But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." 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. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. Defense lawyers have criticized the evidence used to arrest both men last week. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. D.A. 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. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. Nic Coury / AP. 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. Members of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department and FBI searched the grounds of Susan Flores's home in Arroyo Grande on June 19, 2000, for any evidence that might shed light on the disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. 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. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. In the meantime, Paul Flores moved to Southern California, where he bounced from job to job. Det. 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. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. September 15, 2017. Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. In 2011, the Smarts hoped those boulders would become a little lighter when Ian Parkinson became the . 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. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. 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. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. 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. 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. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. D.A. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. 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. 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. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. She was never seen. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. A very close-knit family. What happens next? 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. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. But the investigation is ongoing. 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. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. James Murphy: An eyewitness actually documented the fact that throughout the night that there was activity in the area of the underside of that deck. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. 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. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. 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. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. 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. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. 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. Anyone can read what you share. 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. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. Cole in 2019. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. 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. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. 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. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. 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. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. My job was to hunt them. Maybe we cant. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. Kristen has facial dimples. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. 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. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. He says "no.". The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? I'm going to go back to the dorms. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. And these girls are inviting us out. Her books are available on Amazon. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. 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 next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. She didn't think that was OK. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. 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. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. The last person to see her alive,. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. 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. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. 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? In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Case Helicopters were used to canvas the area. 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.
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