DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Produced by Lisa Freed. September 15, 2017. Dennis Mahon's Podcast Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Flores claimed after walking Kristin back from the party, he went to his room in Santa Lucia Hall while she walked alone to her dorm. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. Real Name: Kristen Deborah Modafferi Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: San Francisco, California Date: June 23, 1997 Bio Occupation: Student Date of Birth: June 1, 1979 Height: 5' 8" Weight: 140 lbs. I've got her. 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. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. We just, "do you know anything about it". Kristen Modaferri Observer file Family and friends of a Charlotte woman who has been missing for nearly two decades are awaiting results after a possible break in the case came Thursday.. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. 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: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. But the judge indicated he would set a reasonable bail amount Wednesday for the father, who has health problems is currently in the San Luis Obispo jail on $250,000 bail. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. 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. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . Chris Lambert and it worked. 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. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. 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. In 2011, the Smarts hoped those boulders would become a little lighter when Ian Parkinson became the . were in the room exactly where she had left them. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. In October 2022,. and offers to help. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. 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. 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. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. 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. It's, like, she has nothing on her. Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. 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. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. 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. 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. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. 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. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. Peterson. 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? Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. Paul Flores, lower left, remained in jail without bail while Ruben Flores, upper right, was able to post bail after a judge agreed to lower the bail amount from $250,000 to $50,000, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court/Zoom, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Chilling details revealed in JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan deaths, Mother at center of international manhunt speaks out to "48 Hours". 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 Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. 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. 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. Was the beeping in a backyard coming from Kristin Smart's watch 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. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. All Rights reserved. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. 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.. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. My job was to hunt them. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. 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 later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. But the investigation is ongoing. UPDATE - San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Detective Clint Cole returned to the witness stand Wednesday in the preliminary hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores, testifying that searches of Ruben's home turned up evidence leading them to believe human remains had been buried there. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks 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. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. Plans & Pricing . JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? Det. Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. I guess the answer is yes. 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. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. Devastating. Kristin Smart Case Update: Where Is the Investigation Today? - Heavy.com 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. 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. What's going on? Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. The Mysterious Disappearance Of Kristen Modafferi - Grunge.com 7,781 days.. That is all it took. Those were kind of unspoken things. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". 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. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. 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. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. The search for Smart did not begin until a week after her disappearance, as campus police refused to take a missing persons report from a dorm mate; the hunt only began in earnest after the student called the police and the Smart family. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. I didnt understand why. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. And she's like, "please come with me. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. D.A. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. 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He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. A college student at North Carolina State University, ABC 7 writes that Modafferi had received a scholarship to work and live in a different city for the summer. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. Her books are available on Amazon. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. It's just a motivator for me. Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later - KSBY Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. 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 parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? It is every parent's worst nightmare. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. . 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. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. 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. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. 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Below, Rolling Stone outlines where the Smart case is now: San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow announces chargesagainst Paul Flores and his father Ruben in connection with what he calls the 1996 homicide of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. D.A. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. Everyone knew Paul (Flores) was creepy. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Det. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. 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. They're known for being a really safe school.". An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. Missing-person posters and billboards offering rewards appeared along roads and in other public places. Kristin Smart 19, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University had gone to a party on Friday, May 24 , 1996 -- and has not been seen since. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Books from this author. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. Dozens of community members on Saturday evening gathered for a vigil at Santa Rosa Park in San Luis Obispo to light candles in the memory of Kristin Smart, the Cal The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. 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. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo.
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