Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. 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. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. She was never seen. 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.. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. She didn't think that was OK. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. A trailer was reportedly parked at Ruben's residence at odd hours and Paul's mother, Susan Flores, and her boyfriend were there. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? Sources tell us investigators discovered videos and photographs on Flores' computer showing him engaged in sexual activity with at least 10 different women, apparently in various states of consciousness. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. Related Stories But the investigation is ongoing. 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SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. 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 . PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. . Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time 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. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. D.A. A hundred percent that was happening. Just very involved with their children. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. On April 13, 2021, almost 25 years after Kristin Smart went missing, longtime suspect Paul Flores, 44, was arrested at his home in San Pedro, California, and charged with murder. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. 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. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Maybe we cant. And the body's not there now. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. 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. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Chadwell answered no. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. There's no question about it. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. Why? I'm going to go back to the dorms. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. 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. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. 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. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. 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? Missing-person posters and billboards offering rewards appeared along roads and in other public places. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. 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. I've got her. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. 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. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991. 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. It's just a motivator for me. A very close-knit family. Kristen has never been found. 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. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. The Smart family. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. And she was growing as an individual. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. 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. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Cole in 2019. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. 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. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. 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. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: I wasn't surprised, but there's also that shock value of kind of "oh my god, I knew it! and offers to help. Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. 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. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. Devastating. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. Griffin Cherry was her close friend: He wouldn't answer a single thing. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. Let's go." Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. 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. James Murphy: Every day. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. [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. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. Berkeley. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. It's, like, she has nothing on her. 1 of 47. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. 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. D.A. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. You can go." Peterson. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. The then eighteen-year-old . From the start, investigators. or even her keys. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. 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. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. She was looking forward to hearing from Kristin that Sunday. The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. So, she slowed down and walked with them. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. 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. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. 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. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. That's been our goal. 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. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. 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. 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. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. 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. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. 2 men found drugged after leaving NYC gay bars were killed, medical examiner says. "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 that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. 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. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. 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. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. 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. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. 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. Those were kind of unspoken things. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. Ian Parkinson: Yes. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. 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. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks By herself, which is pretty amazing. Kristen has facial dimples. The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. 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.. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. And she's like, "please come with me. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. 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. He'd go anywhere. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard.