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But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. In high school he was known as a loner. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Related Stories Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? 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. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. But on April 13, 2021, after an investigation that spanned nearly a quarter of a century, the authorities announced that two California men Paul Flores, now 45, and his father, Ruben Flores, 81 had been arrested in connection with her disappearance. to find the next challenge. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. Maybe we cant. 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. What's going on? She was looking forward to hearing from Kristin that Sunday. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. 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. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. That's been our goal. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. 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: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. They described dropping her off at the party at an unofficial fraternity house, and said that when it was over, she needed support to walk as she was being accompanied home by Paul Flores. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. They did an interview with the Cal Poly Mustang Daily and explained that they didn't think there was any evidence that a crime had taken place. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. 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. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. ", Although suspicion surrounded Flores almost from the beginning, any hopes for an arrest were dashed in May 1997 when then-Sheriff Ed Williams made an admission to the San Luis Obispo Telegraph: "We need Paul Flores to tell us what happened to Kristin Smart so absent something from Mr. Flores, I don't see us completing this case.". About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. Kristen Modafferi was last seen on the afternoon of June 23, 1997, at the coffee shop where she was working in the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. Additionally, the documents include information about a March 15th, 2021 search by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office of Ruben Flores Arroyo Grande property that included ground-penetrating radar. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. 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. Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. James Murphy: The podcast is out. He says "no.". Onuma was evicted from a Kaneohe, Hawaii residence after his connection to the Kristen Modafferi . Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. The case recently reentered the public eye with the 2019 launch of the popular true-crime podcast, Your Own Backyard, hosted by musician Chris Lambert, who has spent his life haunted by a missing persons billboard featuring Smarts face. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. Despite the fact that law enforcement had collected substantial evidence that Kristin Smart may have had reason not to return to her dorm room after leaving (fellow party-goers) Cheryl (Manzer) Anderson and Paul Flores and despite the fact that they had collected substantial evidence that there were multiple potential suspects who stalked, harassed or otherwise had conflicts with Kristin Smart, law enforcement made an early choice to change their focus to murder and to Paul Flores as the only suspect, Sanger wrote in a defense motion. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . Chris Lambert and it worked. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. 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. A hundred percent that was happening. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Defense lawyers have criticized the evidence used to arrest both men last week. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Det. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. He wouldn't answer a single thing. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." 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. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. LOS ANGELES A California college student missing for nearly 25 years was once buried in the backyard of the home owned by the murder suspect's father, authorities said in a court document. 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." I did have guilt about that. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. 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. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. The defense also tells Lambert he will not be allowed back in the courtroom where he has been covering the hearing as he is now a potential witness. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. Flores wasn't talking. Nikki Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the court, said the documents were not supposed to be public. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. Since Parkinson came on the scene, investigators have dug up hillsides; searched the homes and properties of all the Flores'; collected evidence; seized Paul Flores' computers; monitored his cell phone and text messages, and found new witnesses -- some with the help of Chris Lambert. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. 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. And she was growing as an individual. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. They have not been able to proceed with the civil case while there was an ongoing criminal investigation, but that didn't stop them from following every lead and preparing for an eventual trial. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. Nic Coury / AP. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. The last person to see her alive,. 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. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. 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. A very close-knit family. 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. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. 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. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. 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. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. 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.. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. Please enter valid email address to continue. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Why? Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Let's go." Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. And she's like, "please come with me. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Berkeley. I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. 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. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. Chadwell answered no. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. It's fine. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. 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. I've got her. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. 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. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. Just very involved with their children. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. 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. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? "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.. November 01, 2017. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. In April 2021, investigators charged Paul Flores, left, with Kristin Smart's murder, and his then-80-year-old father Ruben, as an accessory after the fact.