He was not welcome.. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. He also said that law enforcement leaked information to "Your Own Backyard" podcaster Chris Lambert. 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. 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. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? I've got her. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. Kristen has never been found. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. 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. But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. Margarita Campos: I was a little bit more introverted and inhibited and she was like, "no, we have to go out and we have to go like live life." every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. 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. or even her keys. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. I did have guilt about that. 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. 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. 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.". Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. James Murphy: The podcast is out. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. 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. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. Kristin Smart: California jury finds man guilty in the 1996 murder of The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. 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 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. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The Kristen Modafferi Mystery: 20 years later, private investigators At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. D.A. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. It's, like, she has nothing on her. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. 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. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. Chadwell answered no. Flores wasn't talking. Maybe we cant. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." 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. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. But the investigation is ongoing. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. 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. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? One man's 20-year search for Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. In one of Paul's police interviews he mentioned that he wanted to be let out of the interview because he needed to help clean up concrete at his mom's house So, what was being done in Susan Flores's backyard in the weeks after Kristin went missing? On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. Members of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department and FBI searched the grounds of Susan Flores's home in Arroyo Grande on June 19, 2000, for any evidence that might shed light on the disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. 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. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. IE 11 is not supported. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. The Smart family. Kristen Modafferi | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. So many people have played such important roles over the past 25 years, and we are humbled by the amazing support and generosity we have received. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. The Sheriffs Office investigators and forensic specialists assigned to Ms. Smarts case executed 18 search warrants, submitted 37 items that were collected in the early days of the case for DNA testing, recovered 140 new items of evidence and conducted 91 interviews from 2011 to 2020, the office said. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. Flores was also in possession of Tramadol and Flexeril, known as date rape drugs. 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. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. By herself, which is pretty amazing. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. PDF KRISTEN MODAFFERI - Federal Bureau of Investigation She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? 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 day two, August 3rd, a close friend of Smarts from college, Steven Flemming, tells the court that Flores had interacted with Smart before the party they both attended prior to her disappearance. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. 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. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. 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. "Up and Vanished" led a man to confess to killing a . Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . Dennis Mahon's Podcast The day after the arrests, Dan Dow, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney, said that Paul Flores had caused the death of Ms. Smart while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. Ruben Flores helped to hide her remains, he said. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. I didnt understand why. She was gone. Kristen Modafferi. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. 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. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. Any evidence that might have been there was long gone. Smarts family issues a statement following the news about Flores going to trial: Yesterday was a very good day and we want to take this opportunity to thank all of Kristins supporters in San Luis Obispo and beyond. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. She loved swimming and skiing. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. 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. The Strange Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Medium Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. 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. Chris Lambert and it worked. 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 is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. 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. Scott Peterson set to testify in Kristin Smart slay case - New York Post "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.. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. Shocking allegations in newly unsealed docs in Kristin Smart case He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks And these girls are inviting us out.