There are new leads in the investigation and official excavate a hillside on the Cal Poly campus and cadaver dogs are used to search for Smart's remains. Tim Davis, a senior who helped host the party, told investigators that towards the end of the night he spotted Smart sprawled on the lawn, apparently passed out. The evidence uncovered, if any, during the course of the search may be used both in any criminal prosecution of Paul Flores and in the wrongful death case against Paul Flores filed by my office. He faces a minimum of 25 years in jail. Based on that, we are not going to submit more evidence, said Robert Sanger, one of Paul Flores attorneys. We have reached out to Mark Connely for comment but have not received a response. 'Know that your spirit lives on in each and every one of us, every day. In 1996, Cal-Poly student Kristin Smart vanished while walking home from an off-campus party. On Sept. 18, 2014, test results came back from Dr. Vass indicating a negative for human decomposition. DA may possibly offer either defendant a plea bargain before or during trial ,meanwhile hoping one of them will crack under pressure of a trial .In my opinion if none of the above occurs, and there is a conviction at trial it would be a conviction based on emotions with what evidence that has been made public so far .A trial could be an alternate plan of DAs office /county to avoid being sued for malicious prosecution against the suspects if proceedings were halted at this point based on the fact suspects attorney stated in court that he is billing his clients over $500k. Three dog handlers were brought in to testify during the preliminary hearing for Paul and Ruben Flores in August 2021. Behrems and his dog Sierra also had the same findings. Helicopters were used to canvas the area. Flores is the father of Paul Flores, who has been charged with Kristin's murder. Smart, 19, was a 'bright' student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Ruben Flores: Where is Paul Flores' Dad Now? Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. The day after the arrests, Dan Dow, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney, said that Paul Flores had caused the death of Ms. Smart while in the commission of, or attempted, rape. Ruben Flores helped to hide her remains, he said. Smart never returned to her dorm and was reported missing to the Cal Poly Police Department on May 28. During his deposition in November 1997, Paul had invoked the 5th Amendment in response to any questions regarding the case. That changed Tuesday when San Luis Obispo County sheriff's detectives arrested Flores, 44, on suspicion of murder. Susan Flores' house, when it was rented by Mary and Joe Lassiter, December 1996 (Photo by Joe Lassiter) . Authorities also said that they linked two other attacks on women in Los Angeles to Paul Flores. Ruben Flores lives at a home at 710 White Court, Arroyo Grande, California. The search of Ruben Flores' home took place about a month after Paul . Immediately Dostie knew as an investigator a cadaver dog could be an immense help to him. Paul Flores was living in a dorm at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo on the date of Kristin Smarts disappearance; he did not have a motor vehicle on campus but his sister lived several blocks off campus and drove a VW Cabriolet. He worked in law enforcement for 30 years. Flores' father, Ruben Ricardo Flores, 80, was also arrested and is accused. 'Paul Flores is guilty as sin. The Sheriffs Office investigators and forensic specialists assigned to Ms. Smarts case executed 18 search warrants, submitted 37 items that were collected in the early days of the case for DNA testing, recovered 140 new items of evidence and conducted 91 interviews from 2011 to 2020, the office said. And he said that at the time, Paul Flores and his father did not join in the community hunt for the missing teenager. He added that Zoom court appearances could give Paul a chance to waive his right to a speedy trial in that case. Archeologists put cadaver dogs to similar tests that Noah performed in Croatia. Sanger also told the jurors that they needed to question whether the expert witnesses who testified for the prosecution are actually experts. San Luis Obispo County district attorney's officials interviewed Flores in June 1996, but he later invoked his Fifth Amendment right before a grand jury, and then again during a civil disposition. Later, he said it was the result of bumping his head on his car. He brought Dostie and Buster to another island of Tarawa, where only he knew there were no graves. He was updating his followers on the closing statements via his Twitter account. It depends on all 12 of you to deliberate to show whether there's proof beyond a reasonable doubt. Jennifer Smith, Chief Reporter Besides Tapia-Rubio and Mora-Sanchez, federal agents identified 15 other suspects. It has been almost 25 years since the disappearance of Kristin Smart; every day the Smart family continues to suffer; every day, Paul Flores has been looking over his shoulder. For example, if Dosties dog makes a hit, he collects soil samples and sends them to a lab for Vass to later read the results for traces of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) referred to as odor mortis. Phone: (805) 489-8929 Neighbors testified at the trial that Ruben Flores did yard work that year, after the podcast cast suspicion on his family. