Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. 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.. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. 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. 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. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. During Tuesdays hearing, San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Detective Clint Cole testified about a conversation he had with Ruben Flores at his Arroyo Grande home when Cole was there to obtain a DNA swab. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. A Timeline of the Kristin Smart Case - The New York Times By herself, which is pretty amazing. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". So, she slowed down and walked with them. and offers to help. Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. 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. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. 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. to find the next challenge. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. The Smart's attorney James Murphy, and his wife and office manager Garin Sinclair, have had Kristin's billboard in their front yard since late 1997. 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." The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. Kristin Smart's body once buried in suspect's backyard - NBC News Ian Parkinson: Yes. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. 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. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. A hundred percent that was happening. were in the room exactly where she had left them. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. 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. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Smart was declared dead in 2002. And I was screaming. 'Keep her memory alive': Organizer encourages community to spread The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. The last person to see her alive,. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Was the beeping in a backyard coming from Kristin Smart's watch 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! 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: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. Kristen has never been found. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. [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. He discussed some of the evidence that was collected during searches of the property, including anomalies in the backyard and a 4-foot deep hole under the deck containing fibers and human blood. Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. A very close-knit family. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. 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. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. 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. 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. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? 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. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. 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. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. And she was growing as an individual. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. 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. 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. And these girls are inviting us out. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. 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 500 Greatest Songs of All Time PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. I didnt understand why. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. 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. You can go." Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. Detective in Kristin Smart case testifies human blood - KSBY It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. 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. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. Det. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Due to the evidence gleaned from the excavation, it is reasonable to believe Ruben Flores currently knows the location of Kristin Smarts remains," Peuvrelle said. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen rules that having the podcaster testify and release his records would have a chilling effect on the medias ability to do their job. 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. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. The Mysterious Disappearance Of Kristen Modafferi - Grunge.com Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. 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. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. ", 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.". So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. She was gone. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. 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. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. Kristin Smart case: Shy podcaster led cops to arrest in California cold 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. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. "YOUR OWN BACKYARD" PODCAST: EPISODE 1: It's a cold and cloudy winter afternoon in San Luis Obispo and I'm retracing missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart's last known steps. 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. 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. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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 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 high school he was known as a loner. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? 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. He wouldn't answer a single thing. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. Um, wherever we can punch holes. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later - KSBY 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. 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? Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. 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. And when they did . 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. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. I guess the answer is yes. 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 here's your key." She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. 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). Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. But I've seen it. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. 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. James Murphy: An eyewitness actually documented the fact that throughout the night that there was activity in the area of the underside of that deck. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something.
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