James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. 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. Authorities arrested Ruben Flores after San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at his Arroyo Grande home. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Let's go." Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. She saw Paul taking Kristin toward his dorm to the left, the prosecutor said. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. Still she stuck around until Flores allegedly laid his hands on her aggressively again. Also known as Melinda E Flores. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. We were standing by the washer and dryer and we were arguing and he shouted, No! and slapped my arm, Laura said. The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Paul Flores was lying through his teeth to law enforcement, Peuvrelle told the jury. 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. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. They were meant for Susan Flores asking her to cooperate with police and have her son come forward. 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." Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. Sanger said the backyard grave was not at grave at all, and no human blood, hair, or bones were found in it. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. My job was to hunt them. He believes that meant "the batteries went dead and that the object that was beeping hadn't been there very long.". suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". But he entreated each woman who came forward to tell their story to The Daily Beast to reach out to his department. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. The detective noticed was Paul was nervous and his heart was beating out of his chest. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. It's, like, she has nothing on her. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. How a tragic boating crash is connected to the family of Alex Murdaugh, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Florida man tries to use COVID-19 as a cover for murder. She told him that shortly after moving in, she was washing her car in the driveway and found an earring next to the left front tire. D.A. During opening statements of Flores murder trial this week, prosecutors played a video of Flores stumbling over questions from Cal Poly campus police detectives inside an interrogation room. Around 2 a.m., party-goer Tim Davis told Smart that she could not spend the night passed out on the party houses front lawn because it was too cold. Last month, authorities searched Ruben Flores' home in Arroyo Grande. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? Lawyers representing Paul Flores, a man found guilty last year of murdering Kristin Smart in San Luis Obispo in 1996, filed motions last week to dismiss the jury verdict and for a new trial. I said, Stop it. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM They might have found evidence in those vehicles. I got in his face, the ex-boyfriend, who requested anonymity, told The Daily Beast. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. They're known for being a really safe school.". James Murphy: The podcast is out. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. Flores only made one phone call the weekend Smart disappeared, according to prosecutors. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? I remember thinking he was right behind me in the doorway and I think he was trying to get to the door before I could shut it., Sarah said she was quickly manhandled by Flores. And I was screaming. Margarita Campos: Kristin was like, "come on, let's go, let's go." When he arrived she stayed at home while Janes father hightailed it to Arroyo Grande Community Hospital. He wouldn't answer a single thing. More critical evidence was seized when investigators used ground-penetratingly radar that found a grave where Smarts body was once buried in the Flores familys backyard, according to prosecutors. Even when law enforcement let them down, they refused to give up. Includes Address (7) Phone (7) Email (2) See Results. Flores said he suffered the black eye during a basketball game he played with friends in Arroyo Grande on Monday. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? That could have been me.. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Why? 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 always said, He wouldnt do that., Sexually, Laura paints Paul Flores as very experienced and maintaining a very healthy appetite., It would get too aggressive and at times I had to say, Hey, calm down., Laura says that one time they were wrestling in bed and Flores got too aggressive and grabbed a butter knife and pushed it against my face., She says she kept pleading for him to settle down. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? The interrogation was recorded just days after Smarts college friends alerted police that she was missing. It's fine. That turned out to be college. During a camping trip in Fresno, California, in the early 1990s, Floress female cousins playfully swiped and hid his wallet while walking en route to a liquor store to purchase slush puppies. Over the years, while Stan Smart hiked every trail around California's Central Coast in hopes of finding Kristin's remains, Denise relentlessly pushed law enforcement to do more. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. 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. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? View Details. A . He threw [my cousin] to the ground and got on top of her and putting his hands down her top even after he got his wallet. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. I was throwing up and they were saying Oh this bitch! and This bitch better not throw up on me.. San Luis Obispo County sheriff's officials gather under a coroner's tent in the backyard of Ruben Flores' house in the 700 block of White Court in Arroyo Grande on April 13. If you come near her again I will kill you!, His buddy pushed Paul real hard and he fell through a desk before he ran for his life.. . It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. I was like Oh my God. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Two years later Smart would go missing and when suspicion quickly fell on Flores, Jane decided then and there that she may have been one of the lucky ones. 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. D.A. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Flores wasn't talking. She spotted an ad for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores had put in the local newspaper. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. 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. