Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later - KSBY The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. 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. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. 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. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. He also said there was suspicious staining in the soil indicative of human remains. Cole testified that Hudson told him about Paul's statement and that she'd also seen Paul with his white pickup truck at the skateboard ramp in Huasna. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years 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. For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could, Denise Smart told the court, according to CBS 13, a local television station. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. 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. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. Devastating. 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. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [to reporters]: It's been a puzzle and it's a very slow process to find each of those little pieces some of that information came to light through the podcast many of you are familiar with. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. 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." Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. They didn't bring a forensics team. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. PODCAST EPISODE 4: At 8 a.m. on June 19th, 2000, a team of sheriff's investigators knocks on the front door of Susan Flores's East Branch Street home. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. She was never seen. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. 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. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. 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. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. She was declared legally dead in 2002. Dennis Mahon's Podcast I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. Kristen has facial dimples. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. Margarita Campos: But when we got to the house it was pretty dead too, it was really -- it was like a couple of roommates hanging out playing video games And Kristin was, like oh gosh, there has to be something better than this. Cole in 2019. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. 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. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. and offers to help. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries 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. Just very involved with their children. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. 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. Denise Pearce: To be almost there. 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. were in the room exactly where she had left them. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. 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. 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. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. 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. Chris Lambert and it worked. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. That turned out to be college. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. The defense claims the prosecution is wearing said color as a result of a Facebook request on the site Justice for Kristin Smart' to wear purple during a Memorial Day celebration. D.A. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. 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. Kristen has never been found. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. She didn't think that was OK. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. 1 of 47. "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.. [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. 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. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. He said a chemical called Bluestar, which detects bodily fluids, was used on the trailer and that there was a reaction on the right side of the trailer showing a stain that could be similar to a human being lying on its side. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. The then eighteen-year-old . So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. Murphy and his wife, Garin Sinclair, agreed to take the case pro bono promising to go after Paul Flores and put pressure on the sheriff's office. November 01, 2017. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. In high school he was known as a loner. to find the next challenge. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? One man's 20-year search for He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. 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.. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Kristin Smart Case Update: Where Is the Investigation Today? - Heavy.com After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. You can go." An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. Kristin Smart: California jury finds man guilty in the 1996 murder of How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. A Timeline of the Kristin Smart Case - The New York Times And I was like, "nah, I have to study." He has denied any involvement. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. Anyone can read what you share. The Kristen Modafferi Mystery: 20 years later, private investigators There's no question about it. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? The Smarts say they tried to file a missing person's report with the local police but were told it was too early, and the FBI told them Cal Poly police were in charge. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. What's going on? When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. 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. 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"Up and Vanished" led a man to confess to killing a . And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: 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. 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. 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. But the investigation is ongoing. 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. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. Paul invoked the Fifth Amendment when the DAs office subpoenaed him to testify before a grand jury in 1996 and after the Smarts filed a $40 million wrongful-death lawsuit against him; during a 1997 deposition, he again pleaded the Fifth. Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25 years ago, and, this summer, her case is finally getting its day in court. By herself, which is pretty amazing. I didnt understand why. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. In April 2021, investigators finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and decided they had enough to charge the then-44-year-old Paul Flores with Kristin's murder, and his then-80-year-old father with being an accessory after the fact. 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. Paul Flores killed Kristin Smart in dorm room during attempted rape, DA Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. 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 A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. He has not been charged in those incidents. Ms. Smarts family said they had faith in the justice system, comforted in the knowledge that Kristin has been held in the hearts of so many and that she has not been forgotten.. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. 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: 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.
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