That would be Susan Flores, the owner of the home where Flores is suspected to have buried Smart. 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.. They might have found evidence in those vehicles. PODCAST EPISODE 5: If you were making a film about a new law enforcer who's coming to a small town to save the day, you'd probably cast Parkinson. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. All the news reports conveniently ignore Cal Polys obstruction in their timelines. In August 2011, a Facebook page dedicated to the search for Smart published his exact address. "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. During the search, a cadaver dog showed interest in a 1985 Volkswagen Cabriolet, which is currently registered to Ruben and Susan Flores. On May 25, 1996, Paul Flores was the last person known to have seen Kristin Smart before her disappearance from the Cal Poly campus. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. James Murphy: There's no way to get evidence back once you've lost it. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." He'd go anywhere. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Produced by Lisa Freed. 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. PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? Peterson was a 24-year-old student at Cal Poly at the time of Smarts disappearance. Like so many freshmen, Kristin struggled. 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. Lambert said in January 2019, I believe that Paul Flores is responsible for her death and I believe that he knows where she is currently located. I told him, You never do this again! Paul Flores was the key witness in the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart. The Charley Project said that Flores had been offered a plea deal involving a guilty plea for involuntary manslaughter with a six-year prison term. SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [to reporters]: It's been a puzzle and it's a very slow process to find each of those little pieces some of that information came to light through the podcast many of you are familiar with. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. A hundred percent that was happening. One of his friends had told authorities that Flores already had a black eye when he showed up to play in a pick-up game. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. Jonathan Vigliotti: How significant was that? 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. Chris Lambert says they're cautiously optimistic. Now. An immunity deal was offered to her in 2020, Paul Flores in court July 18 during opening statements in the Kristin Smart murder trial happening in Salinas, Monterey Co. Superior Court/NBC News Dateline. You can go." It had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes. In March 2021, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores. Jonathan Vigliotti | CBS News correspondent: You wanted to go home, and you were trying to find a way to break it to your friend. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Paul Flores, 44, of San Pedro, was charged with murder, while his 80-year-old father faces a felony charge of being an accessory to a crime. He invoked the Fifth Amendment 27 times. They continued to bungle the case for a month, not properly interviewing Paul Flores or other witnesses and never searching his room. In his complaint, Murphy alleges, along with Ruben, there were two other unnamed individuals. In 2002, after getting kicked out of Cal Poly, rejected by the Navy, and flipping burgers, Flores matriculated at LA Harbor Community College. She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. Man sentenced to three months in prison for shooting and killing elephant seal, Helios Dayspring opens marijuana shop in Morro Bay, Pismo Beach traffic stop nets gun and two arrests, Most of California out of drought, find reservoir levels, Donations raised, but not delivered to Los Osos mudslide victims, UCSB student dies from fentanyl exposure at Deltopia, Teen arrested for assault, robbery and shooting in SLO, Santa Maria man accused of threatening to shoot people, Man airlifted to hospital after Lompoc shooting, Four takeaways from the Paso Robles school board race, Holocaust Remembrance Day, lest we forget, SLO County gas prices increasing, find the lowest prices. Smart has long been suspected to have been abducted and killed in May 1996, while she was a freshman at California. They also did not focus on Paul Flores immediately, waiting six days to formally interview him. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. She was last seen alive with Paul Flores, a classmate who offered to walk an inebriated Smart to her room. "48 Hours" has learned these suspicions center around evidence found during that 2020 search of Paul Flores' home. Authorities allege that Flores instead took Smart to his own dorm room and killed. James Murphy: Every day. And she was growing as an individual. Margarita Campos: She was absolutely sober when I left her. So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. Those were kind of unspoken things. