Kristin Smarts family in 1999, three years after she was last seen walking home from a party in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Earthmovers were used in searches on and near the California Polytechnic State University campus in 2016. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. 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. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. UPDATE - San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Detective Clint Cole returned to the witness stand Wednesday in the preliminary hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores, testifying that searches of Ruben's home turned up evidence leading them to believe human remains had been buried there. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. 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. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. Lambert says Kristin could not stand on her own, so fellow student Cheryl Anderson who was also at the party began helping her back to campus. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. 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. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them.
The Strange Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Medium Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.
Shocking allegations in newly unsealed docs in Kristin Smart case Ms. Smarts family said they had faith in the justice system, comforted in the knowledge that Kristin has been held in the hearts of so many and that she has not been forgotten.. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". 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. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. Her books are available on Amazon.
Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? 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. Det. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. I did have guilt about that. From the start, investigators. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. 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. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. And here's your key." Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. The two men made their first courtroom appearance on July 14 in San Luis Obispo Superior Court, where Judge Craig B. van Rooyen denied the district attorneys motion to add two rape charges against Paul Flores, The Tribune of San Luis Obispo reported. I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. 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. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward.
What happened to Kristen Modafferi? One man's 20-year search for I've got her. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. 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. They had become close friends despite their differences. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned.
A Timeline of the Kristin Smart Case - The New York Times And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times.
Kristin Smart Case Update: Where Is the Investigation Today? - Heavy.com An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. His is the latest in a line of true-crime podcasts to play a role in an arrest, a court appeal or even an exoneration. Anyone can read what you share. 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 was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. Um, wherever we can punch holes. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. She was never seen. Why? There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Cole said that Ruben then clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three to have been arrested. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. 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. Chadwell answered no. I guess the answer is yes. She loved swimming and skiing. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. Just days after taking over the investigation, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office brought several dogs trained to detect human remains, to the Cal Poly dorms. 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. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. and I was like, "Noooo.". "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. 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. She was gone. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. In the late 1990s, the. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Please enter valid email address to continue. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. 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. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. [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. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. And she's like, "please come with me. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. James Murphy: The podcast is out. 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.. 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. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time 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. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. D.A. That's been our goal. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. And when they did . 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. 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. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. 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. Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996. 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. Unsealed court documents in the Kristin Smart murder case include allegations of a discovery of human blood and witnesses who claim to have seen suspicious . Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. Cole in 2019. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways.
How 'Your Own Backyard' podcast led to arrests in Kristin Smart murder 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. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave.
The search for Kristin Smart never ends for her family 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. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. Kristen Modafferi. 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. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. 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. Kristen has facial dimples. 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: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? A California jury has found Paul Flores, the man accused of the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart, guilty of first-degree murder, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County District. 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." When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. But the investigation is ongoing. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? A very close-knit family. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. A hundred percent that was happening. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. Hudson previously testified during the preliminary hearing that while hanging out with a group of skateboarders in San Luis Obispo in 1996, she heard Paul Flores use a derogatory term to refer to Kristin Smart and say, "I'm done playing with her and I put her out underneath my ramp in Huasna.". He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation.
PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . 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 jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. The Smart family. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. 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. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. 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: 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. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed.