I dont like to talk about it to even him, she said. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. D.A. And I was screaming. To his credit, the Sheriff both credited Matthew Lamberts podcast series and admitted mistakes (2 weeks B4 any investigation, dorm room cleaned, ignoring roommates pleas the day after she disappeared, wont seek warrant for bank records because shes a 19 y.o. They were giggling as they were dragging me, the now 39-year-old woman told The Daily Beast. They had become close friends despite their differences. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. And these girls are inviting us out. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Recently released court documents detail a one-time immunity deal previously offered to Paul Flores' sister, Ermelinda Thomas. So, she slowed down and walked with them. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. Lambert said in January 2019, I believe that Paul Flores is responsible for her death and I believe that he knows where she is currently located. Cookie Notice A post shared by Your Own Backyard (@yourownbackyardpodcast) on Mar 27, 2019 at 8:45am PDT. I got in his face, the ex-boyfriend, who requested anonymity, told The Daily Beast. However, Paul (and Ruben) can still say if youre so smart, wheres the body? Susan Flores continues with her book project chronicling her familys victimization. Deputies towed the car from Rubin Flores home. During the search, a cadaver dog showed interest in a 1985 Volkswagen Cabriolet, which is currently registered to Ruben and Susan Flores. hurting anyone, they should have done the right thing and turn him in. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. I know Pauls Attorney Mel had many plea agreement talks with the District Attorneys Office and know without a doubt that Paul Flores knows what happened to Kristin Smart and where her body is. This video shows the full deposition given by Paul Flores to the Smart family's attorney, James R. Murphy on November 14, 1997. The Smart family. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? 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. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Kirsten deserves better and her family deserves to bring her home. They took off running, Jane said. Ken Blum is the editor. Were after our daughter. The 19-year-old was last seen in the company of then-fellow student Paul Flores, who claims he escorted Smart to her dorm, which was relatively empty over the Memorial Day weekend. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? By herself, which is pretty amazing. 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. Nothing in this portion of the documents states Thomas accepted the offer of immunity or provided any information to authorities. I wasnt freaked out.. We are giving you an opportunity to be a witness and not a defendant, as I'm not sure Paul will protect you. Thats how we metI was walking and he pulled over and said to me Hey, Ill take you to school, she remembered Flores asking her. Would you do the right thing? At a Halloween party back in 1995before Smart had gone missingFlores allegedly grabbed Sarahs crotch on the dance floor. According to the Charley Project, Flores had been making poor grades and was in danger of being kicked out of school due after he received a DUI. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not. It was just the three of them standing in the kitchen before Jane was handed a plastic cup. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. Flores sported the injury in his booking photo. In Feb. 2020, sheriffs deputies served warrants at four locations, including at Paul Floress San Pedro home and the Arroyo Grande home of his mother. The letter sent to Thomas by San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Detective Clint Cole, which was part of the documents Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer OKeefe has allowed to be released, explains that Cole has been working on the Kristin Smart case for more than two years. Officers booked Flores into the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center. I was like, Who the hell do you think you are?. After they broke up, Laura did a little sleuthing and discovered her ex-boyfriend was accused in Smarts vanishing. That could have been me.. Sources tell us investigators discovered videos and photographs on Flores' computer showing him engaged in sexual activity with at least 10 different women, apparently in various states of consciousness. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? He says they are Ruben's ex-wife Susan and her boyfriend. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. Powered by. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. Smart has long been suspected to have been abducted and killed in May 1996, while she was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. 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. I was lying down on my back. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. Im good. Many include court filings and other evidence submitted by both sides as part of various motions. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. To the extent that he was forced to leave jobs because of the Smart family. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. If convicted, Paul, who has remained in custody since his arrested, faces a sentence of 25 years-to-life in prison. Privacy Policy. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. IF they knew he was out there murdering, raping etc. What happens next? Just two years later Flores was named as the sole suspect in the disappearance of another woman under almost identical circumstances: Kristin Smart. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. The Modesto Bee reported in January 2003 that Scott Peterson, the man who was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, in December 2002, was being eyed for link to the Smart case. Thomas did not testify during the preliminary hearing nor has she been called yet as a witness during fer father and brothers murder trial currently underway in Salinas. Cal Poly agreed that Kristens case would be incorporated as an educational tool into the freshmen Week of Welcome orientation. 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 spit that he would rape her, she said. Paul Flores was a constant presence during Sarahs time at Cal Poly, where she transferred in as a sophomore back in 1996, after Smarts disappearance shook the school and the community. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. If Dan Dow prosecutes the case then the Flores have nothing to worry about. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Thew newspaper adds that the Navy refused to take Flores because of his connection to the Smart case. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. 