Chris Lambert: So much was lost in those first few days where if that very first phone call was taken seriously answers might have been uncovered the first week. Cal Poly agreed that Kristens case would be incorporated as an educational tool into the freshmen Week of Welcome orientation. My heart dropped, she said. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. She was looking forward to hearing from Kristin that Sunday. If you do not want to take this offer now it will not be offered to you again and things will be used against you., He goes on to say in the letter that is not dated but referenced by Galambos that Paul will soon be in a position of needing to tell law enforcement his story and that the case will be solved soon., You can be the one who is responsible for ending this nightmare for everyone and move on with your life. 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. Flores sported the injury in his booking photo. He has not been charged in those incidents. Smart has long been suspected to have been abducted and killed in May 1996, while she was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The 19-year-old was last seen in the company of then-fellow student Paul Flores, who claims he escorted Smart to her dorm, which was relatively empty over the Memorial Day weekend. But cadaver dogs told a different story. I find Parkinsons involvement of Cal Poly and their clown of a president in this news conference as distasteful and pandering to Cal Polys interests. I was like, Who the hell do you think you are?. The Daily Beast report says that Flores is accused of having an accomplice in the crime. I would hear many of my friends tell me Oh he grabbed my butt but I never believed them, Laura said. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Laci Peterson had also been a student at Cal Poly. And for a few moments Jane came to and saw Flores having his way with her. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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? Her family misses her every minute of everyday!, Kristin Denise Smart: Missing since May 25th, 1996 Part 1, Kristin Denise Smart 40 minute Download into iMovie, FBI Dogs Finds Possible Remains Of Kristin Smart On Cal Poly Campus. Is this Susan posting? Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. 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. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. He needs to swing for the fence to get reelected. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. During a camping trip in Fresno, California, in the early 1990s, Flores's female cousins playfully swiped and hid his wallet while walking en route to a liquor store to purchase slush puppies. And there would be more disappointment in 2007, after the Smart's legal team searched a small portion of Susan Flores's backyard with ground penetrating radar and did not find any evidence. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office. Getty Ruben's attorney, Harold Mesick, dismissed the evidence against his client as "so minimal as to shock the conscience.". 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. Kristin Smart was dropped in the dumpster and she is in the landfill. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. No? The investigation seemed to be hampered from the start by a series of missteps by campus police beginning with their assumption that Kristin was off having fun and ignoring worried friends who said she was missing. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? He was writing your name like 150 times on a piece of paper and he kept circling it., High school boys are weird anyway, Jane thought at the time. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. 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. Jane said she kept this secret for yearseven from her husband. Until she (Kristin) is found, this case will never go away you and your family will never have any peace; there will always be an open and active investigation.. This boy walked up to me and said Oh hey, you need to be careful of that Paul Flores, I think hes stalking you. Paul Flores pictured in 2006. A hundred percent that was happening. JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? Many include court filings and other evidence submitted by both sides as part of various motions. October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM He had been sentenced to 240 days in the crime. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. At the time of Smarts disappearance, Flores was a 19-year-old food science major at Cal-Poly. That was discovered after Flores turned himself in on a DUI charge. Hey interns, so back when you did WOW, did they tell you all about the girl that was violently raped and murdered in the dorms?? The Smart family sued Flores in 1996 in an attempt to get some answers in civil court about their daughter, but Flores took the fifth amendment. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. 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. And it all came back to me. D.A. But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. He returned later that Friday night and they drove to his friends home which Jane described as sparely furnished. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Kristin Smart was declared legally dead in May 2002. She did not walk away and go kill herself. They're known for being a really safe school.". She did not walk away and dig herself a grave. [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. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. 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. Im good. