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. 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. In 2011, the Smarts hoped those boulders would become a little lighter when Ian Parkinson became the new sheriff of San Luis Obispo County. He believes that meant "the batteries went dead and that the object that was beeping hadn't been there very long.". He says "no.". Paul owns a home in San Pedro, CA . It was updated on October 22, 2022.). Chris Lambert, who worked as a CBS News consultant, pieced together what he learned from people who were there that night. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. But 22 years later, when he couldn't find any recent stories about the case, he decided to do something. Jonathan Vigliotti: And that phone call never comes. Chris Lambert: I personally think that wherever Kristin went, Paul was there with her. I was throwing up and they were saying Oh this bitch! and This bitch better not throw up on me.. The family attorney refused to comment when reached by The Daily Beast. 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. During opening statements of Flores murder trial this week, prosecutors played a video of Flores stumbling over questions from Cal Poly campus police detectives inside an interrogation room. Any tidbit of information or recollection could make the difference in the recovery of our beloved Kristin., disappearance of another woman under almost identical circumstances: Kristin Smart. He lived in the dorm building across from Smart's room. 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? Why? By the time Cal Poly police began investigating, Kristin had been gone for four days. And I was, like, "uh OK, fine.". Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. In 1997 when Paul Flores was deposed for the civil suit, the only thing he would confirm on tape was his name. 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. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. 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. I remember thinking: If my moms not home Im going to die right here.. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. This is about the facts. She has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the case. When approached about Janes rape claim, an Arroyo Grande Police Department administrator said in an email that their search revealed no such records exist; therefore, there are no responsive documents. Before their findings, another administrator told The Daily Beast on the phone that because the matter was a sexual assault case it fell under a non-disclosure category and therefore they wouldnt be providing any specific information about it. 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. His father, Ruben Flores, is also on trial because investigators charged him with hiding Smarts body. Me, my sister, my cousinPaul has no limits, she said, requesting anonymity. You can go." So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. I called my mom. They didn't bring a forensics team. James Murphy: Well, the location where all this activity occurred is where they found the biological material. And these girls are inviting us out. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? or even her keys. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Paul Flores escorted Smart back to her dorm after an off-campus party. More than two decades after Kristin Smart vanished, Sheriff Ian Parkinson says that Paul Flores, left, remains the only suspect in her disappearance. I remember thinking he was right behind me in the doorway and I think he was trying to get to the door before I could shut it., Sarah said she was quickly manhandled by Flores. The dogs were trained and certified to detect human remains. And six months later, when Flores was deposed by James Murphy for the Smart's civil suit, he kept quiet. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. I was crying.. Chris Lambert: It's mostly frat guys from the Kappa Chi fraternity. Susan Flores's backyard has been the focus of widespread speculation. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". Lives in: Arroyo Grande CA. Despite identifying a prime suspect for her murder, law enforcement did not arrest Flores until 2021. What happened in the privacy of his room that night? Peuvrelle asked the jury. 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. And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. And there were those nonstop tales of Flores being touchy-feely with her friends. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Smarts body has never been found. 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. Then, in 2011, Ian Parkinson was elected sheriff. A student named Paul Flores, Susan's son, volunteered to take her back. They were meant for Susan Flores asking her to cooperate with police and have her son come forward. But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. And I was screaming. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. Paul Flores was the last person seen with Kristin Smart before she vanished in 1996. There was no change in the soil consistent with that.. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. He was seeing someone on the side who he called his friend, she said. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. Susan P Flores Age 71. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. 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. I blacked out and didnt consent to anything.. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. 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. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. Jonathan Vigliotti found Flores outside his home in Southern California and asked him a number of questions about Kristin's disappearance. Instead, on Monday, May 27, Denise Pearce says the Smarts got a call from Cal Poly's campus police asking if Kristin was with them. Paul Flores, then also a 19-year-old freshman, had . He noticed Paul Flores would randomly walk through the halls of Muir Dorm. I had zero interest in her, according to prosecutors. And she was growing as an individual. She was pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Chris Lambert's podcast,"Your Own Backyard," has become a big hit attracting millions of listeners eager to hear every detail surrounding this unsolved case of Kriistin Smart. most importantly they wanna find their daughter. Flores claimed after walking Kristin back from the party, he went to his room in Santa Lucia Hall while she walked alone to her dorm. 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. But I've seen it. They took in soil, I assume, for some kind of analysis. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. I've got her. I dont like to talk about that day.. 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. I did have guilt about that. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. This boy walked up to me and said Oh hey, you need to be careful of that Paul Flores, I think hes stalking you. She left them only after he promised to take Kristin back to her dorm. The charming blue house with the picket fence on East Branch Street seemed perfect. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. She made a decision that shes regretted ever since. Neither the ex-boyfriend nor Sarah saw Flores again until they read The Daily Beast story on Kristin Smarts disappearance, where Floress mugshot appeared. 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. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. Smart was last seen with Flores's son Paul. Murphy alleges four nights later, strange activity was seen at Ruben's house. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. AKA: Susan Flores, Sue P Flores. 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. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. Lived In Dublin CA, King Of Prussia PA, Norristown PA. Related To Cooper Flores. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. 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." Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. Bodega en Renta de $65.000 , 3 baos, 1100 m2 en Arroyo de Las Flores, Jalisco ID 26114512. There's no question about it. 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. 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. One of Kristins closest college friends, Steve Fleming, noticed that Paul Flores would linger around Smarts dorm hall even though he didnt live there. 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