Facebook 0 Twitter LinkedIn 0 Reddit Tumblr Pinterest 0 0 Likes. The first alleged incident occurred in 1994 when a woman accused Flores, then a high school sophomore is accused of drugging a raping a fellow student. So, she slowed down and walked with them. In August 2011, a Facebook page dedicated to the search for Smart published his exact address. Documents in trial of the man accused of killing Kristin Smart were unsealed by a judge on Wednesday. On May 25, 1996, Paul Flores was the last person known to have seen Kristin Smart before her disappearance from the Cal Poly campus. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. Ermelinda Macarthur currently lives in Kenmore, WA; in the past Ermelinda has also lived in Long Beach CA, Arroyo Grande CA and Bothell WA. The accusations didnt stop with classmates: Flores allegedly couldnt restrain himself around his own kin. Chris Lambert: It's hard to take too much credit But I was one piece of the puzzle that helped to make this all come together when it did. On October 18, 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder. After almost 25 years of suspicion, on April 13, 2021, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson announced the arrest ofPaul Flores in the disappearance of Kristin Smart. Arroyo Grande High School graduate Paul Flores was the last person to see Kristin Smart on the night she disappeared. Paul and Ruben were arrested and charged in connection with Kristins death in April 2021. All of Kristin's personal belongings including her purse, her money, her I.D. 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. I forgot, theres more. Ian Parkinson: Yes. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. Not to be a cynic but the Republican DA faces a BLM challenge from an increasing Berkeley-esque electorate. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. 0:41. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office. Kirsten deserves better and her family deserves to bring her home. I'm going to go back to the dorms. And I was like, "nah, I have to study." I was like It wasnt. Officers booked Flores into the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center. Comment Guidelines. We just, "do you know anything about it". James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Many include court filings and other evidence submitted by both sides as part of various motions. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. He slammed me and then pushed me up against the inside wall by the toilet, his hands were on my upper arms and he started telling me all these sick things he was going to do to me.. Margarita Campos: But when we got to the house it was pretty dead too, it was really -- it was like a couple of roommates hanging out playing video games And Kristin was, like oh gosh, there has to be something better than this. Investigators says Paul Flores' sister offered immunity during wiretap. And there were those nonstop tales of Flores being touchy-feely with her friends. Paul Flores was the key witness in the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart. In Southern California, investigators served a search warrant at Paul Flores' San Pedro home. 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. Flores claimed he walked Smart to her dorm at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on May 25, 1996 after a night of binge drinking. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not. Video by: Laura Dickinson READ MORE: sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article237462089.html More from The Tribune: Subscribe: bit.ly/2HrSD3v Twitter: twitter.com/SLOTribune Facebook: facebook.com/SLOTribune/ Website: sanluisobispo.com/ Digital news subscription: bit.ly/2HGn19E, Teenage Porn Star Controversy Rocks California High School. And for a few moments Jane came to and saw Flores having his way with her. They told her Kristin had not been seen all weekend and asked if Kristin was with them. That was discovered after Flores turned himself in on a DUI charge. Flores wasn't talking. He has a sister whose name is Ermelinda Thomas. At the time of Smarts disappearance, the vehicle belonged to Paul Flores sister, Ermelinda Flores, who lived near Cal Poly. Critics called. But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. Paul Flores pictured in 2006. 19 years after the disappearance of Kristin Smart from Cal Poly's campus, Paul Flores still remains the only suspect. Paul is charged with murder in connection with the 1996. Despite Flores sporting a black eye the next day (which he admitted to investigators he lied about) and despite police dogs picking up the scent of human decay in his dorm room, Flores was never charged. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". Laci Peterson had also been a student at Cal Poly. Paul Flores. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. Apparently one witness may be an Australian exchange student who returned home after finals and was unaware of the case. 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. In exchange, Flores would disclose where Smarts remains are located. I wasnt freaked out.. Chris Lambert: I didn't know the scale. Chris Lambert: They just have never given up and are never going to give up on their daughter. Paul Flores Family, Sister. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. Audio from Flores father, Ruben Flores, can be heard on an episode of the podcast in which Ruben says he never spoke to his son about the disappearance of Smart. 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. She was gone. I dont like to talk about it to even him, she said. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. Neither the ex-boyfriend nor Sarah saw Flores again until they read The Daily Beast story on Kristin Smarts disappearance, where Floress mugshot appeared. A single woman's earring. Now several women say they were victims before and after her, too. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. KSBY Investigates: Kristin Smart Disappearance. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. One day, Jane was congregating in front of the high school when a male friend approached and warned her about one particular junior. Paul Flores was the key witness in the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. Those were kind of unspoken things. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. School was over, so campus police found an empty room that had been sanitized by the university's cleaning crew. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. He would tiptoe around everything. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? I could not imagine being his mother. I called my mom. Prior to that incident, Susan Flores and her boyfriend had filed a harassment lawsuit against Smarts family. In 1998, the San Francisco Examiner ran a feature on Flores that included a quote from his former lawyer, Greg Coates, who said that there were no facts to indicate that Paul had anything to do with the disappearance of Kristin Smart.. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. 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. First published on November 28, 2020 / 11:10 PM. Since speaking with The Daily Beast, at least one of the women who has come forward saying Flores attacked her has been questioned by a detective working the Smart case. In one of Paul's police interviews he mentioned that he wanted to be let out of the interview because he needed to help clean up concrete at his mom's house So, what was being done in Susan Flores's backyard in the weeks after Kristin went missing? He needs to swing for the fence to get reelected. 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. Thomas did not testify during the preliminary hearing nor has she been called yet as a witness during fer father and brothers murder trial currently underway in Salinas. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. In 2002, after getting kicked out of Cal Poly, rejected by the Navy, and flipping burgers, Flores matriculated at LA Harbor Community College. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Paul is very soon going to be in a position where he needs to tell us his story, this case will be solved soon. 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. It's just a motivator for me. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. I was like, Who the hell do you think you are?. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. In 2007, Flores had a DUI case dismissed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. 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. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. Paul Flores at a St. James classmate's birthday party, 1983. We want to give you the support you need., The creator of the podcast, Your Own Backyard: The Disappearance of Kristin Smart, Chris Lambert told the Stockton Record that he believes Flores is responsible for Smarts death. Almost all knew nothing about it, thanks to Poly. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. Paul Flores was arrested in February 2021 on unrelated gun charges. It would be three more years before the property was searched again. I guess the answer is yes. It was never like Hey you want to go hookup? He never made advances and he would just say Hi at school.. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. and our One female cousin called Flores a pervert. 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 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 six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. Smart has long been suspected to have been abducted and killed in May 1996, while she was a freshman at California. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. But he entreated each woman who came forward to tell their story to The Daily Beast to reach out to his department. They state the detective was requesting an interview from Thomas while also giving her two letters: one urging her cooperation and another offering immunity from San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow in exchange for her cooperation. to find the next challenge. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. 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.. But soon Flores took his shot with Jane after another drop-off at her moms house. Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. The documents include information about a January 2020 appearance from a San Luis Obispo County sheriffs detective at Thomas Washington home. I was crying.. Galambos says the letters referred to several crimes that Thomas may have committed, including being a possible accessory after the fact, or destruction of evidence, or even mishandling human remains., Galambos argument, in part, states that when trying to secure Thomas as a witness, the DAs Office fails to state which defendants actions or statements she witnessed and it fails to identify what actions and statements she witnessed. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. 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. Authorities arrested Ruben Flores after San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs deputies served a search warrant at his Arroyo Grande home. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. I blacked out and didnt consent to anything.. 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. 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. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. This video shows the full deposition given by Paul Flores to the Smart family's attorney, James R. Murphy on November 14, 1997. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. In January 2020, Smarts mother, Denise Smart, told the Stockton Record that she had been contacted by the FBI regarding her daughters disappearance. His father is a businessman. In the months after Kristin's disappearance, one truck was traded in and the other was reported stolen. Thats when everyone got involved, she said. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. Just five months before Kristin disappeared, San Luis Obispo Police received a call from a student living off campus. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. 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. Paul. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. 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. A month later, Thomas home was reportedly one of four Flores family homes searched by authorities. But cadaver dogs told a different story. Im good, he said in response to questions about Smarts disappearance. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. And here's your key." I believe (Flores) took her life. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. Authorities dug up areas around the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores, Paul Flores mother, in May 2007 but turned up no evidence of Smarts whereabouts, the Santa Maria Times reported. According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. Kristin Smart 19, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University had gone to a party on Friday, May 24 , 1996 -- and has not been seen since. A jury acquitted Ruben Flores of the charge of being an accessory after the fact. The Daily Breeze reported in September 2016 that Flores was living in San Pedro, California, since 2011 and had been working in Irvine. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. Stan and Denise Smart, Kristins parents, sent The Daily Beast a statement praising the women for coming forward to share their stories and hope it leads to a break in their missing daughters case. Please address the Policies, events and arguments, not the person. Let's go." 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. The article added that Flores changed his story about how he got the black eye, first saying that he got it playing basketball and then later saying that he got it while fixing his car. 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. 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