So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. 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. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. He also said there was suspicious staining in the soil indicative of human remains. 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. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? - AdvertisingRow.com She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. . Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. 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. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. The Strange Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Medium every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time 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. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. 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. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. 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. [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. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. 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. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. And according to that probation report, "dozens of women have recounted Paul Flores' sexual assaults and predatory behavior that document his 25 years as a serial rapist." He'd go anywhere. Um, wherever we can punch holes. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. 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.". Chris Lambert: So much was lost in those first few days where if that very first phone call was taken seriously answers might have been uncovered the first week. Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years Produced by Lisa Freed. Sheriff Ian Parkinson was able to confirm that forensic physical evidence that authorities believe is linked to Kristin was located at, at least two homes. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. That turned out to be college. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. 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. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. 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. James Murphy: Paul Flores had a reputation amongst the girls that knew him at Cal Poly as being a creeper that he was always trying to hit on women. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. 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. 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. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. D.A. 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. I did have guilt about that. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. He wouldn't answer a single thing. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. Just very involved with their children. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? Kristin Denise Smart (born February 20, 1977 [1] [6] -declared legally dead May 25, 2002) was an American woman who was found to have been murdered by Paul Flores at the end of her freshman year on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. Paul Flores killed Kristin Smart in dorm room during attempted rape, DA Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. 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. 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. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. But cadaver dogs told a different story. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. In October 2022,. 3. His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. I guess the answer is yes. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. 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. 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. or even her keys. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. He says "no.". D.A. In high school he was known as a loner. He has not been charged in those incidents. Kristen has never been found. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. Nikki Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the court, said the documents were not supposed to be public. Kristen Modafferi | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. 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. 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. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. On Tuesday, Cole testified that Ruben clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three who had been arrested. 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. She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? 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. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later - KSBY Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. 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. A very close-knit family. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. They didn't bring a forensics team. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. 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. 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. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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.. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. He also said that law enforcement leaked information to "Your Own Backyard" podcaster Chris Lambert. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. 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. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. I'm going to go back to the dorms. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. James Murphy: Every day. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Devastating. 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.". Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . The search for Kristin Smart never ends for her family He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. D.A. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. A hundred percent that was happening. Kristen Modafferi. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. Human Remains Possibly Found In Home Of Missing Woman Kristen Modafferi 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. And there would be more disappointment in 2007, after the Smart's legal team searched a small portion of Susan Flores's backyard with ground penetrating radar and did not find any evidence. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. "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.. 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. 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. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Dennis Mahon's Podcast On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Nic Coury / AP. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. She was never seen. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Det. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. 7,781 days.. That is all it took. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. Dennis Mahon's Podcast - Blubrry Podcasting The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time to find the next challenge. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. And she was growing as an individual. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. 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. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. 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. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. And she's like, "please come with me. Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. 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. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. 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. 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!