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. Both Paul Flores and his father Ruben Flores were arrested in connection to Smart's murder. For years, Dostie has done work on the Barker Ranch and even spoke to Manson throughout his investigations there. ', Mesick said he feels there is 'reasonable inference' Smart is still alive and that he thought Paul Flores' attorney will likely file for a new trial since 'there are plenty of grounds.'. In the History Flight Search, Recovery and Identification Report 45 LT Alexander Bonnyman Jr. Betio, Tarawa, Republic of Kiribati 2006-2015, a map shows where Buster alerted and where remains were found. Describing Paul Flores during the final statements, Rubens' attorney Harold Mesick said: 'He was an awkward freshman who liked to wear baseball caps. He had a black eye when he was questioned, but he told police it had come from a basketball injury. With this new information, police gained permission to intercept Pauls electronic communications. Flores . 'He's charged with murder, not rape or attempted rape,' he said. So are We, and Updating Weekly. It was just, does anyone know what happened? In her deposition, with Stan and Denise Smart present in the room, Anderson tried to explain her decision to leave Kristin in Flores' care for the final leg home: . Last month, Paul Flores was arrested on felony gun charges arising from a discovery of a firearm in his residence while on felony probation. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Recalling moments from 1996, Smart's heartbroken mother Denise said she contacted police shortly after Kristin failed to call home on Sunday, May 26. Also heard during the trial was a recorded conversation between Paul Flores and his mother Susan Flores. According to Smallwood, from there, he took the information to Mark Connely, one of the Smart familys attorneys. San Luis Obispo attorneys weighed in on the legal processes and said civil cases usually take a backseat when a defendant is also facing a criminal case. The searches of the residence of Paul Flores and Ruben Flores are related in the sense they are both part of an ongoing, relentless search for evidence by SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson. Over the years, he was considered the prime suspect in her disappearance and was arrested in April 2021, along with his father, Ruben Flores. In total, over 100 American remains were found where Buster alerted. 'But just the 'let's lynch 'em, let's burn 'em, let's hang 'em, let's kill 'em,' I don't know where that came from in this country. By 2020, it had amassed thousands of listeners and, police suspect, spooked the Flores family. Kristin Smarts family in 1999, three years after she was last seen walking home from a party in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Earthmovers were used in searches on and near the California Polytechnic State University campus in 2016. Atascadero News Magazine Paul will be sentenced on December 9. It is also where dogs alerted to the same spot a metal trash can sat that Ruben insisted on picking up while the Lassiters lived there. His attorney, Harold Mesick, defended the decision by the court by saying Ruben is 'not just not guilty, he is absolutely innocent, and today's verdict proved that. The civil attorney for Kristin Smart's family is suing Ruben Flores for emotional damages in connection to the Cal Poly student's 1996 disappearance. Next month, the judge is scheduled to discuss potentially enabling online access to documents filed in Flores's trial, according to The Tribune. Soon after her disappearance, a sheriffs search party combed remote parts of the Cal Poly campus on horseback, archival video from KCRA-TV shows. denver county. Good News Real News Your Hometown News, Atascadero News Schafer also speculates that Kristins remains are still in Susans backyard. The last time Kristin was seen: College party, May 1996. California Kristin Smart case: Images from the investigation and arrest . From there, Murphy said there is "compelling evidence" that Kristin's remains were removed from Ruben's property and scattered in the Huasna area. Later, Flores invoked his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination before a grand jury and during a civil deposition. Flores also invoked the Fifth Amendment during a 1997 deposition, after Smart's family sued him for the wrongful death of Kristin. