serves Your Own Backyard podcaster Chris Lambert with a subpoena to serve as a witness in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on August 30th, as he has interviewed several witnesses before they spoke to law enforcement. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. 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. Smart was declared dead in 2002. Kristin Smart was a 19-year-old freshman at Cal Poly, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, when she disappeared after a walk home from an off-campus party early in the. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. Even more difficult to understand was why they waited two months to search the family home where Paul Flores was living with his father, Ruben. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. Nikki Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the court, said the documents were not supposed to be public. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her.
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