And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. Please enter valid email address to continue. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. That young woman was Kristin Smart, and she hasn't been seen since. But cadaver dogs told a different story. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. And I was screaming. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. The then eighteen-year-old . Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. 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. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Human Remains Possibly Found In Home Of Missing Woman Kristen Modafferi Recently unsealed court documents show the extent to which law enforcement has looked into Flores over the years: 48 search warrants involving wiretaps and GPS tracking, and a search of Flores former Cal Poly dorm room. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. My job was to hunt them. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. Dennis Mahon's Podcast It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. D.A. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. He was not welcome.. Anyone can read what you share. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. 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. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. 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. 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. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. 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. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. From the start, investigators. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? 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. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. 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. She was never seen. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. It's just a motivator for me. The Strange Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Medium On Tuesday, Cole testified that Ruben clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three who had been arrested. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. No remains have been found. 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. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. James Murphy: It was just a sad phone call to have somebody say, our daughter disappeared and we think she's the victim of foul play and we'd like to pursue the guy that we think is responsible. I'm going to go back to the dorms. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . Ian Parkinson: I committed to them that I was going to go back to the beginning and re-examine every piece of evidence that we had. DAN DOW [press conference]: We have evidence that we do believe there are other people that are not yet identified that have had some kind of a criminal act perpetrated on them by Mr. Flores. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. Other witnesses are also questioned, but Flemmings testimony is noteworthy as he is the first to say he saw Flores and Smart together before the party. 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. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. 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. His father, Ruben Flores, pleads not guilty to being an accessory to the crime after the fact. She was declared legally dead in 2002. 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. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. 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. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . You can go." About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. 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. She was never seen again. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. 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. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Flores wasn't talking. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. In March, the Oakland Police Department released a statement saying that it had worked with the FBI and found no evidence indicating Durst was involved. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. In June 1997, 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi arrived in San Francisco to take a photography class at UC Berkeley. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. 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. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. The Smarts say they tried to file a missing person's report with the local police but were told it was too early, and the FBI told them Cal Poly police were in charge. The county sheriffs office searched his room once more during the weekend of June 29th, when a team of cadaver dogs signaled the smell of human decay. The Smart family filed a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit against Paul Flores in 1997, but he was not immediately charged criminally in the case. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. Um, wherever we can punch holes. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. The Kristen Modafferi Mystery: 20 years later, private investigators For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. 3. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. 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. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. 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. 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. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. 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. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. Paul Flores killed Kristin Smart in dorm room during attempted rape, DA 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 On Aug. 2, local media reported that Denise Smart, Ms. Smarts mother, spoke at a preliminary hearing, where the judge was deciding whether prosecutors had established probable cause to proceed to trial. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. He wouldn't answer a single thing. 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. Kristen Modafferi - Unsolved Mysteries Judge denies multiple unusual requests in Kristin Smart hearing KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. Books from this author. What happens next? Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. Smart was declared dead in 2002. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Chris Lambert and it worked. Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. The search for Kristin Smart never ends for her family Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. He has denied any involvement. 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. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". The document said investigators at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department had biological evidence indicating Smart was once buried under Ruben Flores' deck behind his home in nearby Arroyo Grande. DAN DOW [press conference]: We intend to use evidence of other sexual crimes in this prosecution to prove the facts necessary for the attempted rape in this case. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. 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. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. In March 2021, investigators used cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Floress property in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. 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. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." They're known for being a really safe school.". A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. A very close-knit family. He'd go anywhere. That's been our goal. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. 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 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. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks 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. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. 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. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. 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. And here's your key." And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25 years ago, and, this summer, her case is finally getting its day in court. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Cole said that Ruben then clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three to have been arrested. Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. 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. I guess the answer is yes. 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. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. 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. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Berkeley. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. "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. 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. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. 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. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. He also said there was suspicious staining in the soil indicative of human remains. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. On Monday, he questioned why investigators needed to keep searching for evidence after making arrests. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? It's, like, she has nothing on her. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. In one of Paul's police interviews he mentioned that he wanted to be let out of the interview because he needed to help clean up concrete at his mom's house So, what was being done in Susan Flores's backyard in the weeks after Kristin went missing? Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. A Timeline of the Kristin Smart Case - The New York Times Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later - KSBY All Rights reserved. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. 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