James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. 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. So, she slowed down and walked with them. They're known for being a really safe school.". 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. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? One man's 20-year search for Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. 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. Chadwell answered no. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. Paul Flores talks to his attorneys Sara Sanger and Robert Sanger on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. had been arrested in connection with her disappearance, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart, while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. He was not welcome.. Please come with me." D.A. 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. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. "Up and Vanished" led a man to confess to killing a . 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. All Rights reserved. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. 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. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. Was the beeping in a backyard coming from Kristin Smart's watch 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. 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. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. 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 Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Det. 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. 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. Kristin Smart's body once buried in suspect's backyard - NBC News When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Helicopters were used to canvas the area. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. In the late 1990s, the. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. Please enter valid email address to continue. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. to find the next challenge. Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Wikipedia "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.. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. 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. 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. James Murphy: The podcast is out. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. 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. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. He also said that law enforcement leaked information to "Your Own Backyard" podcaster Chris Lambert. That technology uncovered a soil disturbance under the deck as well as four soil samples that tested positive for human blood; an April evacuation also tested positive for blood. And here's your key." The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? - AdvertisingRow.com The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. It worked. 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. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. 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. 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. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. I guess the answer is yes. 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. Her books are available on Amazon. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. The Kristen Modafferi Mystery: 20 years later, private investigators We want to hear it. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. He says "no.". The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. 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. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? Murder of Kristin Smart - Wikipedia Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. Her dorm entrance is right over here. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. 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. 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. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. Just days after taking over the investigation, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office brought several dogs trained to detect human remains, to the Cal Poly dorms. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. 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? Ken Blum is the editor. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. What's going on? We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. 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. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. Kristen has facial dimples. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. 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. Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. It's, like, she has nothing on her. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. He has denied any involvement. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. 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. You can go." A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. They didn't bring a forensics team. 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. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. 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. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. 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. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. I did have guilt about that. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. 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. She was declared legally dead in 2002. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. 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. Judge denies multiple unusual requests in Kristin Smart hearing The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. 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: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. She didn't think that was OK. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. They had become close friends despite their differences. Everyone knew Paul (Flores) was creepy. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. 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. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. The then eighteen-year-old . Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. 3. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? A separate jury for Ruben Flores started deliberating on Oct. 5. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains.