kristen modafferi kristin smart kristen modafferi kristin smart

Chadwell answered no. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. 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. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. That's been our goal. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. Everyone knew Paul (Flores) was creepy. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. Cole said investigators checked out the skateboard ramp location but did not find a body. 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. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Book Author Jenn is a lawyer-turned-author and true crime writer. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. In the meantime, Paul Flores moved to Southern California, where he bounced from job to job. She was last seen in the Lands End area of San Francisco, close to where Laci and Connor washed up. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. The documents also include several people the defense believes investigators should have looked into in addition to Flores, including convicted murderer and fellow then-student Scott Peterson, who was previously ruled out. 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. 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. D.A. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She definitely, like, took advantage of life, seized the day she was super ambitious and was determined you know, to find the next adventure. Testimony resumes at the Kristin Smart hearing after a week off. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Nineteen-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart went missing after a campus party 25 years ago, and, this summer, her case is finally getting its day in court. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. She didn't think that was OK. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Witnesses said Smart was intoxicated, and Flores had said he would walk her home after an off-campus party. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. Recently unsealed court documents show the extent to which law enforcement has looked into Flores over the years: 48 search warrants involving wiretaps and GPS tracking, and a search of Flores former Cal Poly dorm room. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. Produced by Lisa Freed. Flores, who had been seen with Smart earlier in the evening he attempted to flirt with her and apparently fell on her at one point, according to witnesses joined the group and allegedly accompanied Smart home. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. She feared for her life, so did not tell anyone at the time or for years after. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. 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. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. Kristin Smart, a bright, adventurous communication studies freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, went missing May 25, 1996. 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. Her books are available on Amazon. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. Kristen Modafferi. She was declared legally dead in 2002. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. KSBY will have more on what takes place in court on KSBY.com and KSBY News at 5 and 6 p.m. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. 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. 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. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. 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. Eighteen-year-old Kristen Modafferi was a college honor student from North Carolina spending her summer in San Francisco. 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. 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. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. A single woman's earring. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Jonathan Vigliotti: She had just 40 yards to go and yet she vanished. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle asked him if he found the remains of any monkeys or ferrets or any human bodies on the property. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Chris Lambert and it worked. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. By herself, which is pretty amazing. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? Devastating. But cadaver dogs told a different story. 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." Paul Flores was charged with murder and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. Back in San Luis Obispo, the Smarts, feeling ignored by the sheriff's office, continued a relentless campaign to get them to do more to find their daughter. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? But the investigation is ongoing. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. 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. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. ORIGINAL STORY - Paul and Ruben Flores are back in court Wednesday for another day of their preliminary hearing. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. It's just a motivator for me. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of focus on how Kristin was drinking what sounded a lot like victim shaming. 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. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. That's when the campus police finally handed the investigation over to The San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office but they did not find Kristin. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. 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. The Tribune said it got the public documents from the courthouse in the city 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. 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. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. On Oct. 18, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. After a lengthy hearing, San Luis Obispo County Judge Craig B. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, Lambert told Rolling Stonelast year. But I've seen it. 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. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. Plans & Pricing ; Podcast Statistics; PowerPress Plugin . Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. It's, like, she has nothing on her. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. She withdrew money from the bank, a surveillance camera capturing what are . Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. By then, the semester was over and the room had been cleaned out. But now, 25 years later, a man sits in a San Luis Obispo County Jail cell, charged with her murder. 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. Flores wasn't talking. Flores was first interviewed by Cal Poly police investigators near the end of May 1996, according to The San Luis Obispo Tribune, and the Cal Poly police didnt search his room until June 10th. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. What's going on? Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." James Murphy: Every day. They also uncovered videos in a folder labeled practice that featured women wearing ball gags and in other fetish positions. At the time of the April 13 arrests, the sheriff said he believed that had enough evidence to win convictions. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Van Rooyen rules that Flores will be tried for murder in the 1996 disappearance of Smart. She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. They had become close friends despite their differences. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. 