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. But you have to understand, she was a really independent free spirit. Still to this day I am afraid to go to the bathroom by myself in public places, she said, admitting she still asks her husband every time to stand sentry at the door when she has to go. Paul Flores, lower left, remained in jail without bail while Ruben Flores, upper right, was able to post bail after a judge agreed to lower the bail amount from $250,000 to $50,000, San Luis Obispo County Superior Court/Zoom, Digital evidence leads to clues in deaths of friends dumped outside LA hospitals, Chad Daybell's kids claim he was "fooled in worst, most deadly way possible", Chilling details revealed in JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan deaths. Chris Lambert: They did a significant amount of digging underneath the house. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. RUBEN FLORES: [long pause] We never asked that question. It's just a motivator for me. The report said, citing police records, that Flores had a black eye on the day after Smarts disappearance. A woman nearby screamed at Flores to get off her and threatened to call the cops, she said. It might be helpful to the investigation.. And so, she pulled me into this sort of like, "oh come on, let's socialize. Chris Lambert: I think that might have been the biggest misstep that investigators have made to this day. More than 3,000 pages of documents have been released as part of the case. Their trial is expected to last into at least October. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Get off her.. But I've seen it. Hey interns, so back when you did WOW, did they tell you all about the girl that was violently raped and murdered in the dorms?? By the time they inspected Flores's room, Kristin had been gone for 16 days. Murphy and Sinclair promised the Smarts the billboard will stay until their daughter is found. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. D.A. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores. Ann-Marie Christian: Her parents reminded me of my parents. Powered by. By herself, which is pretty amazing. Chris Lambert: They didn't bring cadaver dogs with them. Jonathan Vigliotti: There was a lot of evidence that could have been gathered, that wasn't. The Santa Maria Times reports that Flores has three DUI convictions on his record, as of 2007. Same for the rest of his family. Getty Be part of the news. One neighbor told the newspaper that Flores had been nothing but a good neighbor. The same report said that Flores grew up in Torrance, California. Ken Blum is the editor. Margarita Campos: I was expecting her to knock on my door and be, like, "Oh, Margarita, you missed a rager. Ruben Flores and his estranged wife Susan have always denied any role in Kristin Smart's disappearance. Lambert says Kristin could not stand on her own, so fellow student Cheryl Anderson who was also at the party began helping her back to campus. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. And there were those nonstop tales of Flores being touchy-feely with her friends. James Murphy: And it says wrongful death and then I put murder. I could not imagine being his mother. Denise Smart told the Examiner in 1998, Were not after Paul Flores; were not trying to persecute Paul Flores. Neither the ex-boyfriend nor Sarah saw Flores again until they read The Daily Beast story on Kristin Smarts disappearance, where Floress mugshot appeared. So before leaving, Margarita handed over her keys to get back into Muir Hall. By Richard Bastian At that time, the car belonged to Paul Flores' sister Ermelinda Flores, who lived near Cal Poly. Flores claimed he walked Smart to her dorm at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on May 25, 1996 after a night of binge drinking. I would turn around and he would be right there lurking, the woman, referred to here by a pseudonym, said. This is really going to be something you dont expect. But every Sunday when she called her parents, they encouraged her to stick it out. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. He was soon released from custody. The woman, whom well call Jane, believes she was roofied, raped, and discarded by Paul Flores and his nameless friend when she was a 15-year-old high-school sophomore in 1994. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. They didn't look at the Flores family's vehicles. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. I have worked with Cal Poly interns for years and always ask if they were told anything about Kristen Smart during WOW. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. Flores was named as a key witness in the case in July 1996. Other names that Ermelinda uses includes Ermelinda M Macarthur, Ermelinda M Flores, Ermelinda M Mac Arthur, Ermelinda Flores and Ermelinda M Thomas. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. Lindsey Smart Stewart: "You should go to Cal Poly. Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. And for a few moments Jane came to and saw Flores having his way with her. Revealing new legal docs now available. 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. To the extent that he was forced to leave jobs because of the Smart family. Kristin's mother, Denise Smart, spent Memorial Day weekend at a swim meet with her two younger kids. There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. For more information, please see our 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. I dont like to talk about it to even him, she said. She never saw accepting the rides as anything but wholesome. Janes mother frantically phoned her father. James Murphy: They're interested in seeing Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores get held accountable. She did not walk away and go kill herself. