In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. 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. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. D.A. The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. 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: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. 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. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. And she's like, "please come with me. 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. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. "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. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. 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. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. PODCAST EPISODE 4: At 8 a.m. on June 19th, 2000, a team of sheriff's investigators knocks on the front door of Susan Flores's East Branch Street home. It encouraged the previously reluctant to come forward. This obviously gave law enforcement new leads to follow and connect with what they already were holding close.. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. 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." Books from this author. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. 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. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. Nic Coury / AP. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. After over 25 years, there is no evidence that Paul Flores committed the crimes for which there is no evidence.. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. [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. She was never seen. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. 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. 3. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. We want to hear it. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. D.A. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. 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 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. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. What's going on? Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. 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. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. 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. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. "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.. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. 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. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". 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. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: and I was like, "Noooo.". Witness Jennifer Hudson takes the stand, where she tells the court that, in 1996, when she was 17 years old, Flores laughingly told her he had taken care of Smart. No remains have been found. to find the next challenge. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. Ken Blum is the editor. 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. 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. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. He wouldn't answer a single thing. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Her dorm entrance is right over here. 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. Chris Lambert: It's hard to take too much credit But I was one piece of the puzzle that helped to make this all come together when it did. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. I've got her. Berkeley. 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. After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. He has denied any involvement. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. PODCAST EPISODE 5: If you were making a film about a new law enforcer who's coming to a small town to save the day, you'd probably cast Parkinson. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 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. A single woman's earring. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. Her books are available on Amazon. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. 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. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. That technology uncovered a soil disturbance under the deck as well as four soil samples that tested positive for human blood; an April evacuation also tested positive for blood. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. Ian Parkinson: Yes. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It's, like, she has nothing on her. IE 11 is not supported. She didn't think that was OK. 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. Kristen Modafferi. Please come with me." So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. Peterson. Also included is the result of a February 4th, 2020 search of Paul Flores San Pedro home, where San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs investigators seized electronic devices that featured videos showing Flores having sex with seemingly incapacitated women. San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office personnel dig in an area in the backyard of the home of Ruben Flores, in Arroyo Grande, Calif., March 16, 2021. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. But the investigation is ongoing. . 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.". Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. The last person to see her alive,. That's been our goal. It's just a motivator for me. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, via Associated Press. Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. Kristen has facial dimples. 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. 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. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. A hundred percent that was happening. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. She was never seen again. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. 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. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Please enter valid email address to continue. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. 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? Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. 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. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. They had become close friends despite their differences. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. There's no question about it. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? 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. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. 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. The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. But on April 13, 2021, after an investigation that spanned nearly a quarter of a century, the authorities announced that two California men Paul Flores, now 45, and his father, Ruben Flores, 81 had been arrested in connection with her disappearance. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. 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. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. 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.". JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. Chris Lambert and it worked. I was afraid Id end up missing or buried someplace, she says. On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. She writes about missing persons, unsolved murders, and human rights. Anyone can read what you share. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. She loved swimming and skiing. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. 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. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. Det. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. I'm going to go back to the dorms. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. 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. 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. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. November 01, 2017. So, she slowed down and walked with them.