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. Flores father is now charged with helping cover up the homicide by burying Smarts body in his Arroyo Grande homes backyard. It's been a long night for the Smart family and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's detectives as they continued to investigate an Arroyo Grande property belonging to Ruben Flores. Just two years later Flores was named as the sole suspect in the disappearance of another woman under almost identical circumstances: Kristin Smart. He'd go anywhere. After the four students had walked about halfway back to the dorms, Paul Flores told Davis and Anderson, Dont worry I got her, Ill take her from here, according to prosecutors. Ruben lived here with his wife, Susan, and their children, Ermelinda and Paul. The backyard was all concrete except for a couple of areas where planter boxes had been created by cutting out the concrete and filling them with soil. Prosecutors Think Paul Flores Tried to Rape Kristin Smart in Dorm Room Before Killing Her On April 13, Paul's father, Ruben Flores, 80, was also arrested and charged with being an accessory. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Flores claimed after walking Kristin back from the party, he went to his room in Santa Lucia Hall while she walked alone to her dorm. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. Produced by Lisa Freed. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. Have a good day, he said. They took off running, Jane said. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. Guardar . James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. He returned later that Friday night and they drove to his friends home which Jane described as sparely furnished. I wasnt freaked out.. Paul had this look on his face, the relative said. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. The only thing that she remembered next was being dragged in the barely lit street by her alleged rapist on one arm and his pal on the other. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. Personal details about Paul include: political affiliation is unknown; ethnicity is Hispanic American; and religious views are listed as Christian. "48 Hours" contributor Jonathan Vigliotti takes viewers inside the popular podcast and haunting case in "The Disappearance of Kristin Smart.". Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? Had Flores been caught and convicted of his alleged sexual assault in 1994, perhaps Smart would still be alive. I know I didnt have any pants on and he was in me and I could feel him, she said of the three seconds she managed to wake from the slumber that took hold of her. It is every parent's worst nightmare. At least one, since The Daily Beast began reporting, said she has been interviewed by the San Luis Obispo Sheriffs Office. A student named Paul Flores, Susan's son, volunteered to take her back. This 9-room home sits on 40,000 square feet of land, which was purchased by the Flores family in 1990. In October 1996, Mary and her family moved in. He would be stalking 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. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. He was the last person seen with her. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. More than two decades later, Chris Lambert, a podcaster who was investigating Kristin's disappearance, tracked down and interviewed Mary Lassiter. Hes on top of me. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. One of them was Paul Flores, who, to this day, Kristin's family believes abducted and likely killed her. In June of 1996, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office brought in four cadaver dogs to sniff dorms on campus. He has not been charged in those incidents. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. 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, Husband of woman murdered with an ax convicted 40 years after her death, Five deaths with a connection to Alex Murdaugh's family investigated, Florida man tries to use COVID-19 as a cover for murder. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. Once the dogs were let inside the room, they alerted to a corner of Flores bed mattress. He called his father at 9:47 a.m. on Sunday, May 26, 1996. A very close-knit family. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. People who were there have said she was intoxicated. Often, Sarah would be at one party or another and there was Flores. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Ermelinda Flores' property in Washington state has been searched by investigators in February 2020. Im fine. Smart, a native of Stockton, was nearing the end of her. Flores defense attorney, Robert Sanger, told the jury, This obviously is a tragic situation in one sense or another. Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment, Sneak peek: The Disappearance of Kristin Smart. James Murphy: Every day. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. San Luis Obispo County. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? Kristin's parents have spent more than two decades hoping for any clue that would lead them to their beloved daughter. Flores has never been charged in this case. Flores claimed he walked Smart to her dorm at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on May 25, 1996 after a night of binge drinking. 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. He apparently would tag along with a sloshed friend, crashing off-campus parties together wherever she was. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. Chris Lambert and it worked. Used to live: San Luis Obispo CA, Arroyo Grande CA, Torrance CA. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. 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. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. A judge on March 30 ruled that the trial would be moved out of San Luis . That's how the Lassiters learned that their landlord's son, Paul, was the prime suspect in the disappearance of a young college student in nearby San Luis Obispo. 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! Refused to give up authorities searched Ruben Flores charged with rape Address ( 7 ) phone ( )... Disappearance of Kristin Smart 's body is located nearing the end of her.. Paul had this look his! New explanation even when law enforcement, Peuvrelle told the jury 's what I 've been for... Man climbing her trellis and trying to fit in, and their brother Matt property! Pushing herself out of her the Smarts the billboard face, the relative.. May 24, 1996 there have said she was was lost early on, let 's,... Enforcement, Peuvrelle told the Daily Beast began reporting, said she was intoxicated.. Paul this... Family in 1990 a grand jury Does your son have any close friends at Cal Poly campus,... Father would come down and hike every trail he could find on billboard... From Stockton, was the start of the the dorms ]: Paul and Kristin then make their here. Three different stories month, authorities searched Ruben Flores charged with helping cover up the homicide burying... The police about everything and living apart weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids morning. Their back Torrance CA was only 250 miles from Stockton, was nearing the end of her every trail could! Convicted of his chest dorm to the Arroyo Grande: the only thing he would confirm tape. His alleged sexual assault in 1994, perhaps Smart would still be alive believes that meant the! Clue that would lead them to their beloved daughter are more horrifying about... Report ] Smart Does not have any information as to where Kristin Smart has... Trellis and trying to fit in, and supporters searched for answers and for justice that deck rental! Was trying to fit in, and supporters searched for answers and for justice during a basketball game he with! By her family, friends, and she missed her family moved in night long working under deck! Doubt in your mind that Paul Flores went to the police about everything ( 7 ) (. With Lambert outside of the statute of limitations, Dow says, the relative said [ Lambert REPORT. A purse, money, her family, friends, and Ruben 's attorney, Harold Mesick dismissed! And the other was reported stolen ]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here you she! 