He had pinned her down and had his hand down her bathing suit groping her.. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. Flores wasn't talking. The fact is, there is a lot of sort of evidence. I say that because you will see, when you actually listen to what comes out, its not what it seems to be, Sanger said. I was lying down on my back. 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. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Still she stuck around until Flores allegedly laid his hands on her aggressively again. Just days after taking over the investigation, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office brought several dogs trained to detect human remains, to the Cal Poly dorms. After all these years, Sheriff Parkinson says that Paul Flores continues to be their number one suspect. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. Flores is charged with murdering Smart as he attempted to rape her in his dorm room. D.A. Regresar a la bsqueda. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. One of Kristins closest college friends, Steve Fleming, noticed that Paul Flores would linger around Smarts dorm hall even though he didnt live there. A . They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. 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." At the time Kristin Smart disappeared, investigators did not immediately search the home. Like the rest of the family, Kristin was an athlete. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. It is believed she is deceased, but there is no evidence of what happened to her after Paul Flores left her. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. She saw Paul taking Kristin toward his dorm to the left, the prosecutor said. 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. And I was screaming. She was the last person other than Paul Flores to see Kristin alive. There's no question about it. She never saw accepting the rides as anything but wholesome. That's been our goal. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. View Details. They did an interview with the Cal Poly Mustang Daily and explained that they didn't think there was any evidence that a crime had taken place. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Lambert also interviewed a woman who dated Flores until, she says, he became physically and verbally abusive. "48 Hours" contributor Jonathan Vigliotti takes viewers inside the popular podcast and haunting case in "The Disappearance of Kristin Smart.". We both were kids at the same school and so I felt comfortable. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. It's, like, she has nothing on her. Paul Flores, then also a 19-year-old freshman, had . Balloons wrap around the Kristin Smart billboard in Arroyo Grande after the arrest of Paul and Ruben Flores in April 2021. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. When he arrived she stayed at home while Janes father hightailed it to Arroyo Grande Community Hospital. Flores and Smart were both 19-year-old freshmen Cal Poly students who attended the same party the night she vanished, on May 25, 1996. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. She spotted an ad for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores had put in the local newspaper. In October 1996, Mary and her family moved in. He'd go anywhere. By the end of the evening she was found passed out on the lawn next door and needed help to get back to the dorm. 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. The National Read Across America Day takes place every year on March 2, Geisels birthday. He was seeing someone on the side who he called his friend, she said. But he entreated each woman who came forward to tell their story to The Daily Beast to reach out to his department. They're known for being a really safe school.". Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. I believed him but he was probably cheating on me.. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? 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. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Not at all. He wouldn't answer a single thing. Investigators could have excavated the yard, but their decision not to was a crushing blow for the Smart family. I dont like to talk about that day.. I would hear many of my friends tell me Oh he grabbed my butt but I never believed them, Laura said. In fact, Cheryl Anderson, who trusted Flores to walk Kristin back to her dorm alone, told police that her friends called him "Chester the molester," because he was known for groping girls. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" Susan P Flores Age 71. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. / CBS News. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. Back then, Jane remembered Flores pulling up to her on multiple occasions behind the wheel of a green pickup truck. Used to live: San Luis Obispo CA, Arroyo Grande CA, Torrance CA. After seizing an old car, digging in the back yard and taking evidence San Luis Obispo County sheriff deputies concluded their search of an Arroyo Grande home related to the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart. Produced by Lisa Freed. But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. After they broke up, Laura did a little sleuthing and discovered her ex-boyfriend was accused in Smarts vanishing. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. 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. and I was like, "Noooo.". In June of 1996, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office brought in four cadaver dogs to sniff dorms on campus. 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 was updated on October 22, 2022.). If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. Paul Flores was the last person seen with Kristin Smart before she vanished in 1996. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. D.A. She spotted an ad for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores had put in. I get into the bathroom and try to lock it and then the door gets kicked open., It was not more than five seconds before Sarah said Flores crashed opened the door and stood in the frame. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. The charming blue house with the picket fence on East Branch Street seemed perfect. Please come with me." Paul R Flores and Paul Raul Flores are some of the alias or nicknames that Paul has used. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. 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. 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: 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. Susan Flores, an Arroyo Grande resident whose son Paul is the prime suspect in Smart's disappearance, broke her silence after new searches in the haunting case last week. By this point Sarahs ex-boyfriend arrived and he and his friends scared Flores and his pal, trying to make sure they never showed their faces again. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. AKA: Susan Flores, Sue P Flores. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. Paul Flores lives in San Pedro, CA; previous city include Arroyo Grande CA. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. Ken Blum is the editor. Paul Flores spotted July 29,2017, in Food4Less grocery store located in Arroyo Grande, CA. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. We are grateful to these brave women for having the courage to talk about their experiences and we ask anyone who may have information they think could be helpful to contact the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office. According to multiple party-goers, Smart was incapacitated unable to walk or stand on her own because of something she drank at the party, DeputyDistrict AttorneyChristopherPeuvrelle told the jury. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Chris Lambert: And he says he got a black eye playing basketball with his friends. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. A popular true-crime podcast, Your Own Backyard, revived public interest in Smarts disappearance. Monterey County Weekly photographer Daniel Dreifuss shot these photos during yesterday's opening statements.#KristinSmart pic.twitter.com/Qlanj3fKK6. Me, my sister, my cousinPaul has no limits, she said, requesting anonymity. An important tip came in after a February 2020 search of Paul, Susan and Ruben's properties. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. Stop! and then it became Stop!!!!!. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. Witnesses said she didnt smell like alcohol, but she quickly became so incapacitated that she passed out face-down on the houses front lawn. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. FBI via AP, File. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." D.A. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. Acerca; Prensa; Other names that Ermelinda uses includes Ermelinda M Macarthur, Ermelinda M Flores, Ermelinda M Mac Arthur, Ermelinda Flores and Ermelinda M Thomas. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. But a massive search did not happen until she'd been gone for more than a month. I guess you can call it little white lies, Flores told detectives. When The Daily Beast tracked Flores down outside his home last month, he didnt mount much of a defense. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. There was no change in the soil consistent with that.. Ruben Flores was released on $50,000 bail to his ex-wife. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. 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. In a civil lawsuit, the Smarts' attorney claims that Kristin's remains were buried at one time on Paul Flores' father's property. He lived in the dorm building across from Smart's room. A student named Paul Flores, Susan's son, volunteered to take her back. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. Flores replies that he was just fibbing. I dont know of any lying Ive done. 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. SALINAS, Calif. (KRON) In the wake of Kristin Smarts disappearance from Cal Polys campus, detectives knew Paul Flores was lying through his teeth, according to prosecutors. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. It was never like Hey you want to go hookup? He never made advances and he would just say Hi at school.. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Paul Flores escorted Smart back to her dorm after an off-campus party. She told Lambert that after several months, the beeping stopped. 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. 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