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. These tests search for chemicals specific to humans. Our database shows there are 1,576 registered sex offenders in Denver County, CO. View the photos, address, physical description and more details of each registered offender in Denver County, CO. 1. Paul Flores was found guilty of first degree murder on October 18. Morris testified that her dog alerted to a door on the left side of Santa Lucia Hall, specifically room #128Paul Floress dorm room. The man from Orcutt, California, started the podcast in 2019, and has since been credited with renewing worldwide interest in the unsolved case. While an expert said it was human blood, the test used did not rule out the possibility it was from a ferret or primate, though court records said no remains of either such animal were found there. But the jury decided it was. Together with Paso Robles Magazine, mailing 30,000 monthly copies to our community, we are the best-read, most-trusted news source for our community. Fungi biofilms have been found growing on spacecraft surfaces such as windows, piping, cables, etc. During decomposition, humans release specific chemicals that essentially plume through the soil. May 25, 1996: Kristin Smart attends an off-campus party with multiple friends, including Paul Flores, at Cal Poly. 19, 1996, he left early to finish concrete work at his mothers home on Branch Street. A missing-person report was filed with campus police onMay 28. Buster alerted under 12 inches of at least three burials in the site pictured. Together, Vass and Dostie have used each other almost as a cross-reference. This time around, the authorities stated that they retrieved evidence regarding the murder of Kristin. Here is his Dad,. There is huge defense money being paid here. Essentially, if human remains are encased in concrete, over time, the bio-markers will escape through cracks and porous holes in the concrete and then migrate through the soil. In an interview withPaso Robles Press, Mark Noah, the founder of History Flight and director of the Tarawa project, said he put Buster and Dostie through some accuracy tests in Tarawa before doing an official search. In his closing arguments, Sanger said the prosecution's case was not to showcase evidence, but rather to evoke an emotional prejudice against Paul Flores by using phrases like 'guilty as sin' and quoting witness testimony that says Paul Flores called Smart a 'd*** tease.'. However, about three years later, another witness, who had not been previously questioned, was brought in as well. Breaking news, commentary, comprehensive coverage, and local profiles. Three cadaver dogs lead investigators to the dorm of 19-year-old Paul Flores during a search. She said that she and the other girls in the dorm grew uneasy when none of them heard from Smart as they decided to make their first call to police on Sunday, May 26. The 19-year-old was last seen with Flores walking back. Schafer speculates that evidence was found at Rubens home because, after Kristins disappearance, the Flores family put her there, only to later move her to Susans home that summer when Paul and Ruben did the concrete work. Please address the Policies, events and arguments, not the person. Smart added: 'To our Kristin: Almost three decades ago, our lives were irreparably changed on the night you disappeared. Additionally, Vass was Tennessee Scientist of the Year in 2004 and is an instructor at the National Forensic Academy. This study sent seven . When there is a possibility of a criminal case being brought, the person who is a witness can go on the record and say, 'I decline to answer that on grounds it could incriminate me,' Bosserman said. He posted bail and left the jail with his wife, Susan Flores, KSBY-TV reports. Ian Parkinson became the San Luis Obispo County sheriff. Prosecutors had argued Paul killed Kristin then hid her body in his father's yard. When Flores was first interviewed, he had a black eye. After two weeks, the sample results came in with a weak positive result. She attended a party one night in May 1996, and was never seen again. There are typically seven stages of decay: pallor mortis, algor mortis, rigor mortis, liver mortis, putrefaction, decomposition, and finally, skeletonization. It was fascinating to be able to combine all the different levels of technology, including the dog alerts. Searches were conducted on campus and in her Muir Hall dorm room, where they found her wallet and other belongings. The documents also detail arguments by prosecutor Christopher Peuvrellethat evidence from an excavation of Ruben Flores's propertywhere the prosecution allegesSmart's body was once buried must be allowed at trial, over the defendants' objections. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. That 'good deed,' it now transpires, was the murder of 19-year-old Kristin Smart. In 1996, Cal-Poly student Kristin Smart vanished while walking home from an off-campus party. 19, 2000. A podcast launched by Chris Lambert, 'Your Own Backyard,' brought renewed attention to case. Former student Ross Ketchum recalled speaking to 19-year-old Smart about surfing and school at the Memorial Day weekend party, held at 135 Crandall Way. