Jonathan Vigliotti: And that weighs on you. That's when Denise Smart learned her daughter had not been seen all weekend, and all her belongings were still in her dorm room. I was lying down on my back. She spotted an ad for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores had put in. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Despite identifying a prime suspect for her murder, law enforcement did not arrest Flores until 2021. 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. We both were kids at the same school and so I felt comfortable. Thats when everyone got involved, she said. 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. Paul Flores spotted July 29,2017, in Food4Less grocery store located in Arroyo Grande, CA. What happens next? But Sarah kneed Flores in the groin and kicked him in the shin before dashing off into the party. James Murphy: I'm not at liberty to describe how it was documented. Used to live: San Luis Obispo CA, Arroyo Grande CA, Torrance CA. SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is this a case that takes a miracle to solve? And when they did . They got to the parking lot of an apartment complex. 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? James Murphy: The podcast is out. ), A sheriff offices spokesman said his agency couldnt say if investigators working Smarts cold case had been made aware or not of the new alleged victims, citing refusal to comment on an open and active investigation.. Jonathan Vigliotti: How did you know she hadn't been back? 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." 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. A woman nearby screamed at Flores to get off her and threatened to call the cops, she said. PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years. 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 have this PTSD fear of someone kicking the door in.. I had zero interest in her, according to prosecutors. Some even wondered if she might have been drugged. He noticed Paul Flores would randomly walk through the halls of Muir Dorm. 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. 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. They were after Paul Flores for an outstanding DUI warrant. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. It's fine. I never realized its the same guy that harassed [Sarah], he said. Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. How could she have gone out of town? No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. San Luis Obispo County. Flores claimed he walked Smart to her dorm at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo on May 25, 1996 after a night of binge drinking. Paul had this look on his face, the relative said. We just, "do you know anything about it". I was like Oh my God. One late night at a Hermosa Beach bar Flores courted a 21-year-old student whom well call Laura. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. She made a decision that shes regretted ever since. The Smarts say they tried to file a missing person's report with the local police but were told it was too early, and the FBI told them Cal Poly police were in charge. I blacked out and didnt consent to anything.. As of this date, Paul is single. It's, like, she has nothing on her. In the fall of 1996, a young mother named Mary Lassiter was looking for a house to rent in Arroyo Grande, California. Last month, authorities searched Ruben Flores' home in Arroyo Grande. 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. I don't think she went back to her dorm at all. Her younger sister Lindsey says their mother urged Kristin to go there. She was too kind-hearted. The Smart's attorney James Murphy, and his wife and office manager Garin Sinclair, have had Kristin's billboard in their front yard since late 1997. D.A. 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. One female cousin called Flores a pervert. And while they did not rush to investigate Flores, Kristin's family says campus police were very quick to judge her. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Investigators are currently digging under Rubin Flores' home in another apparent attempt to find the missing teen's body. so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. Margarita soon decided she'd had enough. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Had Flores been caught and convicted of his alleged sexual assault in 1994, perhaps Smart would still be alive. Instead, Flores and his family were sued in 2002 by the Smarts in civil court for intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon the parents of Kristin Smart by taking the body of Kristin Smart and secreting and/or destroying the body in a hidden place in the County of San Luis Obispo. The Flores family countersued for emotional distress. Both suits were shelved by a judge until Smarts remains are found. The Smarts' younger daughter, Lindsey, described her parents to Vigliotti: "I think they're like carrying boulders on their backs.". She spent a summer in London, was an exchange student in Venezuela, and a lifeguard at a camp in Hawaii. But Paul Flores remained behind bars help without bail. Acerca; Prensa; He threw [my cousin] to the ground and got on top of her and putting his hands down her top even after he got his wallet. She has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the case. So had Margarita Campos, who lived in the next room in Muir Hall. Still she stuck around until Flores allegedly laid his hands on her aggressively again. At the time Kristin Smart disappeared, investigators did not immediately search the home. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. It has been called Dr. Seuss Day because of this. Guardar . We are grateful to these brave women for having the courage to talk about their experiences and we ask anyone who may have information they think could be helpful to contact the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office. People are watching Ruben Flores and Susan Flores and Paul Flores. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. She was the last person other than Paul Flores to see Kristin alive. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. James Murphy: He lied to the police about everything. 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. Jane said she took Flores up on carpool offers to and from high school whenever she would be walking solo from her mothers home in Arroyo Grande, California. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. Clockwise from left, Kristin, Denise, Stan, Matt and Lindsey. I was throwing up and they were saying Oh this bitch! and This bitch better not throw up on me.. D.A. Just days after she disappeared, an incident report seemed to imply that Kristin's behavior contributed to her disappearance. Denise Pearce says that was a crushing blow for the Smart family. Its a fib. Jonathan Vigliotti: Was this case, given the evidence that was lost early on, doomed from the very beginning? 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. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. 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. He'd go anywhere. Flores roommate was out of town that weekend, and Paul knew he had three full days in that room (alone), Peuvrelle told the jury. 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. Smarts body has never been found. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. Flores is charged with murdering Smart as he attempted to rape her in his dorm room. But remarkably, the same thing happened with three more dogs. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Other names that Ermelinda uses includes Ermelinda M Macarthur, Ermelinda M Flores, Ermelinda M Mac Arthur, Ermelinda Flores and Ermelinda M Thomas. They believe they can prove Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart. I remember thinking: If my moms not home Im going to die right here.. Also known as Melinda E Flores. 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. Paul Flores and his father both pleaded not guilty to all charges at their arraignment. Flores defense attorney, Robert Sanger, told the jury, This obviously is a tragic situation in one sense or another. November 27, 2020 / 8:14 AM They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". There was no reaction until the dog reached Paul Flores's room. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. Smart was last seen with Flores's son Paul. / CBS News. Chris Lambert says, two days after that, when Flores was interviewed by campus police, they asked how he got his black eye as well as scratches on his hands and knees. Its not a lie. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. 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. / CBS News, (This story previously aired on May 8, 2021. I got in his face, the ex-boyfriend, who requested anonymity, told The Daily Beast. Kristin Smart Murder Trial: Who's who The judge only allowed 1 media pool camera inside the courtroom. Denise Pearce: Kristin hasn't come home And we're not sure where she is We don't know anything. 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. But I've seen it. Ermelinda Flores' property in Washington state has been searched by investigators in February 2020. The next morning, Margarita waited to hear from Kristin. Later, he told detectives that Smart was walking just fine and returned to her dorm while he returned to his dorm. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. 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. Have a good day, he said. Lived In Dublin CA, King Of Prussia PA, Norristown PA. Related To Cooper Flores. 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. Chris Lambert: And that's when they're told that earring has been misplaced. Chris Lambert: As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears out of nowhere. I told her I didn't I didn't want to go. Authorities arrested Ruben Flores after San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at his Arroyo Grande home. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. So maybe he had a crush on me. He says "no.". Meanwhile, three other women told The Daily Beast that Flores sexually assaulted them after Janes assault and Smarts disappearance. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. He would tiptoe around everything. He later argued that the biological evidence found under the deck was not conclusively human blood. And he leaves her to walk up this walkway. And the complaint has some explosive claims about what led investigators to focus under Ruben's deck in the first place. Bodega en Renta de $65.000 , 3 baos, 1100 m2 en Arroyo de Las Flores, Jalisco ID 26114512. Flores allegedly told campus police, I did not find Kristin attractive. She graduated from San Perlita as valedictorian to the class of 1953 to proceed her education at James R . James Murphy: I'd love to do anything to end their suffering. 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.. At the time, they did not know about a missing college student. But the investigation is ongoing. I don't know if Kristin knew anybody there. In 2002, after getting kicked out of Cal Poly, rejected by the Navy, and flipping burgers, Flores matriculated at LA Harbor Community College. It wasn't until Kristin's roommate returned to their dorm room, that Margarita realized Kristin never came home. Ruben Flores defense attorney is slated to deliver his opening statements when the two trials resume on Thursday in a Monterey County courtroom. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. That mother, Mary Lassiter, described it to Chris Lambert. to find the next challenge. He promised the Smarts that solving Kristin's case would be a priority. 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? 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. James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. He returned later that Friday night and they drove to his friends home which Jane described as sparely furnished. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. Chris Lambert: So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes into his dorm room here. Paul Flores - Cal Poly student and Food Science major, Paul Flores lived on campus in room #128 of Santa Lucia Hall Dormitory. 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. Not at all. Chris Lambert: They're hopeful, but they've also been let down so many times before. AKA: Susan Flores, Sue P Flores. Hes on top of me. "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. Chris Lambert: It was never marked as evidence apparently. (The office hired a detective in 2015 to work on Unsolved Crimes for $15,000 a month: There are four open homicide investigations and Smarts remains an unsolved missing persons case. Sarah said shes still haunted by Flores. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. View the profiles of people named Ermelinda Thomas. Jonathan Vigliotti [with Lambert outside of the the dorms]: Paul and Kristin then make their way here. As they soon learned, she had ended up at a party at an off-campus house. That witness initially came forward to Chris Lambert, who passed the information to the sheriff's office and Murphy. 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. Prosecutors said Smart began falling down shortly after she was seen at the Tiki bar with Flores. My job was to hunt them. So, when they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristin was excited to go. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? He lived in the dorm building across from Smart's room. It is every parent's worst nightmare. James Murphy: they let the dog in, the dog makes a beeline to the bed of Paul Flores. They are aware that they had no eye witnesses, a body was not recovered, there is no physical evidence, and no forensic evidence, Sanger said. But perhaps Mary Lassiter's most disturbing story was about being awakened very early in the morning by a beeping sound coming from the backyard. 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