"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.. Cole in 2019. 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: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". were in the room exactly where she had left them. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. 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. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? 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. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. 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! There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. I need you to listen to everything they say so we can punch holes in it. 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. In April 2021, investigators finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and decided they had enough to charge the then-44-year-old Paul Flores with Kristin's murder, and his then-80-year-old father with being an accessory after the fact. Cole also testified that the Flores family was wiretapped for 30 days starting on January 5, 2020. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. 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. UPDATE - San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Detective Clint Cole returned to the witness stand Wednesday in the preliminary hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores, testifying that searches of Ruben's home turned up evidence leading them to believe human remains had been buried there. Paul Flores, 44, has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. And she's like, "please come with me. But I've seen it. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. 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.". 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. He refused to answer questions during a deposition in November 1997, citing the Fifth Amendment. 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. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. Defense Attorney Sanger calls the move a stunning lack of objectivity.. A single woman's earring. 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. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. 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. Plans & Pricing . And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. Cole said this was done so Lambert would include the information in his podcast during the time of the wiretap. 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. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. It did produce some information that I believe was valuable, he said. 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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. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. 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. Paul Flores is charged with first-degree murder and is accused of killing Smart while attempting to rape her. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. 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. But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. 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. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Kristen has never been found. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? 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. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. Devastating. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. Margarita Campos: But when we got to the house it was pretty dead too, it was really -- it was like a couple of roommates hanging out playing video games And Kristin was, like oh gosh, there has to be something better than this. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? The then eighteen-year-old . Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. A very close-knit family. I've got her. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. 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. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Nic Coury / AP. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. 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. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. 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.. 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. Det. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. A missing-person report was filed with the campus police on May 28. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. The document presented summaries of why prosecutors didn't want either man to be released pending a trial that could be years away. 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.". Im not going to exclude a member of the media (for doing their job).. The next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. or even her keys. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. James Murphy: Paul Flores had a reputation amongst the girls that knew him at Cal Poly as being a creeper that he was always trying to hit on women. She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. 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. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. The defense wants to suppress some of these searches, though, claiming that they were done illegally or without warrants. 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. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Specifically, that they had Paul's white Nissan pickup in their possession. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. 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. 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. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. So, they did not immediately get a warrant to search Susan Flores's home. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. Billie Eilish Explains Her Complicated Relationship With Social Media: 'I Don't Look at It Anymore', Theres no evidence of a sex crime in the charged crime (the murder case) itself, van Rooyen says. He'd go anywhere. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. Attorney Harold Mesick said Monday that the evidence against the father was so minimal as to shock the conscience.. Her dorm entrance is right over here. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. All Rights reserved. 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. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. 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. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. and I was like, "Noooo.". The two men made their first courtroom appearance on July 14 in San Luis Obispo Superior Court, where Judge Craig B. van Rooyen denied the district attorneys motion to add two rape charges against Paul Flores, The Tribune of San Luis Obispo reported. Smart was declared dead in 2002. 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. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. That's been our goal. 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. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. The Smart family. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. November 01, 2017. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. Kristen Modafferi. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. 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. 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. 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. 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. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. 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. 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". By herself, which is pretty amazing. The defense questions Hudson about her drug use, but she says she was not doing drugs at the time. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? The search for Smart did not begin until a week after her disappearance, as campus police refused to take a missing persons report from a dorm mate; the hunt only began in earnest after the student called the police and the Smart family. 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? But cadaver dogs told a different story. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. It's just a motivator for me. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. 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.

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