That's when the campus police finally handed the investigation over to The San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office but they did not find Kristin. 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. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. 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. They're known for being a really safe school.". Over the years, Susan Flores's backyard has been the focus of widespread speculation because of stories like the ones Mary Lassiter told Chris Lambert. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. It was updated on October 22, 2022.). She never saw accepting the rides as anything but wholesome. Kristin Smart and Paul Flores were briefly seen speaking to each other during the party. It's fine. What happens next? 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. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. The mother is washing her car in the driveway at one point. D.A. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. 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. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. Denise had told Lambert that her daughter had been working as a lifeguard at the university's rec center, and every morning Kristin's watch alarm went off to make sure she was at the pool by 5 a.m. Over the years, law enforcement and the Smarts' lawyers have searched Susan Flores's backyard several times, but nothing has ever been found. Her dorm entrance is right over here. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. 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. 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. Ian Parkinson: I committed to them that I was going to go back to the beginning and re-examine every piece of evidence that we had. 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. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. Like what may have been discovered in March 2021 when investigators searched Ruben Flores' house using cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. Four months earlier, Kristin Smart, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly had gone to a party on Friday, May 24 the start of the Memorial Day weekend. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. Ermelinda Flores' property in Washington state has been searched by investigators in February 2020. She regretfully denounced them as cruel rumors at the time. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. Wednesday morning, KSBY crews witnessed sheriff's deputies and FBI investigators at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores, the mother of the only person-of-interest in the case, Paul. Margarita Campos: To this day, like, I was like, why why did I just let her go by herself? Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. I told him, You never do this again! 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. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. I was lying down on my back. I would turn around and he would be right there lurking, the woman, referred to here by a pseudonym, said. This boy walked up to me and said Oh hey, you need to be careful of that Paul Flores, I think hes stalking you. Meanwhile, the FBI, who recently excavated earth at Cal Poly to look for Smarts remains, referred comment to the sheriffs office. And there were those nonstop tales of Flores being touchy-feely with her friends. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. Multiple attempts to reach Flores and his parents to comment on the new accusations were unsuccessful. 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. Other names that Ermelinda uses includes Ermelinda M Macarthur, Ermelinda M Flores, Ermelinda M Mac Arthur, Ermelinda Flores and Ermelinda M Thomas. A hundred percent that was happening. We just, "do you know anything about it". James Murphy: The podcast is out. Susan's house was finally searched in March 1997 nine months after Kristin disappeared but nothing was found. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. "48 Hours" agreed. Paul Flores escorted Smart back to her dorm after an off-campus party. 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." That could have been me.. Im good. BOE-A-2023-5092 Orden JUS/181/2023, de 21 de febrero, por la que se aprueba la relacin provisional de personas admitidas y excluidas en el proceso selectivo para acceso libre, al Cuerpo de Gestin Procesal y Administrativa de la Administracin de Justicia, convocado por Orden JUS/1254/2022, de 7 de diciembre. The interrogation was recorded just days after Smarts college friends alerted police that she was missing. This 9-room home sits on 40,000 square feet of land, which was purchased by the Flores family in 1990. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. Thats when everyone got involved, she said. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. Flores attempted to kiss Anderson before she walked away around 2:30 a.m. She refused his advances because she was creeped out, Peuvrelle said. Paul Flores was a constant presence during Sarahs time at Cal Poly, where she transferred in as a sophomore back in 1996, after Smarts disappearance shook the school and the community. It sounded like a digital watch alarm, but Lassiter couldn't find a watch anywhere outside. They took off running, Jane said. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? On Monday, deputies served a sealed search warrant at the home of Ruben Flores. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. 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. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. Kristin Smart has been missing since 1996 and the San Luis County Obispo District Attorney allege she was killed during a rape. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. After the four students had walked about halfway back to the dorms, Paul Flores told Davis and Anderson, Dont worry I got her, Ill take her from here, according to prosecutors. I was like Oh my God. He would be stalking me.. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. And might have connected Kristin to Susan Flores's house, says James Murphy. Paul Flores was the last person seen with Kristin Smart before she vanished in 1996. Ermelinda Flores After a wonderful life, Ermelinda Correa-Flores, 89, entered an eternal rest in her own home in Richland, MO on Sunday, June 19, 2022.<br>Ermelinda was born on June 29, 1932, in San Perlita, Texas to Rafela Posada. He lived in the dorm building across from Smart's room. He has never talked. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. They didn't bring a forensics team. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire. Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. All four dogs, including one who was considered the best of the best, separately signaled an alert indicating the presence of human remain odors only in Flores room. I remember being home watching the news about Kristin Smart and there goes Paul, she recalled. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. Its not a lie. But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. After they broke up, Laura did a little sleuthing and discovered her ex-boyfriend was accused in Smarts vanishing. Janes mother frantically phoned her father. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. Murphy and his wife, Garin Sinclair, agreed to take the case pro bono promising to go after Paul Flores and put pressure on the sheriff's office. 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. That's how the Lassiters learned that their landlord's son, Paul, was the prime suspect in the disappearance of a young college student in nearby San Luis Obispo. During one interrogation with campus police on May 28, 1996, Flores story changed about what happened after Anderson left. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. Please enter valid email address to continue. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. In the fall of 1996, a young mother named Mary Lassiter was looking for a house to rent in Arroyo Grande, California. When buying cowboy boots, there are a few aspects to consider, such as how far up they go on your legs and their design. Lawyers representing Paul Flores, a man found guilty last year of murdering Kristin Smart in San Luis Obispo in 1996, filed motions last week to dismiss the jury verdict and for a new trial. The earring was turned over to the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office, but investigators will never know if it belonged to Kristin, because it was misplaced. Resides in Blue Bell, PA. James Murphy: Every day. Lives in: Arroyo Grande CA. Deputies seized a mattress cover from the bed with a blood stain. But was there evidence possibly placing Kristin Smart at his mother's home? were in the room exactly where she had left them. Neither the ex-boyfriend nor Sarah saw Flores again until they read The Daily Beast story on Kristin Smarts disappearance, where Floress mugshot appeared. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. When he arrived she stayed at home while Janes father hightailed it to Arroyo Grande Community Hospital. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. I have this PTSD fear of someone kicking the door in.. Like his black eye, seen faintly in a mug shot taken by the Arroyo Grande Police just by chance two days after Kristin vanished. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Ruben Flores defense attorney is slated to deliver his opening statements when the two trials resume on Thursday in a Monterey County courtroom. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. And had law enforcement drilled a handful of holes in Floress mothers backyard to search for evidence that Smart might be buried there, perhaps Floress alleged serial sexual assaults would have been prevented. Kristin's parents have spent more than two decades hoping for any clue that would lead them to their beloved daughter. We both were kids at the same school and so I felt comfortable. In April 2021, investigators charged Paul Flores, left, with Kristin Smart's murder, and his then-80-year-old father Ruben, as an accessory after the fact. Includes Address (7) Phone (7) Email (2) See Results. Just very involved with their children. San Luis Obispo County sheriff's officials gather under a coroner's tent in the backyard of Ruben Flores' house in the 700 block of White Court in Arroyo Grande on April 13. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. Ann-Marie Christian: became friends with Kristin in elementary school. They were giggling as they were dragging me, the now 39-year-old woman told The Daily Beast. In high school he was known as a loner. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. D.A. Paul Flores lives in San Pedro, CA; previous city include Arroyo Grande CA. And here's your key." Had Flores been caught and convicted of his alleged sexual assault in 1994, perhaps Smart would still be alive. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. / CBS News. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Wiggot: pfo5vr0 total 1100 m2 800 m2 de area prod. or even her keys. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. He apparently would tag along with a sloshed friend, crashing off-campus parties together wherever she was. 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. He hired a detective to work full time on the case, and over the past nine years deputies have carried out searches, conducted new interviews, and gathered additional evidence. 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. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Not at all. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. In June of 1996, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office brought in four cadaver dogs to sniff dorms on campus. During a camping trip in Fresno, California, in the early 1990s, Floress female cousins playfully swiped and hid his wallet while walking en route to a liquor store to purchase slush puppies. 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. I dont like to talk about that day.. Davis was helping Smart get up to her feet with Anderson when Flores suddenly appeared out from the darkness, Peuvrelle said. 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. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. ", 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.". One of them was Paul Flores, who, to this day, Kristin's family believes abducted and likely killed her. 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. 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. San Luis Obispo County. A break in the case happened in 2020 when sheriffs deputies wire-tapped the phones of Flores, his father, and his mother to record their private conversations. She spotted an ad for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores had put in. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. In February 2020 was Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores classes were difficult, she says Flores tried to and! Mother 's home the case, he goes into his dorm room here reach Flores and Flores... Where did the body go? `` it, is n't it campus. Dorm after an off-campus party s room after Anderson left referred comment to sheriffs. Nor Sarah saw Flores again until they read the Daily Beast story Kristin! What happened after Anderson left there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to after... 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