Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. Possible break in Kristen Modafferi case after 18 years 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. It was first reported by The Tribune, and a reporter posted snippets of documents on Twitter. Paul Flores, lower left, remained in jail without bail while Ruben Flores, upper right, was able to post bail after a judge agreed to lower the bail amount from $250,000 to $50,000, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court/Zoom, How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Chilling details revealed in JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan deaths, Mother at center of international manhunt speaks out to "48 Hours". He wouldn't answer a single thing. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. Devastating. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All Time Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? And she was growing as an individual. ", 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.". DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Kristen Modafferi | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom "48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. 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. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Murder of Kristin Smart - Wikipedia Margarita Campos: I was a little bit more introverted and inhibited and she was like, "no, we have to go out and we have to go like live life." On Monday, June 23rd, 1997, she arrived for work at the Crocker Galleria mall. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. 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.". 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. Peuvrelle, who said Ruben Flores has helped cover up the crime for nearly a quarter-century, would continue to do so if freed. were in the room exactly where she had left them. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. How 'Your Own Backyard' podcast led to arrests in Kristin Smart murder Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. I did have guilt about that. 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. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. Chris Lambert and it worked. Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Wikipedia A lot of women felt uncomfortable around him, Flemming says. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. I didnt understand why. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? Produced by Lisa Freed. The last person to see her alive,. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. No remains have been found. For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could, Denise Smart told the court, according to CBS 13, a local television station. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. But the investigation is ongoing. We just, "do you know anything about it". I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. Kristin Smart case: Shy podcaster led cops to arrest in California cold Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Joe Johnston/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo), via Associated Press. 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." 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. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. 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. The search for Kristin Smart never ends for her family He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. Garin Sinclair: He never once turned to the Smart family and said, hey, we have an earring, we'd like to show it to you to see if it matches any of your daughter's jewelry. "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.. 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. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. 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. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Peterson. In high school he was known as a loner. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. Cole in 2019. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. 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. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. 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. 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. 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. 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. His is the latest in a line of true-crime podcasts to play a role in an arrest, a court appeal or even an exoneration. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. 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. 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. Flores wasn't talking. Smart was declared dead in 2002. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Everyone knew Paul (Flores) was creepy. Dennis Mahon's Podcast - Blubrry Podcasting Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. Kristin Denise Smart (born February 20, 1977 [1] [6] -declared legally dead May 25, 2002) was an American woman who was found to have been murdered by Paul Flores at the end of her freshman year on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly). Kristin Smart's body once buried in suspect's backyard - NBC News There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Kristen has facial dimples. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. So, she slowed down and walked with them. Bei der Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps verwenden wir, unsere Websites und Apps fr Sie bereitzustellen, Nutzer zu authentifizieren, Sicherheitsmanahmen anzuwenden und Spam und Missbrauch zu verhindern, und, Ihre Nutzung unserer Websites und Apps zu messen, personalisierte Werbung und Inhalte auf der Grundlage von Interessenprofilen anzuzeigen, die Effektivitt von personalisierten Anzeigen und Inhalten zu messen, sowie, unsere Produkte und Dienstleistungen zu entwickeln und zu verbessern. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. James Murphy: Every day. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Case 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. Any evidence that might have been there was long gone. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? 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. and offers to help. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder 20 photos. 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. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. 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. 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. The 19-year-old, who is also from Charlotte and a . I guess the answer is yes. The Strange Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Medium JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye.