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And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. Copyright 2023 Penske Business Media, LLC. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. She didn't think that was OK. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. 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. She adds that Flores said he put Smart under a skateboard ramp in Arroyo Grande. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. After Paul and Rubens arrests, Sheriff Ian Parkinson revealed that Lamberts podcast helped move the investigation forward. In October 2022,. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. 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". Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. 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. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. That's been our goal. We are now one step closer to justice for Kristin. Ruben Flores, was arrested at his home on the same day and was charged with being an accessory after the fact. And she was growing as an individual. 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. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. Cole said a search of it revealed "suspicious activity.". So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. and I was like, "Noooo.". PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. 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. Podcaster Lambert will not be called to the stand during the Kristin Smart murder hearing. And here's your key." When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. They did an interview with the Cal Poly Mustang Daily and explained that they didn't think there was any evidence that a crime had taken place. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. We just, "do you know anything about it". The judge rules that the DA cannot be disqualified for wearing purple clothing. Lambert says Kristin could not stand on her own, so fellow student Cheryl Anderson who was also at the party began helping her back to campus. 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. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. 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. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. He was not welcome.. Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. How could she have gone out of town? Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. Kristin Smarts family in 1999, three years after she was last seen walking home from a party in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Earthmovers were used in searches on and near the California Polytechnic State University campus in 2016. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. 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. Cole also talked about his interview with Jennifer Hudson in November 2019. 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. But I've seen it. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife and Son Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. 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 cadaver dogs told a different story. Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. D.A. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. Produced by Lisa Freed. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. 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. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. Ruben will be released on bail that he can afford. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. I guess the answer is yes. D.A. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. She was declared legally dead in 2002. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. Det. Weitere Informationen ber die Verwendung Ihrer personenbezogenen Daten finden Sie in unserer Datenschutzerklrung und unserer Cookie-Richtlinie. Maybe we cant. No remains have been found. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. Ruben Flores, 80, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of accessory after the murder for hiding Smart's body after his son allegedly killed her. Flores wasn't talking. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? D.A. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. 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. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. 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. Paul Flores was ordered held without bail Monday. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Flores and his parents have always maintained that he had nothing to do with Smarts disappearance. Just days after taking over the investigation, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office brought several dogs trained to detect human remains, to the Cal Poly dorms. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. to find the next challenge. 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. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. 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. I'm going to go back to the dorms. She was never seen. 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. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. 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. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she told Rolling Stone. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. 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. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you.