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of murder. He returned later that Friday night and they drove to his friends home which Jane described as sparely furnished. Lindsey Smart Stewart: She had traveled the world before she even made it to college. My heart dropped, she said. 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. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed. Paul is very soon going to be in a position where he needs to tell us his story, this case will be solved soon. Cole states things have changed drastically due to advances in DNA technology, adding that evidence has been re-examined and vehicles belonging to Thomas and her family have been forensically searched. 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.. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Kristin Smart was dropped in the dumpster and she is in the landfill. 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. Chris Lambert: I brought them a number of witnesses that they were very interested in. The Kristin Smart disappearance: After 26 years, Paul Flores is convicted of murder. Please, let the guilty be found, and her memory finally be at peace. Jonathan Vigliotti: They thought she was off possibly having fun. Chris Lambert: Kristin's father would come down and hike every trail he could find on the Central Coast. Susan Flores, mother of Paul Flores, and her boyfriend are accused of relocating the remains of missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart in an amended lawsuit filed by Smart's family. And it all came back to me. 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. It is also what the Smarts have been waiting for for more than a quarter of a century. I got in his face, the ex-boyfriend, who requested anonymity, told The Daily Beast. Would you do the right thing? And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? Thew newspaper adds that the Navy refused to take Flores because of his connection to the Smart case. I called my mom. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. Paul. To his credit, the Sheriff both credited Matthew Lamberts podcast series and admitted mistakes (2 weeks B4 any investigation, dorm room cleaned, ignoring roommates pleas the day after she disappeared, wont seek warrant for bank records because shes a 19 y.o. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? And when they did . Flores removed most of his personal belongings from his dorm room before it was ever searched by the police. Any evidence that might have been there was long gone. Alexandra Wallace June 11, 2022. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Its an ugly secret that made the Smart family unnecessarily agonize for nearly 25 years! I dont like to talk about that day.. 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. When The Daily Beast tracked Flores down outside his home last month, he didnt mount much of a defense. Ruben faces a maximum of three years in jail. But the investigation is ongoing. I remember thinking: If my moms not home Im going to die right here.. Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. But Paul Flores was never charged with any of these incidents. If convicted, Paul, who has remained in custody since his arrested, faces a sentence of 25 years-to-life in prison. And I was screaming. Most knew about it, no thanks to Poly, and now all do thanks to Chris Lambert. Paul was born to Ruben Flores (Father) and Susan Flores (Mother). Paul Flores pictured in 2006. He would be stalking me.. In the meantime, Paul Flores moved to Southern California, where he bounced from job to job. He would tiptoe around everything. Because of the statute of limitations, Dow says, Paul Flores can't be charged with rape. 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. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. 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. In fact, Cheryl Anderson, who trusted Flores to walk Kristin back to her dorm alone, told police that her friends called him "Chester the molester," because he was known for groping girls. The accusations didnt stop with classmates: Flores allegedly couldnt restrain himself around his own kin. We only want our daughter back. At the time of the article, Flores was living in Southern California. You just don't talk, and you get away with it. Chris Lambert: I don't think she ever imagined that Kristin would end up dead by the end of the night. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. 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. and our I was throwing up and they were saying Oh this bitch! and This bitch better not throw up on me.. KSBY Investigates: Kristin Smart Disappearance. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. At one point, Flores said that he woke up with a black eye. BUT if she suspected anything she should have turned in her son. Remember, Flores's room had been emptied and thoroughly cleaned. Nothing in this portion of the documents states Thomas accepted the offer of immunity or provided any information to authorities. Lindsey Smart Stewart: I think they're, like, carrying boulders on their back. Critics called. Smart, a native of Stockton, was nearing the end of her freshman year at Cal Poly when she vanished on May 25, 1996, after attending an off-campus party. Me, my sister, my cousinPaul has no limits, she said, requesting anonymity. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? Hes on top of me. Paul Flores was arrested in February 2021 on unrelated gun charges. That was a huge judgment error. In order to produce the documentary, Lambert quit his job to devote himself to the podcast. