Her dorm entrance is right over here. 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. 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. D.A. It wasnt like some older guy or anything.. 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. Kristin Denise Smart (born February 20, 1977, legally presumed dead May 25, 2002) was an American woman who is presumed to have been abducted, raped, and killed at the end of her freshman year of college on the campus of California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo. Murphy immediately filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores in civil court. 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. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. I said, Stop it. I had zero interest in her, according to prosecutors. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. View Details. to find the next challenge. First published on November 27, 2020 / 8:14 AM. My heart dropped, she said. San Luis Obispo County. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. A . After all these years, Sheriff Parkinson says that Paul Flores continues to be their number one suspect. Garland testifies before Senate panel amid ongoing special counsel probes, Colon cancer rates rising in younger age group, study finds, Firefighter dies battling blaze in downtown Buffalo, mayor says, Prosecution wraps its case at Alex Murdaugh murder trial, Top McCarthy aide, House Oversight chair each met with Ashli Babbitt's mother, What to know about Shigella bacteria as drug-resistant strain spreads, Ex-Georgia star Jalen Carter was racing in deadly crash, arrest warrants allege, Fiery train crash in Greece kills dozens, many of them students, Bipartisan Senate group unveils rail safety bill in response to Ohio derailment. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. When they were deposed by James Murphy, they also insisted their son was not involved. Ruben Flores defense attorney is slated to deliver his opening statements when the two trials resume on Thursday in a Monterey County courtroom. Flores replies that he was just fibbing. I dont know of any lying Ive done. And these girls are inviting us out. As she told Chris Lambert, "In the master bedroom, I'm hearing this 'beep beep' every night at 4:20, or 4:20 in the morning." That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. I was crying.. 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. Just two years later Flores was named as the sole suspect in the disappearance of another woman under almost identical circumstances: Kristin Smart. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. 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 family attorney refused to comment when reached by The Daily Beast. The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. Includes Address (7) Phone (7) Email (2) See Results. Greg Fisher and Michelle Fanucci are the development producers. Used to live: San Luis Obispo CA, Arroyo Grande CA, Torrance CA. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. 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. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. Jonathan Vigliotti found Flores outside his home in Southern California and asked him a number of questions about Kristin's disappearance. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. Witnesses said she didnt smell like alcohol, but she quickly became so incapacitated that she passed out face-down on the houses front lawn. And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. 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. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. She spotted an ad for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores had put in. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. 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. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. 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. He believes that meant "the batteries went dead and that the object that was beeping hadn't been there very long.". Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. One of Kristins closest college friends, Steve Fleming, noticed that Paul Flores would linger around Smarts dorm hall even though he didnt live there. 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. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. [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. A very close-knit family. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. If you come near her again I will kill you!, His buddy pushed Paul real hard and he fell through a desk before he ran for his life.. 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. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. View the profiles of people named Ermelinda Thomas. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. They were meant for Susan Flores asking her to cooperate with police and have her son come forward. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. were in the room exactly where she had left them. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. When authorities later confronted him with the two stories, Flores admitted lying and offered a new explanation. He called his father at 9:47 a.m. on Sunday, May 26, 1996. This 9-room home sits on 40,000 square feet of land, which was purchased by the Flores family in 1990. I wasnt freaked out.. Smart was last seen with Flores's son Paul. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. They had become close friends despite their differences. Last month, authorities searched Ruben Flores' home in Arroyo Grande. 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.. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. My mom opened the door and she cries, Oh my God!. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." Let's go." If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. Get off her.. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? These new allegations against Paul Flores are very troubling and deserve to be thoroughly investigated. His father, Ruben Flores, is also on trial because investigators charged him with hiding Smarts body. Flores told campus police that he never talked to Smart at the house party, but multiple witnesses who were at the party saw the two talking together next to a tiki bar inside the house. Her parents, Denise and Stan were both educators who encouraged their kids' passions. But Flores basketball friends told investigators that he already had the black eye when he showed up for the game. She has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the case. By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Davis was helping Smart get up to her feet with Anderson when Flores suddenly appeared out from the darkness, Peuvrelle said. 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. 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. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. I knocked on her door, and I thought she was just sleeping, or she went out and about, you know? 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. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. A judge on March 30 ruled that the trial would be moved out of San Luis . I have this PTSD fear of someone kicking the door in.. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Even when law enforcement let them down, they refused to give up. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. "48 Hours" contributor Jonathan Vigliotti takes viewers inside the popular podcast and haunting case in "The Disappearance of Kristin Smart.". Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. Paul would try to get Kristins attention and she was too nice to tell him off. every piece of evidence points directly at Paul Flores. Monterey County Weekly photographer Daniel Dreifuss shot these photos during yesterday's opening statements.#KristinSmart pic.twitter.com/Qlanj3fKK6. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . This is about the facts. JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart? According to a county probation bail report obtained by the San Luis Obispo Tribune, "biological evidence" was found under Ruben's deck. And when they did . The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. She never saw accepting the rides as anything but wholesome. Flores is charged with murdering Smart as he attempted to rape her in his dorm room. 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. "48 Hours" agreed. At the time, she was a 19-year-old freshman at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo, who'd grown up in Stockton, Calif. On the night of her disappearance, she was spotted at a house party, which she left with three people. Paul had this look on his face, the relative said. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. One day, Jane was congregating in front of the high school when a male friend approached and warned her about one particular junior. In the fall of 1996, a young mother named Mary Lassiter was looking for a house to rent in Arroyo Grande, California. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? The Arroyo Grande cops, Jane said, favored Floress story that she willingly drank and had sex that night. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. Meanwhile, the FBI, who recently excavated earth at Cal Poly to look for Smarts remains, referred comment to the sheriffs office. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? 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. Once the dogs were let inside the room, they alerted to a corner of Flores bed mattress. Margarita Campos: I was a little bit more introverted and inhibited and she was like, "no, we have to go out and we have to go like live life." Despite identifying a prime suspect for her murder, law enforcement did not arrest Flores until 2021. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. Chris Lambert and it worked. I dont like to talk about it to even him, she said. That would be Susan Flores, the owner of the home where Flores is suspected to have buried Smart. 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. Early on, a small group of volunteers also looked for Kristin. Why? Somos la comunidad inmobiliaria ms grande de Mxico que conecta de forma gratuita a quienes ofrecen y buscan cualquier tipo de propiedad. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. 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. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. It's, like, she has nothing on her. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. That could have been me.. We both were kids at the same school and so I felt comfortable. Whatever happened in those early hours, one thing is indisputable: Kristin Smart has never been seen again. At a Halloween party back in 1995before Smart had gone missingFlores allegedly grabbed Sarahs crotch on the dance floor. Kristin's parents have spent more than two decades hoping for any clue that would lead them to their beloved daughter. People who were there have said she was intoxicated. And she was growing as an individual. What happened in the privacy of his room that night? Peuvrelle asked the jury. Flores wasn't talking. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. We just, "do you know anything about it". Im fine. 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. The charming blue house with the picket fence on East Branch Street seemed perfect. or even her keys. She was saved by their male roommate, who barged in because of Lauras blood-curdling screams. 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. Hes on top of me. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. 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. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. She was looking forward to hearing from Kristin that Sunday. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Meanwhile, three other women told The Daily Beast that Flores sexually assaulted them after Janes assault and Smarts disappearance. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. Just weeks later, Kristin's frustrated parents contacted James Murphy, a local civil attorney. But as Chris Lambert learned, campus police did not act right away. Paul Flores may have wanted a fresh start in Southern California, but Chris Lambert says, he could not seem to break old habits. 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.
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