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. Constructive debate is good; mockery, taunting, and name calling is not. LOS ANGELESShe remembers being dragged down Elm Street as she vomited, propped up by a young man and his pal who snickered and cursed her. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. All the news reports conveniently ignore Cal Polys obstruction in their timelines. "Paul had this look on his face," the relative said. He needs to swing for the fence to get reelected. The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. Any tidbit of information or recollection could make the difference in the recovery of our beloved Kristin., disappearance of another woman under almost identical circumstances: Kristin Smart. He wouldn't answer a single thing. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. Critics called. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. This boy walked up to me and said Oh hey, you need to be careful of that Paul Flores, I think hes stalking you. That's been our goal. He tells Thomas that he has not attempted to contact her or anyone else from her family previously because it was obvious to me that former detectives harassed your family in the past and I do not operate that way., He states, When I started reviewing this case, I kept an open mind and assumed that Paul Flores was not involved in Kristins disappearance. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. D.A. ", 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.". Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. Hundreds gather in Arroyo Grande for vigil in honor of Kristin Smart, Hundreds of people gathered in the Arroyo Grande Village on Sunday evening: to remember Kristin Smart, a Cal Poly student who went missing in 1996. Alexandra Wallace July 6, 2021. He had pinned her down and had his hand down her bathing suit groping her.. By Richard Bastian At that time, the car belonged to Paul Flores' sister Ermelinda Flores, who lived near Cal Poly. Paul Flores at a St. James classmate's birthday party, 1983. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. Kristen was last seen leaving a party with Paul Flores on the night of her disappearance on May 25, 1996. Pretty sad how Cal Polys upper admin interfered with the PDs work and made this investigation go away. And there would be more disappointment in 2007, after the Smart's legal team searched a small portion of Susan Flores's backyard with ground penetrating radar and did not find any evidence. Flores was subpoenaed before a grand jury in relation to Smarts disappearance but left after just five minutes of questions. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. I was like Oh my God. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. She was never seen again. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. were in the room exactly where she had left them. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. 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. 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. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. 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." It is every parent's worst nightmare. They used cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar to search Ruben Flores property. She was last seen alive with Paul Flores, a classmate who offered to walk an inebriated Smart to her room. Paul Flores, her former classmate, was named a person of interest in her disappearance shortly after she was last seen, but had never been formally charged in her death until 2021. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. Her family misses her every minute of everyday!, Kristin Denise Smart: Missing since May 25th, 1996 Part 1, Kristin Denise Smart 40 minute Download into iMovie, FBI Dogs Finds Possible Remains Of Kristin Smart On Cal Poly Campus. The family attorney refused to comment when reached by The Daily Beast. Paul Flores Family, Sister. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. Alexandra Wallace June 11, 2022. The Smart's attorney James Murphy, and his wife and office manager Garin Sinclair, have had Kristin's billboard in their front yard since late 1997. One female cousin called Flores a pervert. Paul and Ruben Flores appeared before a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge via Zoom on Monday. He was seeing someone on the side who he called his friend, she said. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. I was crying.. D.A. Janes mother frantically phoned her father. He'd go anywhere. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. Many have assumed that Paul and Ruben Flores had something to do with her disappearance and most likely killed her. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. Paul Flores was taken into custody in the Los Angeles area, where he resides. In high school he was known as a loner. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. The duplex was located up the same street from where her mom resided. Paul Flores Nationality, Ethnicity. And here's your key." He would tiptoe around everything. Smart was last seen as three fellow students helped her home following a party. Our roommate came in and yelled Leave her alone. D.A. 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: I didn't know the scale. Flores claimed he walked Smart to her dorm at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on May 25, 1996 after a night of binge drinking. And when they did . 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." An immunity deal was offered to her in 2020, Paul Flores in court July 18 during opening statements in the Kristin Smart murder trial happening in Salinas, Monterey Co. Superior Court/NBC News Dateline. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. Paul's sister reportedly lives in that area. Their trial is expected to last into at least October. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. It was never like Hey you want to go hookup? He never made advances and he would just say Hi at school.. Not to be a cynic but the Republican DA faces a BLM challenge from an increasing Berkeley-esque electorate. Susan Flores, mother of Paul Flores, and her boyfriend are accused of relocating the remains of missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart in an amended lawsuit filed by Smart's family. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. Produced by Lisa Freed. Stan and Denise Smart, Kristins parents, sent The Daily Beast a statement praising the women for coming forward to share their stories and hope it leads to a break in their missing daughters case. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Investigators are currently digging under Rubin Flores home in another apparent attempt to find the missing teens body. Eventually they moved in together along with a male roommate in a two-bedroom apartment in nearby Lawndale. 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. 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