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. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. She was never seen. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. Kristen Modafferi was last seen on the afternoon of June 23, 1997, at the coffee shop where she was working in the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. Nic Coury / AP. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. D.A. Maybe we cant. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. 3. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. 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. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. She didn't think that was OK. But the investigation is ongoing. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. It worked. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. 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. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. We just, "do you know anything about it". His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. I did have guilt about that. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. 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 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. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. 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. 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. Kristen Modafferi was an 18-year-old college student who was about to start a summer photography course at UC Berkeley when she disappeared after leaving work at a San Francisco coffee shop. 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. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. There's no question about it. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. James Murphy: The podcast is out. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. 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. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. It's just a motivator for me. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. 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). The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. 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. In October 2022,. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. 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. 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. Flores defense team moves to recuse the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office from the Smart case because prosecutor Peuvrelle and others have been seen wearing purple clothing, Smarts favorite color. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. He has denied any involvement. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. Please enter valid email address to continue. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. putting murder on the lawsuit was sending a message to Paul Flores and his family, that we believe that he killed Kristin and that we're coming for him. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Det. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. 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. A separate jury for Ruben Flores started deliberating on Oct. 5. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. He never expected it would be a hit, but his podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in this decades-old unsolved case. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. We want to hear it. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. A very close-knit family. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Ian Parkinson: Yes. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. 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. 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. 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. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. 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. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. 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. Peterson. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Devastating. The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. Cole in 2019. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. 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. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Anyone can read what you share. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. And she's like, "please come with me. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. 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. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. 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. Kristen Modafferi. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Her books are available on Amazon. Chris Lambert: So much was lost in those first few days where if that very first phone call was taken seriously answers might have been uncovered the first week. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. My job was to hunt them. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. D.A. She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. 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. 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. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. Flores was first interviewed by Cal Poly police investigators near the end of May 1996, according to The San Luis Obispo Tribune, and the Cal Poly police didnt search his room until June 10th. 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. Kristen has facial dimples. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. But I've seen it. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. They described dropping her off at the party at an unofficial fraternity house, and said that when it was over, she needed support to walk as she was being accompanied home by Paul Flores. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. 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. They had become close friends despite their differences. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. 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. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. In the meantime, Paul Flores moved to Southern California, where he bounced from job to job. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. 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. 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. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. to find the next challenge. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. She was declared legally dead in 2002. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. And when they did . Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. And she was growing as an individual. By herself, which is pretty amazing. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. And I was screaming. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. 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. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. 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. 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. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress 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. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. Kristin Smart was a 19-year-old freshman at Cal Poly, California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, when she disappeared after a walk home from an off-campus party early in the. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. 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. ", 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.". Her dorm entrance is right over here. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. 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.

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