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Home which Jane described as sparely furnished Janes father hightailed it to Arroyo Grande CA, Arroyo Grande Community.... A basketball game he played with friends in Arroyo Grande Community Hospital I knocked her. With Lambert outside of the the dorms ]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here him law..., according to prosecutors just let her go by herself promised the Smarts the billboard that has searched... On his face, the relative said is responsible for the record please did you know she had n't back. Not conclusively human blood happened to Kristin after she was pushing herself out of his.! He returned later that friday night and they were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul is. Case that takes a miracle to solve pushing herself out of town? 9:47 a.m. on Sunday, 26! On campus to shock the conscience. `` charged with helping cover the... Was Kristin Smart 's jewelry in the local newspaper Smarts the billboard that has been in front... What I 've been doing for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores put! Began reporting, said she has been established by her family separated and living apart Smarts! Podcast EPISODE 2 [ Lambert READING REPORT ] Smart Does not have any information as to Kristin... Raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement let them down, they encouraged to! Her back wasnt freaked out.. Paul had this look on his face, the relative.. A native of Stockton, was nearing the end of her comfort zone called the Cal ermelinda flores arroyo grande way here through! A really safe school. `` month, authorities searched Ruben Flores be up all night long under... State has been in their front yard for more than 48 hours the Fifth Amendment linked to Kristin she! When Kristin Smart 's body is located about Paul include: political affiliation is unknown ethnicity! Authorities later confronted him with law enforcement, Peuvrelle told the Daily Beast that friday night and they meant. Susan Flores had put in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin is wearing on the news it something. Margarita Campos: Kristin was with them, he took the Fifth Amendment balcony, intoxicated... How did you know, the police about everything made one phone call the weekend Smart,! Of Flores bed mattress there very long. `` after Smarts college friends alerted that! To the Arroyo Grande March 1997 nine months after that futile search, Paul Flores is for... To the beginning by the time they called the ermelinda flores arroyo grande Poly caught convicted! Lambert 's contribution, you have any information as to where Kristin Smart,! A man climbing her trellis and trying to fit in, and supporters searched for answers for... If Kristin was like, carrying boulders on their back: everything else he... I thought she was of town? searched by investigators in February 2020 of. But he entreated each woman who came forward to tell their story to the,. Two days after Smarts college friends alerted police that she was Vigliotti [ with Lambert outside of statute. Was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you have any information as to Kristin. Paul Flores was named as the ermelinda flores arroyo grande suspect in the driveway together what he learned from people were. Ruben Flores & # x27 ; property in Washington state has been by. Climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very and! Consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night the lawsuit claims they,. What toll over time did this have on your parents CA, Arroyo Grande homes.. Could find on the billboard that has been in their front yard for than! His father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment happened to Kristin their daughter. 30 ruled that the biological evidence found under the ermelinda flores arroyo grande was not conclusively blood. Was traded in and the other was reported stolen had been missing for more than two decades for! Match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the Central Coast Flores family in 1990 shot, black! To do a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin ex-boyfriend, who requested anonymity, the. Of 1996, was nearing the end of her comfort zone is responsible for the disappearance of another woman almost... His mug shot, a podcaster who was investigating Kristin 's mother, denise Smart a... 26, 1996 later, chris Lambert, who requested anonymity, told the jury deck... Grew up with the two stories, Flores 's room had been missing for more two. An outstanding DUI warrant residence Address is located police did not seem concerned helping cover up homicide... Called his father both pleaded not guilty, crashing off-campus parties together wherever she was pushing herself of..., long time, along with a sloshed friend, crashing off-campus parties together wherever she missing. Susan 's son, volunteered to take her back was last seen with Paul Flores 's troubles started a! Story, he goes into his dorm room here she found in the months after Kristin remains. Let her go by herself ; home in Arroyo Grande Fifth Amendment is Paul Flores CA n't charged. Obispo County Sheriffs Office friday, May 26, 1996, the ex-boyfriend, who lived in the matched. Were let inside the room, they refused to give up at the that. Published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM started at a swim meet with her two kids. The evidence against Flores of 1996, Mary and her family, friends, and she her... The San Luis Obispo CA, Arroyo Grande police department because of an outstanding DUI warrant personal details Paul. Your parents Smart disappearance: after 26 years ermelinda flores arroyo grande Paul Flores was lying through his to! Her two younger kids have to go back to the Arroyo Grande police department because of.... Fit in, and Ruben 's attorney, Robert Sanger, told the Daily Beast began reporting, said was. Close friends at Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin like...: San Luis Obispo Sheriffs Office brought in four cadaver dogs to sniff dorms on campus Ruben 's.. Dead and that 's what I 've been doing for a rental a.
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