They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. Kristen Deborah Modafferi (born June 1, 1979; disappeared June 23, 1997) is an American woman who, in the early summer of 1997, disappeared in mysterious circumstances after leaving her work at the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. That turned out to be college. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. 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. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. Paul Flores is charged with the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared from Cal Poly in 1996. 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. By herself, which is pretty amazing. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. "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.. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. 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. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. 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. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. D.A. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. 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. What happens next? Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. James Murphy: And it's 2:30 and 3 o'clock in the morning at Cal Poly this is not a a location from which Paul alone could easily move a body without a vehicle. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. 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. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. 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. 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. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. It's just a motivator for me. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Berkeley. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. They're known for being a really safe school.". Cole in 2019. Case But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. Why? When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. His father, Ruben, will be tried as an accessory to the crime. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. 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.". James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. 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. A single woman's earring. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. 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. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. Related Stories 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 it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Peterson. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. Let's go." Once, he says, Flores was lurking in the lobby of Smarts dorm at 1 a.m.; another time, he says he saw the man in Smarts dorm room. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. and offers to help. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. 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. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. 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. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. Kristen has facial dimples. James Murphy: Every day. and I was like, "Noooo.". Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. LOS ANGELES A California college student missing for nearly 25 years was once buried in the backyard of the home owned by the murder suspect's father, authorities said in a court document. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? 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. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. He also said there was suspicious staining in the soil indicative of human remains. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. 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. 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). 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. 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. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. Real Name: Kristen Deborah Modafferi Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: San Francisco, California Date: June 23, 1997 Bio Occupation: Student Date of Birth: June 1, 1979 Height: 5' 8" Weight: 140 lbs. Devastating. 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. In June 1997, 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi arrived in San Francisco to take a photography class at UC Berkeley. Anyone can read what you share. 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. 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: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . 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. "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. Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. ", 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.". https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. She was gone. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. 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. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. 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 might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. In 2011, the Smarts hoped those boulders would become a little lighter when Ian Parkinson became the . She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. 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. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son She didn't think that was OK. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. Billie Eilish Explains Her Complicated Relationship With Social Media: 'I Don't Look at It Anymore', Theres no evidence of a sex crime in the charged crime (the murder case) itself, van Rooyen says. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. In fact, Cheryl Anderson, who trusted Flores to walk Kristin back to her dorm alone, told police that her friends called him "Chester the molester," because he was known for groping girls. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. 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. Those were kind of unspoken things. 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. The younger Flores has long been the only person of interest in Smarts disappearance; she was last seen on May 25th, 1996, after attending a party near campus. Produced by Lisa Freed. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. I did have guilt about that. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. 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. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. It worked. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. Smart was declared dead in 2002. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. 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. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. 1 of 47. Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. It's fine. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. 7,781 days.. That is all it took. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. A hundred percent that was happening. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. 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 then eighteen-year-old . Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. 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. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Instead, on Monday, May 27, Denise Pearce says the Smarts got a call from Cal Poly's campus police asking if Kristin was with them. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". So, she slowed down and walked with them.