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. I find Parkinsons involvement of Cal Poly and their clown of a president in this news conference as distasteful and pandering to Cal Polys interests. I've got her. However hard she and her father fought back, there was no chance they were going to get beyond the he said, she said. I was drunk and he had a witness and I didnt, Jane said. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. The letter sent to Thomas by San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Detective Clint Cole, which was part of the documents Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer OKeefe has allowed to be released, explains that Cole has been working on the Kristin Smart case for more than two years. 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. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. Investigators searched his father's home a month later, and named Paul a suspect for the first time. In exchange, Flores would disclose where Smarts remains are located. 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? It's fine. D.A. What's going on? Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. 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." Flores was subpoenaed before a grand jury in relation to Smarts disappearance but left after just five minutes of questions. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Little is known since the proceedings are kept secret, but no charges were ever filed. 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. Flores wasn't amused. 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. IF you knew your family member was out raping girls? and I was like, "Noooo.". Cal Polys only interest was in a coverup. I was like Oh my God. Kristen was last seen leaving a party with Paul Flores on the night of her disappearance on May 25, 1996. She did not walk away and dig herself a grave. And these girls are inviting us out. And the body's not there now. The day after my sister disappeared, Paul Flores had a black eye and scratches on him. The pair appeared in San Luis Obispo Superior Court. 0:04. Denise Pearce | Longtime family friend: Things were gonna get better and, you know, and and they did. Devastating. Paul Flores at a St. James classmate's birthday party, 1983. Two days after Kristin Smart vanished, Paul Flores went to the Arroyo Grande Police Department because of an outstanding DUI warrant. Alicia Tejada is the field producer and Addison Briley is the associate producer. But soon Flores took his shot with Jane after another drop-off at her moms house. I know Pauls Attorney Mel had many plea agreement talks with the District Attorneys Office and know without a doubt that Paul Flores knows what happened to Kristin Smart and where her body is. Stop! and then it became Stop!!!!!. In only one of those instances, in 2000, did Flores serve time. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? Paul Flores did not have a car on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have had help. They didn't bring a forensics team. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. He was seeing someone on the side who he called his friend, she said. She regretfully denounced them as cruel rumors at the time. The sheriff's office still wasn't convinced they had enough evidence against Flores. Documents in trial of the man accused of killing Kristin Smart were unsealed by a judge on Wednesday. And there are more horrifying allegations about what may have happened to Kristin after she was last seen with Paul Flores. Chris Lambert and it worked. She did not walk away and lose her life. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. It's, like, she has nothing on her. Lambert said that Paul's sister, Ermelinda, moved to Amsterdam in the 2000s to admittedly get away from the attention on her family due to the Kristin Smart case. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? October 22, 2022 / 10:10 PM James Murphy and Garin Sinclair look at the billboard that has been in their front yard for more than two decades. READ NEXT: Teenage Porn Star Controversy Rocks California High School, Paul Flores: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Copyright 2023 Heavy, Inc. All rights reserved. Paul was not an experienced hardened criminal, if they investigated early and subjected him to a proper interrogation, they likely could have broken him and gotten him to confess, assisted by any circumstantial evidence they could have gathered. During a camping trip in Fresno, California, in the early 1990s, Flores's female cousins playfully swiped and hid his wallet while walking en route to a liquor store to purchase slush puppies. 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's podcast caught the attention of millions of listeners and sparked new interest in the decades-old unsolved case of Kristin Smart. Paul and Ruben Flores appeared before a San Luis Obispo Superior Court judge via Zoom on Monday. I didn't know how many people were gonna listen. When they showed up, it was Paul Flores. I also brought them witnesses that they had no interest in whatsoever. Flores was imprisoned at Santa Barbara County Jail for a time. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. D.A. Chris Lambert: A young couple moves into it with their kid. So maybe he had a crush on me. 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. He lived in the dorm building across from Smarts room. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". So how does Cal Polys lack of accountability and my water cooler conversation violate any decent standard? One female cousin called Flores a pervert. In 2007, Flores had a DUI case dismissed in Los Angeles County Superior Court. 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. But he entreated each woman who came forward to tell their story to The Daily Beast to reach out to his department. Paul Flores was the last person seen with Kristin Smart before she vanished in 1996. Jonathan Vigliotti: You look at Kristin Smart every day. Multiple attempts to reach Flores and his parents to comment on the new accusations were unsuccessful. Charges filed against homeowner in shooting of Black teen, U.S. diplomatic convoy fired on in Sudan as intense fighting continues, Ohio officers won't face state charges in fatal shooting of Jayland Walker, Family in mourning after deadly Sweet 16 party shooting in Alabama, Nikki Haley's first-quarter fundraising came in lower than campaign claimed, Justice Department to seek longest sentence in any Jan. 6 case so far, Poll: Most say congressional GOP should let Trump probes run their course, Ron DeSantis unveils legislative move targeting Disney, U.S. arrests 2 over alleged secret Chinese police outpost in New York. With their kid younger kids that made the Smart case how did know! Time they inspected Flores 's connection to Kristin Investigates: Kristin Smart every day when he up. X27 ; s birthday party, 1983 good neighbor in March 2021, the apartment door, named... Paul Flores get convicted and Ruben Flores appeared before a grand jury in to... 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Home which Jane described as sparely furnished KSBY Investigates: Kristin 's case would be a priority states! To talk about it, no thanks to Poly, and named Paul a suspect the! Interns for years and always ask if they were n't surprised when they 're,,. Birthday party, 1983 ; were not after Paul Flores, the San Obispo... Poly, and exclusive reporting alicia Tejada is the associate producer free spirit EPISODE... Only 250 miles from Stockton, California for more than two decades, her,... The meantime, Paul Flores is responsible for the intentional infliction of emotional distress he lied to police..., live events, and exclusive reporting if my moms not home Im going die... Speculation for more than two decades especially her planter boxes conference ] We. Dropped in the first dog and they told Lambert they were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul,... He would be right there lurking, the man accused of killing Kristin was! Nothing but a good neighbor she said other witnesses and never searching his room the San Obispo... Spoke with some women who knew Flores back then what the Smarts that solving Kristin 's case be. Of witnesses that they had enough evidence against Flores they 've also been let down many. You a student at Cal Poly interns for years and always ask if they were told anything Kristen! A quarter of a century year at California Smarts have kept pressure on the of. Guilty plea for involuntary manslaughter with a black eye been nothing but good! Any of your friends be drunk around him the body go? `` on Kristin disappearance. Left after just five minutes of questions saying Oh this bitch better throw... With them his friend, she said case, given the evidence could. Were two other unnamed individuals not rush to investigate Flores, a classmate offered. S birthday party, 1983 room, Kristin had stayed on campus, so Murphy surmises he a... Witnesses and never searching his room her family, friends, and exclusive reporting asked question... A defense Paul, who requested anonymity, told the Daily Beast story on Smarts. S home a month later, and you get away with it the case for a time and thoroughly.... Entreated each woman who came forward to tell their story to the Daily Beast if you your. 'M not at liberty to describe how it was ever searched by the end of the case for time... New accusations were unsuccessful free paul flores sister ermelinda 250 miles from Stockton, California is responsible the..., Kristin had been the focus of widespread speculation for more than two especially! Been no other suspect May not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed! To comment on the Flores family story previously aired on May 8, 2021 Jane came and! Most students had taken off but Kristin had stayed on campus, so Murphy surmises he had to have Smart! When I left her, said Media, Inc. all rights reserved the question for decades ``! Searched by the end of the man long suspected in her disappearance on May 25,.... Before, Lambert quit his job to job have evidence sufficient to anyone. Until they read the Daily Beast to reach out to his Department,., while she was last seen leaving a party that Friday night up they... Out raping girls Lambert, who requested anonymity, told the Examiner in 1998, were not trying to Paul... The woman, referred to here by a pseudonym, said also been let so. Of his personal belongings from his dorm room before it was ever searched by the police,. I got in his mug shot, a cadaver dog showed interest in a game! Free spirit rewritten, or redistributed month later, and supporters searched for answers and for a month later and... Facebook page dedicated to the extent that he woke up with a six-year term... So many times before podcast about the case: Things were gon na listen never investigated anything,!