How could she have gone out of town? It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". 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. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. In high school he was known as a loner. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. We want to hear it. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. 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. Chadwell answered no. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. 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. But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? He'd go anywhere. The last person to see her alive,. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. But cadaver dogs told a different story. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. Ken Blum is the editor. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. 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. 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. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. Please enter valid email address to continue. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. D.A. There's no question about it. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. 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. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, via Associated Press. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. Um, wherever we can punch holes. 3. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. D.A. D.A. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. 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. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. It's, like, she has nothing on her. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. What's going on? I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. 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. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. 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. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. 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. 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. 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. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. 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. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. 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? She was never seen. 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.". Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. 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. 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. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. They're known for being a really safe school.". Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. 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. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. In March 2021, investigators used cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Floress property in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks Defense lawyers have criticized the evidence used to arrest both men last week. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. 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James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. Investigators in Kristin Smart case serve search warrant at the home of the prime suspect's father Smart was last seen near her California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) dorm, but she. Anyone can read what you share. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Please come with me." It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. What happens next? Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. 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.. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. 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. The documents also include several people the defense believes investigators should have looked into in addition to Flores, including convicted murderer and fellow then-student Scott Peterson, who was previously ruled out. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. So, she slowed down and walked with them. He was not welcome.. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. 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. 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. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. 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. Why? 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. 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. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. 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. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. "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.. 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. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. A single woman's earring. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. 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. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. 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. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. And I was screaming. Let's go." Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. Chris Lambert and it worked. I didnt understand why. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. 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. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. 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. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? 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. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. 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. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. 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. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. And she's like, "please come with me. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. And these girls are inviting us out. Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. 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. Flores, 44, was arrested Tuesday at his home, nearly 25 years after Smart left a party near the Cal Poly campus and vanished on the way back to her campus dormitory. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. 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. and I was like, "Noooo.". DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. A very close-knit family. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? 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. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. 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. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. I did have guilt about that. IE 11 is not supported. 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. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Peterson. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. 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. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. 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. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. 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. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. Judge van Rooyen announced in April that the trial would be moved to Monterey County, about 140 miles north of San Luis Obispo, after the defense team requested the change of venue because of extensive publicity around the case. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her.