Also on the stand Tuesday were another cadaver dog handler, an expert in fiber evidence and a district attorney's office investigator. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. The then eighteen-year-old . It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. Kristen has never been found. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. 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. 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. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. I've got her. 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? When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. Recently unsealed court documents show the extent to which law enforcement has looked into Flores over the years: 48 search warrants involving wiretaps and GPS tracking, and a search of Flores former Cal Poly dorm room. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? Plans & Pricing . James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. What happens next? PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. 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. They didn't bring a forensics team. PODCAST EPISODE 3 | MARY LASSITER: It was like a red thing and it was like a smudge-like fingerprinted look on the back, just red, like maroon, like old looking and the smudge that it was like half a fingerprint. 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. 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. to find the next challenge. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. Her books are available on Amazon. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. 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. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. 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. And she was growing as an individual. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. 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. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. Flores wasn't talking. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. But I've seen it. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. 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. 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.. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. 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. She loved swimming and skiing. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? 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. Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. Um, wherever we can punch holes. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. Det. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. James Murphy: The podcast is out. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. 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. Maybe we cant. And the body's not there now. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . 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. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. 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 day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. 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. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? There's no question about it. Her dorm entrance is right over here. They did an interview with the Cal Poly Mustang Daily and explained that they didn't think there was any evidence that a crime had taken place. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. By herself, which is pretty amazing. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. 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. They're known for being a really safe school.". Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. Even more difficult to understand was why they waited two months to search the family home where Paul Flores was living with his father, Ruben. D.A. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. D.A. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. I didnt understand why. 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. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. ", 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.". 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! "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. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. 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. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. 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. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. He says "no.". Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. 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. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. 7,781 days.. That is all it took. The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. Other witnesses are also questioned, but Flemmings testimony is noteworthy as he is the first to say he saw Flores and Smart together before the party. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. 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. It's fine. 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. We just, "do you know anything about it". Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. Anyone can read what you share. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Chadwell answered no. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. D.A. D.A. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. D.A.