The then eighteen-year-old . Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. 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. Maybe we cant. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. 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. Det. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. It is every parent's worst nightmare. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. It's just a motivator for me. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. 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. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. The Kristen Modafferi Mystery: 20 years later, private investigators Even more difficult to understand was why they waited two months to search the family home where Paul Flores was living with his father, Ruben. 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. And she was growing as an individual. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. 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. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Judge denies multiple unusual requests in Kristin Smart hearing 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. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. Just very involved with their children. 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. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. And when they did . Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. 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 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. 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. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. The investigation seemed to be hampered from the start by a series of missteps by campus police beginning with their assumption that Kristin was off having fun and ignoring worried friends who said she was missing. Paul Flores and defense attorney Robert Sanger in court on Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2021. The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. 'Keep her memory alive': Organizer encourages community to spread suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. Three more witnesses are expected to take the stand on Thursday, including two cadaver dog handlers.___. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. She loved swimming and skiing. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. Twenty-five years after Smart went missing, a prime suspect is charged with murder. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time And she's like, "please come with me. 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, a fellow freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, was the last person seen with Smart on May 25, 1996. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. Nikki Rodriguez, a spokeswoman for the court, said the documents were not supposed to be public. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. 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. Authorities also uncovered fibers consistent with the color clothing Smart was last seen wearing. Kristen Modafferi | Unsolved Mysteries Wiki | Fandom 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. He was not welcome.. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. ", 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.". Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. 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. 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. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. D.A. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. Kristen Deborah Modafferi (born June 1, 1979; disappeared June 23, 1997) is an American woman who, at the age of 18, in the early summer of 1997, disappeared in mysterious circumstances after leaving her work at the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. 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. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. What happens next? Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. James Murphy: Every day. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. Man charged with 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? He has not been charged in those incidents. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. I guess the answer is yes. 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. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. Her dorm entrance is right over here. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. In October 2022,. PODCAST EPISODE 5: If you were making a film about a new law enforcer who's coming to a small town to save the day, you'd probably cast Parkinson. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. She had taken a job at a coffee shop to pay for a photography course at U.C. to find the next challenge. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. 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. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. were in the room exactly where she had left them. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. Cole in 2019. Kristin Smart case: Shy podcaster led cops to arrest in California cold 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. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Cadaver dogs trained to detect human decomposition were deployed by the F.B.I. IE 11 is not supported. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next Flores wasn't talking. 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. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. Human Remains Possibly Found In Home Of Missing Woman Kristen Modafferi Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. He wouldn't answer a single thing. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. We just, "do you know anything about it". She was never seen again. 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. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. 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. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. 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 . There's no question about it. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. 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. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. Ian Parkinson: Yes. She said she didn't tell law enforcement about it until she talked to Det. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Kristen Modafferi: Onuma and the Briefcase. 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.
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