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. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. D.A. Just very involved with their children. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. 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. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. We want to especially thank the District Attorneys Office for their relentless efforts. Det. 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. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time On April 19, father and son each pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. The prosecution upholds the validity of these searches, including one of Flores dorm room that was done after he moved out. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. He's going to find her body, which is awful for a parent. "YOUR OWN BACKYARD" PODCAST: EPISODE 1: It's a cold and cloudy winter afternoon in San Luis Obispo and I'm retracing missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart's last known steps. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. He'd go anywhere. Wednesday, Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen rules that having the podcaster testify and release his records would have a chilling effect on the medias ability to do their job. 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.". They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. And she's like, "please come with me. Cole testified about why investigators believe a crime was committed at Ruben's property on White Court in Arroyo Grande. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. 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. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. IE 11 is not supported. In March, the Oakland Police Department released a statement saying that it had worked with the FBI and found no evidence indicating Durst was involved. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. Proof of the L.A. charges cant act as a substitute for the SLO case.. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. And when they did . Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. No remains have been found. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. Marital Status: Single Characteristics: Caucasian female with brown hair and eyes. Ms. Smarts acquaintances were interviewed. Today, we make the first move toward bringing justice to Kristin, her family, and the people of San Luis Obispo County.. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. 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.. 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. Cole said that Ruben then clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three to have been arrested. September 15, 2017. Witness Jennifer Hudson takes the stand, where she tells the court that, in 1996, when she was 17 years old, Flores laughingly told her he had taken care of Smart. The elder Flores is charged with accessory after the fact to the crime of murder for allegedly helping Paul conceal Smarts body. He wouldn't answer a single thing. Send us a tip using our anonymous form. 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. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. The day after the arrests, Dan Dow, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney, said that Paul Flores had caused the death of Ms. Smart while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. Ruben Flores helped to hide her remains, he said. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? A very close-knit family. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. He discussed some of the evidence that was collected during searches of the property, including anomalies in the backyard and a 4-foot deep hole under the deck containing fibers and human blood. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. She was never seen again. Paul and Ruben Flores appear at the San Luis Obispo Superior Court for the first time, at which time Judge Craig van Rooyen denies Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelles request to add two rape charges against Paul, according to The Tribune of San Luis Obispo. Alex Murdaugh sentenced to life in prison for murders of wife and son, Biden had cancerous skin lesion removed last month, doctor says, White supremacist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes kicked out of CPAC, Tom Sizemore, actor known for "Saving Private Ryan" and "Heat," dies at 61, Biden team readies new advisory panel ahead of expected reelection bid, At least 10 dead after winter storm slams South, Midwest, House Democrats unhappy with White House handling of D.C.'s new criminal code. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. 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 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. His father, Ruben, is charged as an accessory. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. [emotional] I will go outside at nighttime and I'll look up at the full moon and I'll think that that kid's buried somewhere real close. The court document was filed before bail arguments Monday in San Luis Obispo Superior Court when the father and son were arraigned. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. They went on trial in July 2022 in Monterey County, Calif. On Oct. 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart. He was not welcome.. He had a smirk when he said it, like it was a joke, she says. 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. 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. The Sheriffs Office investigators and forensic specialists assigned to Ms. Smarts case executed 18 search warrants, submitted 37 items that were collected in the early days of the case for DNA testing, recovered 140 new items of evidence and conducted 91 interviews from 2011 to 2020, the office said. PODCAST EPISODE 4: At 8 a.m. on June 19th, 2000, a team of sheriff's investigators knocks on the front door of Susan Flores's East Branch Street home. Wenn Sie Ihre Auswahl anpassen mchten, klicken Sie auf Datenschutzeinstellungen verwalten. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. I'm going to go back to the dorms. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. So, she slowed down and walked with them. 3. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. And here's your key." James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. 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. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. In October 2022,. The document said investigators at the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department had biological evidence indicating Smart was once buried under Ruben Flores' deck behind his home in nearby Arroyo Grande. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. What Chris did was take a local story and turn it into an international story. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. From the start, investigators. Another frustration for the Smarts: at the time Kristin disappeared, investigators weren't aware that Paul Flores's parents were separated and living apart. During Tuesday's hearing, San Luis Obispo County. The county sheriffs office searched his room once more during the weekend of June 29th, when a team of cadaver dogs signaled the smell of human decay. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. The 100 Best Albums of 2022. 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! 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. 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. She loved swimming and skiing. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? The authorities began to describe Paul Flores as a prime suspect in the case. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case.