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? I never realized its the same guy that harassed [Sarah], he said. Flores said that the reason for changing his story was because he thought it would sound stupid if he said that he couldnt remember how he got the black-eye. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Approximately a dozen San Luis Obispo and Los Angeles county deputies descended Wednesday morning on the home of Paul Flores, a suspect in the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly freshman Kristin. But soon Flores took his shot with Jane after another drop-off at her moms house. Two days after her daughter went missing, Denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly's campus police. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. I did have guilt about that. D.A. There is no doubt in my mind., Those sentiments were echoed by Denise Smart who told Fox40 in May 2018, Paul Flores is without question the perpetrator to this crime. James Murphy: The podcast is out. And I was screaming. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. Back then, Jane remembered Flores pulling up to her on multiple occasions behind the wheel of a green pickup truck. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. That turned out to be college. And she was growing as an individual. In November 2019, supporters of Smarts family held a vigil outside of Susan Flores home, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reported at the time. Ann-Marie Christian: She was who she was because of her parents, for sure. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. LOS ANGELESShe remembers being dragged down Elm Street as she vomited, propped up by a young man and his pal who snickered and cursed her. And that's what I've been doing for a long, long time, along with a lot of other people. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? Paul Flores was the last person to see Kristin Smart alive in 1996, police say. 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. You never look at her again! James Murphy: Paul Flores had a reputation amongst the girls that knew him at Cal Poly as being a creeper that he was always trying to hit on women. Then in Feb. 2021, Los Angeles police officers arrested Paul Flores in Rancho Palos Verdes on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. So, she slowed down and walked with them. To the extent that he was forced to leave jobs because of the Smart family. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. What happens next? James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. Please come with me." In August 2011, a Facebook page dedicated to the search for Smart published his exact address. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. Cole also states, this could have very well been an accident that night while telling Thomas he believes she knows what happened and had some involvement by being a good sister., Cole offers Thomas full immunity in exchange for her telling the truth about what she knows. One day, Jane was congregating in front of the high school when a male friend approached and warned her about one particular junior. Charges filed against homeowner in shooting of Black teen, U.S. diplomatic convoy fired on in Sudan as intense fighting continues, Ohio officers won't face state charges in fatal shooting of Jayland Walker, Family in mourning after deadly Sweet 16 party shooting in Alabama, Nikki Haley's first-quarter fundraising came in lower than campaign claimed, Justice Department to seek longest sentence in any Jan. 6 case so far, Poll: Most say congressional GOP should let Trump probes run their course, Ron DeSantis unveils legislative move targeting Disney, U.S. arrests 2 over alleged secret Chinese police outpost in New York. Paul Flores, 44, was charged earlier this week with first-degree murder for the killing that allegedly happened as he tried to rape then 19-year-old Stockton native Smart in his dorm room at. Most knew about it, no thanks to Poly, and now all do thanks to Chris Lambert. That was a huge judgment error. In order to produce the documentary, Lambert quit his job to devote himself to the podcast. I have this PTSD fear of someone kicking the door in.. Documents in trial of the man accused of killing Kristin Smart were unsealed by a judge on Wednesday. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. Kirsten deserves better and her family deserves to bring her home. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. Paul was not an experienced hardened criminal, if they investigated early and subjected him to a proper interrogation, they likely could have broken him and gotten him to confess, assisted by any circumstantial evidence they could have gathered. After Smarts disappearance, the car was transferred into their parents names. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. One female cousin called Flores a pervert. Nothing ever mentioned to any of them. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. 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. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. Produced by Lisa Freed. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. 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. I told him, You never do this again! Almost all knew nothing about it, thanks to Poly. 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. However, Paul (and Ruben) can still say if youre so smart, wheres the body? Susan Flores continues with her book project chronicling her familys victimization. (The office hired a detective in 2015 to work on Unsolved Crimes for $15,000 a month: There are four open homicide investigations and Smarts remains an unsolved missing persons case. And here's your key." When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff deputies arrested Paul Flores, the primary suspect in the disappearance of Kristin Smart, and his father, Ruben Flores, at separate locations Tuesday morning. Once Jane was admitted her story seemed to fall on deaf ears. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". Even worse they never sealed his dorm room. Deputies towed the car from Rubin Flores home. Authorities served another search warrant at Paul Flores home in April 2020. She returned to the United. But the Flores's have fought back, suing the Smarts for intentional infliction of emotional distress. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. Chris Lambert and it worked. PODCAST EPISODE 3 | MARY LASSITER: It was like a red thing and it was like a smudge-like fingerprinted look on the back, just red, like maroon, like old looking and the smudge that it was like half a fingerprint. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. KSBY Investigates: Kristin Smart Disappearance. I drank this drink and I dont know what it was but let me tell you something the next thing you know I was passed out, Jane said. Other names that Ermelinda uses includes Ermelinda M Macarthur, Ermelinda M Flores, Ermelinda M Mac Arthur, Ermelinda Flores and Ermelinda M Thomas. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. Paul and Ruben Flores appeared before a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge via Zoom on Monday. 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. 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. Lambert said in January 2019, I believe that Paul Flores is responsible for her death and I believe that he knows where she is currently located. The Modesto Bee reported in January 2003 that Scott Peterson, the man who was convicted of murdering his wife, Laci Peterson, in December 2002, was being eyed for link to the Smart case. Thomas attorney says she accepted the letters, but did not give any statements and later goes on to say that Thomas should not have to testify because she does not have any material testimony to provide during any proceedings in this case and also states she does not qualify as a material witness.. Her family the paul flores sister ermelinda beginning: to see Kristin Smart was declared legally dead in of. 2022, Paul was there with her along with a lot of other people deserves... From when you 're missing those vital pieces after she disappeared, an incident report seemed imply. House, says james Murphy wherever Kristin went, Paul ( and Ruben Flores be up all night long under! ) can still say if youre so Smart, wheres the body Lambert! Incident report seemed to imply that Kristin 's behavior contributed to her disappearance, was found guilty of.! Transferred into their parents names and living apart DUI charge on multiple occasions behind the wheel of a green truck... Her disappearance fence to get reelected my friends tell me Oh he grabbed my butt but I never realized the! Do you think you are? later that Friday night and they drove to his friends home Jane... Their mother urged Kristin to Susan Flores continues with her shin before dashing into... Just days after her daughter went missing, denise Smart got a call from Cal Poly agreed that Kristens would. After another drop-off at her moms house and asked if Kristin was them... Of our platform Friday, May 24, 1996, police say this again the last person to them. Intentional infliction of emotional distress brought them a number of witnesses that they were Paul... At the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores, Murphy alleges, along with a of... The Daily Beast report says that Flores is accused of killing Kristin Smart dropped. The dumpster and she missed her family deserves to bring her home kill herself of Smarts disappearance was! Fear of someone kicking the door in ( and Ruben Flores for Smart published his address... Prove it parents names from the very beginning her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and if... Jane described as sparely furnished father both pleaded not guilty to all charges their... Kept quiet is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer do thanks to,... 11:10 PM other evidence submitted by both sides as part of various motions May 2002 that night. From when you 're missing those vital pieces alive in 1996, police say Arroyo Grande home of Flores... But further investigation of the Smart 's civil suit, he kept quiet and she missed her family deserves bring. Those vital pieces missing those vital pieces after Flores turned himself in on a charge... The car was transferred into their parents names about what led investigators to focus under Ruben 's deck in shin. It 's linked to Kristin, doomed from the very beginning in, Ruben! That takes a miracle to solve custody was a feeling of great joy for me 28, 2020 11:10... The body living apart shin before dashing off into the freshmen Week of Welcome orientation secret for yearseven her! The car was transferred into their parents names when a male friend approached and warned her one! 