But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. Chris Lambert: Around the time Kristin disappeared, they cut out planter boxes in the backyard, so they cut out big chunks of concrete and filled it in with soil. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. Smart was declared dead in 2002. 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". 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. 3. He'd go anywhere. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. 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. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. Real Name: Kristen Deborah Modafferi Nicknames: No known nicknames Location: San Francisco, California Date: June 23, 1997 Bio Occupation: Student Date of Birth: June 1, 1979 Height: 5' 8" Weight: 140 lbs. Mesick argued there were many innocent explanations why soil had previously been dug up in the yard. She was declared legally dead in 2002. to California to search for Kristen Modafferi. It was on Memorial Day weekend 1996 that their 19-year-old daughter Kristin Smart disappeared. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996.
Kristin Smart's body once buried in suspect's backyard - NBC News 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. Cole also testified that on March 9, 2020, a witness reported some suspicious activity at the property. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, via Associated Press.
Kristin Smart case: Suspects Paul and Ruben Flores arrested in the Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day.
Scott Peterson set to testify in Kristin Smart slay case - New York Post Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. 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. The sheriff's office seized the trailer and Det. Like the Smart's civil case, theirs also has been on hold. He also said there was suspicious staining in the soil indicative of human remains. 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. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. Um, wherever we can punch holes. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. The then eighteen-year-old . The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. And I was screaming. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. Four months after that futile search, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? They had become close friends despite their differences. 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. ", 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.". Denise Pearce: To be almost there. 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. Margarita Campos: I was, like, "Kristin, I'm going to go back home.
Detective in Kristin Smart case testifies human blood - KSBY 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.. Our family has always known that this was going to be a long, difficult, and emotional journey. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. Smart's body was recently moved from the home of Ruben Flores, a prosecutor said. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. 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. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Despite the fact that law enforcement had collected substantial evidence that Kristin Smart may have had reason not to return to her dorm room after leaving (fellow party-goers) Cheryl (Manzer) Anderson and Paul Flores and despite the fact that they had collected substantial evidence that there were multiple potential suspects who stalked, harassed or otherwise had conflicts with Kristin Smart, law enforcement made an early choice to change their focus to murder and to Paul Flores as the only suspect, Sanger wrote in a defense motion. 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.. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. That's been our goal. Other men cited by the defense either reportedly dated or pursued Smart. 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. D.A. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. Chris Lambert: He actually hit his eye on his steering wheel in the middle of the night while changing his stereo. Smarts remains have never been found, but authorities recently said they believe they know where she was buried, though they havent disclosed the location. The hearing began August 2 and is expected to last into at least next week. He has denied any involvement. On June 23, 1997, Kristen left the coffee shop where she worked, Spinelli's Coffee in San Francisco's Crocker Galleria. Mesick declined to comment Tuesday, citing the gag order. A separate jury for Ruben Flores started deliberating on Oct. 5. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. He has not been charged in those incidents. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. 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. In June 1997, 18-year-old Kristen Modafferi arrived in San Francisco to take a photography class at UC Berkeley. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. You, youre the one that can tell me, a reference to Lamberts Your Own Backyard, the podcast about Smart and Flores that has brought new attention to the case. They havent revealed what was found but returned to the yard for additional digging after the arrests. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. On July 21, Kristin Smarts parents and her brother, Matt, testified about how they had searched for her after her disappearance. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. Nearly a week after their arrests, father and son both pleaded not guilty in San Luis Obispo County Superior Court. That turned out to be college. Ian Parkinson: Yes. 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. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. Kristin Smart: Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong calls the Smarts. but I knew that I could try to do a small part. Other witnesses included students who were at the party. 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. Anyone can read what you share. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways. The defense claims the prosecution is wearing said color as a result of a Facebook request on the site Justice for Kristin Smart' to wear purple during a Memorial Day celebration. Van Rooyen saying that his release could result in great bodily harm to the public. About 45 minutes after Kristen got off of work on the day she vanished, she was seen on the 2nd f. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her.
Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of The search for Ms. Smart, who was nicknamed Roxy, took many forms. Devastating. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. It worked. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. 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.