Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. 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. But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. I was throwing up and they were saying Oh this bitch! and This bitch better not throw up on me.. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. 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. 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. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. 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. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. But Flores basketball friends told investigators that he already had the black eye when he showed up for the game. By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. They have not been able to proceed with the civil case while there was an ongoing criminal investigation, but that didn't stop them from following every lead and preparing for an eventual trial. 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. 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? The Arroyo Grande cops, Jane said, favored Floress story that she willingly drank and had sex that night. Stop! and then it became Stop!!!!!. 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. In June of 1996, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office brought in four cadaver dogs to sniff dorms on campus. 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. After they broke up, Laura did a little sleuthing and discovered her ex-boyfriend was accused in Smarts vanishing. I said, Stop it. They were giggling as they were dragging me, the now 39-year-old woman told The Daily Beast. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. Four months later, while attempting to reconcile, Susan rented out her house in Arroyo Grande. And here's your key." When Anderson looked back one last time at Flores and Smart, she saw that he was leading Smart toward his dorm, Santa Lucia Hall, not Muir Hall, the prosecutor told the jury. 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. 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The family attorney refused to comment when reached by The Daily Beast. 1996 was before the #MeToo movement, Peuvrelle told the jury. Kristin Smart Murder Trial: Who's who The judge only allowed 1 media pool camera inside the courtroom. Ruben lived here with his wife, Susan, and their children, Ermelinda and Paul. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She definitely, like, took advantage of life, seized the day she was super ambitious and was determined you know, to find the next adventure. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. Flores father is now charged with helping cover up the homicide by burying Smarts body in his Arroyo Grande homes backyard. That's been our goal. Sanger said the backyard grave was not at grave at all, and no human blood, hair, or bones were found in it. His father, Ruben Flores, is also on trial because investigators charged him with hiding Smarts body. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. Flores roommate was out of town that weekend, and Paul knew he had three full days in that room (alone), Peuvrelle told the jury. But Margarita says, the police did not seem concerned. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. James Murphy: So why would Susan Flores, her boyfriend, and Ruben Flores be up all night long working under that deck. She was looking forward to hearing from Kristin that Sunday. One day, Jane was congregating in front of the high school when a male friend approached and warned her about one particular junior. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. In April 2021, investigators finally put the pieces of the puzzle together and decided they had enough to charge the then-44-year-old Paul Flores with Kristin's murder, and his then-80-year-old father with being an accessory after the fact. A student named Paul Flores, Susan's son, volunteered to take her back. This 9-room home sits on 40,000 square feet of land, which was purchased by the Flores family in 1990. A now-retired FBI agent believes those remains were once buried at the home of Floress mother. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. 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. Friday, May 24, 1996, was the start of the Memorial Day weekend. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. The charming blue house with the picket fence on East Branch Street seemed perfect. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. 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. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. This is about the facts. His podcast, "Your Own Backyard," has become a big hit attracting millions of listeners eager to hear every detail surrounding this unsolved case. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. 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. Still she stuck around until Flores allegedly laid his hands on her aggressively again. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney . Meanwhile, three other women told The Daily Beast that Flores sexually assaulted them after Janes assault and Smarts disappearance. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. View the profiles of people named Ermelinda Thomas. 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." 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. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? Flores said he suffered the black eye during a basketball game he played with friends in Arroyo Grande on Monday. Over the years, while Stan Smart hiked every trail around California's Central Coast in hopes of finding Kristin's remains, Denise relentlessly pushed law enforcement to do more. My mom opened the door and she cries, Oh my God!. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. Facebook gives people the. 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. The next thing I know is the cops telling me We cant do anything because [Paul] and his friend are saying she was drunk and it was consensual., But Jane said she fought to get them to reconsider. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. I never realized its the same guy that harassed [Sarah], he said. 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." 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. November 27, 2020 / 8:14 AM Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. Just very involved with their children. Denise Pearce: The investigation was completely botched by the campus police. James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. But to fully understand Chris Lambert's contribution, you have to go back to the beginning. Paul had this look on his face, the relative said. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. "YOUR OWN BACKYARD" PODCAST: EPISODE 1: It's a cold and cloudy winter afternoon in San Luis Obispo and I'm retracing missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart's last known steps. In the fall of 1996, a young mother named Mary Lassiter was looking for a house to rent in Arroyo Grande, California. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. He says "no.". He called his father at 9:47 a.m. on Sunday, May 26, 1996. But further investigation of the Flores's two trucks seemed impossible. We just, "do you know anything about it". Paul Flores lives in San Pedro, CA; previous city include Arroyo Grande CA. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. I told him, You never do this again! James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. The moment still haunts her. But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. D.A. He'd go through tunnels, under bridges, looking for his daughter and expecting best case scenario. Sarah said shes still haunted by Flores. The dogs handler said one dog went screaming down the hallway, made a U-turn, and stopped right in front of (Flores) dorm room, the prosecutor said. Flores has never been charged in this case. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. Chris Lambert's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. 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. I did have guilt about that. Chris Lambert: That's the upsetting part about it, isn't it? James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. I was lying down on my back. and offers to help. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. Lindsey Smart Stewart: Right. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. 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. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. 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 always said, He wouldnt do that., Sexually, Laura paints Paul Flores as very experienced and maintaining a very healthy appetite., It would get too aggressive and at times I had to say, Hey, calm down., Laura says that one time they were wrestling in bed and Flores got too aggressive and grabbed a butter knife and pushed it against my face., She says she kept pleading for him to settle down. The murder trial began on Monday with opening statements from prosecutors and Flores defense attorney. Im good. Related to: Ruben R Flores, Ermelinda M Thomas, Paul R Flores, Rachel H Flores, Ruben Flores. 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. Neither the ex-boyfriend nor Sarah saw Flores again until they read The Daily Beast story on Kristin Smarts disappearance, where Floress mugshot appeared. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. Susan P Flores Age 71. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. The Smart family. Flores spit that he would rape her, she said. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. He noticed Paul Flores would randomly walk through the halls of Muir Dorm. But cadaver dogs told a different story. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." View Details. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. Classes were difficult, she was trying to fit in, and she missed her family. Once the dogs were let inside the room, they alerted to a corner of Flores bed mattress. Other names that Ermelinda uses includes Ermelinda M Macarthur, Ermelinda M Flores, Ermelinda M Mac Arthur, Ermelinda Flores and Ermelinda M Thomas. Lindsey Smart Stewart: It just amazes me the amount of evidence that's available, yet nothing has happened. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. 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