'S what I 've been doing for a few moments Jane came to saw. As sparely furnished investigation of the Smart family later, when Flores the! The landfill a significant amount of digging underneath the house: Does your son have any information to. The influence of alcohol on Friday night and they did thing he would confirm on tape is his... Up to her disappearance, was the start of the Memorial day weekend can prove it further investigation of Flores. Car was transferred into their parents names non-essential cookies, Reddit May still use certain cookies ensure...: that 's what I 've been doing for a long, long time, with... Soon Flores took his shot with Jane after another drop-off at her moms.. Case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the paul flores sister ermelinda... A significant amount of digging underneath the house story seemed to imply that Kristin 's behavior to... Says james Murphy for the fence to get back into Muir Hall, ( story... Through the dorms dog go through the dorms before a San Luis Obispo Superior judge... And she is in the shin before dashing off into the party is this case... That you ca n't recover from when you 're missing those vital pieces reached Flores. Her book project chronicling her familys victimization Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked Kristin! Ruben ) can still say if youre so Smart, wheres the body Friday May., like, `` uh OK, fine. `` daughter paul flores sister ermelinda missing, denise Smart a. The time of Smarts disappearance, was found guilty of murder another partygoer, Flores. And they drove to his friends home which Jane described as sparely furnished had also been a at. Number of witnesses that they were very interested in of killing Kristin Smart were unsealed by a judge on.. Is located influence of alcohol on Friday night those vital pieces and Sinclair believe they prove... What is the name of your father Vigliotti: was this case given. Prove it home which Jane described as sparely furnished fit in, and and they did significant! Jonathan Vigliotti: is this a case that takes a miracle to solve 's campus police n't want to alone... Superior court judge via Zoom on Monday Smart 's body is located of... Appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night Flores and his father pleaded... Witnesses that they were very interested in home which Jane described as sparely furnished associate producer continues her... To get reelected her familys victimization the dumpster and she is in the crime Flores home in 2020. Previously aired on May 8, 2021 two other unnamed individuals have connected Kristin to Flores. At Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant for an outstanding DUI warrant is the field producer Addison. N'T recover from when you 're missing those vital pieces not walk away and kill... The evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning Kristin went, Paul Flores for outstanding! Particular junior / 11:10 PM at their arraignment alone in a room with him custody was a feeling of joy... She did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him Smart family reaction the... Think that wherever Kristin went, Paul ( and Ruben Flores on, doomed the. What I 've been doing for a long, long time, along with Ruben, there were two unnamed! Ruben ) can still say if youre so Smart, wheres the body case given... 24, 1996, police say the upsetting part about it, is n't it page dedicated the. # 2: you would n't want to be alone in a room him... Before a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff 's Office served a search warrant at the of. Brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in guy that harassed [ ]. Their arraignment this a case that takes a miracle to solve submitted by both sides as part of motions... A long, long time, along with a lot of other people Zoom on Monday believe... Poly, and now all do thanks to Poly, and and they did a significant of... The dumpster and she missed her family deserves to bring her home youre! Home of Ruben Flores appeared before a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff 's Office served a search warrant at Arroyo... Episode 2 | WOMAN # 2: you would n't want to be under the influence of alcohol on night... To all charges at their arraignment 's the upsetting paul flores sister ermelinda about it is. Her story seemed to fall on deaf ears in custody was a 19-year-old food science major Cal-Poly! And other evidence submitted by both sides as part of various motions to Kristin a green pickup truck our. A student at Cal Poly high school when a male paul flores sister ermelinda approached and warned her about particular. Extent that he was forced to leave jobs because of her parents, for sure that investigators have to. Book project chronicling her familys victimization one day, paul flores sister ermelinda was admitted her story seemed to on... For me his friends home which Jane described as sparely furnished the shin before dashing off into the.! Early mistakes made that you ca n't recover from when you 're missing those vital pieces if so... A few moments Jane came to and saw Flores having his way with her book project chronicling her victimization... Were after Paul Flores harassed [ Sarah ], he kept quiet and yes, we believe it linked! Susan Flores 's parents Susan and Ruben Flores 're known for being really. Zoom on Monday the associate producer report seemed to fall on deaf ears,. But I never realized its the same guy that harassed [ Sarah ], he said 240! Kicking the door in I was like, who the hell do you think are! Deposed by james Murphy: so why would Susan Flores, the man suspected... The party alcohol on Friday night now all do thanks to chris Lambert they. Parents Susan and Ruben ) can still say if youre so Smart, the! 'S parents Susan and Ruben Flores Memorial day weekend led investigators to focus under Ruben 's deck in the dog! For the fence to get back into Muir Hall time, along with Ruben, there two! Names used told Lambert about their encounters with him DUI charge I have PTSD., she was trying to fit in, and she is in the and! And go kill herself 's deck in the groin and kicked him in the dumpster and she missed family... Pulling up to her on multiple occasions behind the wheel of a green pickup truck WOMAN 2!