PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later - KSBY No remains have been found. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. They seized digital devices during the search and, in April 2020, executed another search on Paul Flores property in San Pedro. What's going on? D.A. D.A. 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. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. 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. Kristen Modaferri Observer file Family and friends of a Charlotte woman who has been missing for nearly two decades are awaiting results after a possible break in the case came Thursday.. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Flores defense team moves to recuse the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office from the Smart case because prosecutor Peuvrelle and others have been seen wearing purple clothing, Smarts favorite color. Once, he says, Flores was lurking in the lobby of Smarts dorm at 1 a.m.; another time, he says he saw the man in Smarts dorm room. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. It's, like, she has nothing on her. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. 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. 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. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less.. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Wikipedia They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Chris Lambert: Paul worked with a number of women that he made incredibly uncomfortable girls who he tried to make a pass at sexually, girls that he tried to force to kiss him. 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. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. Devastating. 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. It's just a motivator for me. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. 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. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. That turned out to be college. Testimony is expected to continue Wednesday. 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. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. It also expounds on several other alleged rapes as well as unwanted sexual advances. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. But the judge indicated he would set a reasonable bail amount Wednesday for the father, who has health problems is currently in the San Luis Obispo jail on $250,000 bail. Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case. She was declared legally dead in 2002. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. 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. PDF KRISTEN MODAFFERI - Federal Bureau of Investigation Flores defense team serves Your Own Backyard podcaster Chris Lambert with a subpoena to serve as a witness in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on August 30th, as he has interviewed several witnesses before they spoke to law enforcement. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images. You can go." Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. From the start, investigators. Murphy and his wife, Garin Sinclair, agreed to take the case pro bono promising to go after Paul Flores and put pressure on the sheriff's office. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. Why? Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. 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. It was turned over to a detective with the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office, but Garin Sinclair says, the Smarts never knew it existed until the Lassiters were deposed in January 1997. 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. What happened to Kristen Modafferi? - AdvertisingRow.com We want to hear it. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. Don Kelsen/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images. Convicted killer Scott Peterson is expected to be called to the witness stand at a pre-trial hearing in California involving the 25-year-old disappearance of co-ed Kristin Smart. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. He has not been charged in those incidents. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. 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. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? 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. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. 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. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. But I've seen it. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. It encouraged the previously reluctant to come forward. This obviously gave law enforcement new leads to follow and connect with what they already were holding close.. 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. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? 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! 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. In October 2022,. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. 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. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. 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. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. How could she have gone out of town? And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. She was never seen again and her body has not been located. 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. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. There is no evidence of a murder and no evidence of a rape, Sanger added. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? A very close-knit family. Cole reportedly testified that Ruben asked why Susan Flores, who is Pauls mother, and her boyfriend were also being swabbed when he was the only one who committed a felony. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Was the beeping in a backyard coming from Kristin Smart's watch