School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. 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. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. 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. Det. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Kristen Modafferi was last seen on the afternoon of June 23, 1997, at the coffee shop where she was working in the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. But I've seen it. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. 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. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. The judge in the case has issued a gag order preventing lawyers, investigators, witnesses and others from speaking about the case or releasing documents. Produced by Lisa Freed. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. And she was growing as an individual. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. And these girls are inviting us out. 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. Why? We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. In the meantime, Paul Flores moved to Southern California, where he bounced from job to job. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. 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. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. 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 younger Flores has long been the only person of interest in Smarts disappearance; she was last seen on May 25th, 1996, after attending a party near campus. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Missing-person posters and billboards offering rewards appeared along roads and in other public places. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. How could she have gone out of town? Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. D.A. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. 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. It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. From the start, investigators. Paul invoked the Fifth Amendment when the DAs office subpoenaed him to testify before a grand jury in 1996 and after the Smarts filed a $40 million wrongful-death lawsuit against him; during a 1997 deposition, he again pleaded the Fifth. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. 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. 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. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. 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. It's, like, she has nothing on her. She was looking forward to hearing from Kristin that Sunday. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. 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. Her books are available on Amazon. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. Nic Coury / AP. Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. 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. No remains have been found. In April 2021, investigators charged Paul Flores, left, with Kristin Smart's murder, and his then-80-year-old father Ruben, as an accessory after the fact. 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. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. 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. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Defense lawyers have criticized the evidence used to arrest both men last week. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Judge van Rooyen announced in April that the trial would be moved to Monterey County, about 140 miles north of San Luis Obispo, after the defense team requested the change of venue because of extensive publicity around the case. He wouldn't answer a single thing. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. putting murder on the lawsuit was sending a message to Paul Flores and his family, that we believe that he killed Kristin and that we're coming for him. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. Her dorm entrance is right over here. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. 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. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? November 01, 2017. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Those were kind of unspoken things. 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 Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. Maybe we cant. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. 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. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? They didn't bring a forensics team. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. In October 2022,. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. 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. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. He has denied any involvement. D.A. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. James Murphy: The podcast is out. 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. 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. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. 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. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Peterson. 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: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. The Smart family. The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. 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. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. 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. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. Paul Flores talks to his attorneys Sara Sanger and Robert Sanger on Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. had been arrested in connection with her disappearance, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart, while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. James Murphy: Having a black eye doesn't make you guilty of anything but if the person you were with disappeared from the planet that's physical evidence. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? That's been our goal. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. Um, wherever we can punch holes. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. Paul and Ruben Flores appear at the San Luis Obispo Superior Court for the first time, at which time Judge Craig van Rooyen denies Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelles request to add two rape charges against Paul, according to The Tribune of San Luis Obispo. Kristen has never been found. 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. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. 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. Ken Blum is the editor. 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. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken. ", Although suspicion surrounded Flores almost from the beginning, any hopes for an arrest were dashed in May 1997 when then-Sheriff Ed Williams made an admission to the San Luis Obispo Telegraph: "We need Paul Flores to tell us what happened to Kristin Smart so absent something from Mr. Flores, I don't see us completing this case.". The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. Books from this author. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. 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? 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. 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. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. D.A. 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. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time 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.
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