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. JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. By herself, which is pretty amazing. Kristen Modafferi. On Tuesday, Cole testified that Ruben clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three who had been arrested. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Cole testified that Hudson told him about Paul's statement and that she'd also seen Paul with his white pickup truck at the skateboard ramp in Huasna. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. Later, the sheriff's office obtained a warrant for Ruben's DNA and Det. Paul Flores was identified as a person of interest early in the case.
The Disappearance of Kristin Smart: What Happened and What's Next Helicopters were used to canvas the area. were in the room exactly where she had left them. and I was like, "Noooo.". The evidentiary hearing is underway and witnesses are testifying in front of Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen about Flores interactions with Smart. Meanwhile, the hearing is scheduled to conclude on Friday, when the judge will rule if prosecutors have probable cause to go to trial. Investigators in Kristin Smart case serve search warrant at the home of the prime suspect's father Smart was last seen near her California Polytechnic State University (CalPoly) dorm, but she. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go.
What happened to Kristen Modafferi? - AdvertisingRow.com Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". 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. In the late 1990s, the. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs.
The search for Kristin Smart never ends for her family James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. (Pool photo by Dave Minsky/Santa Maria Times). The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. ", 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.". 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.
The Strange Disappearance of Kristen Modafferi - Medium 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." The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. 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. He later told investigators that he walked her as far as his dorm, where they parted ways.
Kristin Smart Case Update: Where Is the Investigation Today? - Heavy.com Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Cole said that Ruben then clarified that he meant he was the only one of the three to have been arrested. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. In high school he was known as a loner. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. Since Parkinson came on the scene, investigators have dug up hillsides; searched the homes and properties of all the Flores'; collected evidence; seized Paul Flores' computers; monitored his cell phone and text messages, and found new witnesses -- some with the help of Chris Lambert. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. After apparently becoming intoxicated, Smart headed back to her dorm with fellow partiers Tim Davis and Cheryl Anderson. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. Kristin Smart went missing on May 25, 1996 while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and has not been heard from since. You can go." There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. But I've seen it. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. 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. Prior to the arrests, in February 2020, Flores home, his parents home, and his sisters home were searched by police. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. And she's like, "please come with me. Axel Koester/Sygma via Getty Images The.
Paul Flores killed Kristin Smart in dorm room during attempted rape, DA Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. He says Smart seemed uncomfortable but was too nice to ask the boy to leave. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? It would be three more years before the property was searched again. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. 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. 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. She and all who have worked so hard toward this day deserve nothing less..
Dennis Mahon's Podcast Cole said he has the admission on a digital tape recording. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Margarita Campos: I'll never forget her shadow against the building, this apartment complex, just standing like kind of cross-armed with the long leg And she was just kind of like looking at me like, [sighs] you're really walking away now, like you're really, you're leaving? She was never seen again. He said a backhoe had excavated a trench to dump soil that was removed to lay a nearby foundation. Police investigated whether Durst, 71, who lived in San Francisco at the time Modafferi went missing, was connected to her disappearance. 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. By the time they called the Cal Poly campus police, Kristin had been missing for more than 48 hours. The two are charged in connection with the death of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. or even her keys. I'm going to go back to the dorms. Kristen Modafferi, Kristin Smart & Kent Jacobs. 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. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. 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.". He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. In February 2020, the authorities executed search warrants at four locations in California and Washington State and recovered what the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office described as items of interest. One location was the Los Angeles home of Paul Flores, KCAL-TV reported. The unsealed documents include two claims from 2011 and 2017 that Flores raped two women while they were drunk in San Pedro. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. to search on and near the Cal Poly campus. Cole went to his White Court home to collect it on May 19, 2021. His father was found not guilty of helping to hide her body. I've got her.
In March 2021, investigators used cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Floress property in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul . Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? He has denied any involvement. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? 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. He built the home on White Court for Ruben and Susan Flores in 1991.
What happened to Kristen Modafferi? One man's 20-year search for How are we not all talking about this every day until shes found?, Editors picks As of 2021, Kristen Modafferi's case remains unsolved. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. Paul Flores pleads not guilty to the murder and attempted rape of Smart. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. My job was to hunt them. Peterson may or may not have been at the party Smart disappeared after. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. 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. 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. Kristen Deborah Modafferi (born June 1, 1979; disappeared June 23, 1997) is an American woman who, in the early summer of 1997, disappeared in mysterious circumstances after leaving her work at the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. Um, wherever we can punch holes. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. IE 11 is not supported. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located.
Kristin Smart: California jury finds man guilty in the 1996 murder of In April 2021, investigators finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and decided they had enough to charge the then-44-year-old Paul Flores with Kristin's murder, and his then-80-year-old father with being an accessory after the fact. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. Kristen Modafferi was last seen on the afternoon of June 23, 1997, at the coffee shop where she was working in the Crocker Galleria Mall in San Francisco, California. 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. 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. Ms. Smarts family declared her legally dead in 2002, but the search, and the investigation, continued. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. 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. How could she have gone out of town? Previously sealed documents related to the case become available to the public that explain the rape charges Peurelle attempted to add against Paul Flores. Denise Smart, Kristins mother, has also praised the show. These charges mark a major milestone, Dow says in a statement. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Also taking the witness stand on Wednesday was Edward Chadwell. Anyone would have been terrified if they heard it.. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Everyone knew Paul (Flores) was creepy. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. 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.
All Rights reserved. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. The jury hearing Paul Floress case began deliberations after closing arguments on Oct. 4. 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. Paul Flores isnt granted bail, with Judge Craig B. "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.
Paul Flores convicted of killing Kristin Smart after 26 years of She was never seen again and her body has not been located. Defense attorney Robert Sanger, in turn, tries to poke holes in Flemmings recollections. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Three other women missing: Did Lac's husband kill before? That technology uncovered a soil disturbance under the deck as well as four soil samples that tested positive for human blood; an April evacuation also tested positive for blood. James Murphy: And it's 2:30 and 3 o'clock in the morning at Cal Poly this is not a a location from which Paul alone could easily move a body without a vehicle.
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.. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. 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. Below, Rolling Stone outlines where the Smart case is now: San Luis Obispo District Attorney Dan Dow announces chargesagainst Paul Flores and his father Ruben in connection with what he calls the 1996 homicide of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart. I think they're just waiting to see what the outcome is going to be. Chris Lambert: Everything else, he took the Fifth Amendment. Judge van Rooyen objects to this assertion, though: Just because (Lamberts) been served does not necessarily mean he should be excluded, he says. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. That turned out to be college. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Ms. Smarts family said they had faith in the justice system, comforted in the knowledge that Kristin has been held in the hearts of so many and that she has not been forgotten.. Missing-person posters and billboards offering rewards appeared along roads and in other public places. A cemetery posted a personal ad for a goose whose mate died. Kristen was in her first year at Cal Poly when she vanished in 1996. 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. Her books are available on Amazon. 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. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. Denise Pearce: To be almost there. After over 25 years, there is no evidence that Paul Flores committed the crimes for which there is no evidence.. Books from this author. 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.