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) Human remains detection dogs (HRDDs) are canines specially trained to find human decomposition scent and alert their handler to its location.. All Filters. Furthermore, the searches at the homes of Ruben, Susan, Paul, and his sister had led to enough evidence to warrant a second search of Pauls home. Ruben Flores son Paul Flores is accused of murdering Kristin Smart during an attempted rape in 1996. Thedocuments detail the competing argumentsbetween prosecutors and attorneys for defendant Paul Flores over whatevidence should be allowed for Flores's trial, which began on July 18 at Monterey County Superior Court, Salinas. The property was searched by the Sheriffs Department; in addition, cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar were employed to locate the remains of Kristin Smart. Dostie and Smallwood then proceeded back to the truck to get the glass vials and tools to obtain a soil sample for Dr. Arpad Vass to analyze later. The only proper verdict, in this case, is not guilty.'. They were both 19 at the time. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. Kristin Smart,fromStockton, California, was in her freshmen year at college when she disappeared after a party on May 25, 1996. And it was very rewarding at the same time because we found what we were looking for, said Noah. Titled 'Your Own Backyard', the host was a local man who said he felt compelled to investigate the case. After, there were new latticework and planter boxes that had been cut out of existing cement. Paul Flores deposition 1997 In June 2000, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office searched the Arroyo Grande backyard of Susan Flores, Paul's mother. In addition, Morris said both her dogs, Cholla and Cirque, strongly alerted to the mattress and desk on the left side of the room. Dostie came back saying there were no remains there. His defense lawyer, Harold. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. A sheriff at the local San Luis Obispo Police Department then told Denise he had no jurisdiction over the college campus. Investigators conducted dozens of searches over two decades, but turned their attention in 2020 to Ruben Flores' home about 12 miles south of Cal Poly. During his deposition in November 1997, Paul had invoked the 5th Amendment in response to any questions regarding the case. Flores is accused of killing Smart of Stockton, while attempting to sexually assault her after a party, when both were students atCalifornia Polytechnic State University in 1996. On March 10, Paul Flores was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, the maximum allowed. 'Conspiracy theories can be fun. They also testified that soil samples indicated it was possible that a body wrapped in tarp had been stored there at some stage. There will be a lot of people who will be unhappy if Paul Flores is not hung from the highest gallows.. Does anyone know where Kristin is? In 1997, Murphy filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Paul Flores on behalf of the Smart family. The prosecution then rested its case and the defense decided not to call witnesses following Holmans testimony. My feelings are more important than facts. Paul is found guilty of first-degree murder. Smart's case was never closed, but momentum was revived in the last two years. Smart was a 19-year-old student who vanished in 1996 and whose death went unsolved for decades until a podcast revisited the case in 2019. No remains have been found. Dostie and Buster went on seven History Flight missionsthree in Tarawa and four in Europe. Sanger spoke about 'uncharged acts' witnesses that were presented, referring to the two women who came forward alleging Paul Flores raped or attempted to rape them. 'The community moved Heaven and Earth to try to find her. 'You have a pretty straightforward job. But the jury found Ruben not guilty. He also concludes they could not search the West side of the home because of too much stuff in the way. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Be part of the news. Then, when Mary and Joe Lassiter signed papers to rent and move into the Branch Street home in June 1996, they were told they could not move in until July because a concrete project in the backyard was not finished yet. He famously testified in the Casey Anthony case in Florida. Ruben Manuel Flores, 64. The Sheriff's office has also been surveying Paul Flores' phone calls and text messages for the last two years, which officials said helped uncover "helpful" evidence. You now know the truth of what happened,' he said, according to those in the court. Curious to know more about this case? He condemned what he said was a rush to judgement. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Related . Since the trial started, Lambert said that the defense team have unsuccessfully requested to go through his emails, text messages, and gain access to his podcast notes. Ms. Smart, 19, was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo when she disappeared in 1996. He was also unable to search a garage building that was built on the East side of the home in 1997 because of wire mesh in the floor. Your Own Backyard is a podcast series hosted by Chris Lambert, a freelance journalist and podcaster from California. We will refer to this property as Lot 29. During the search, officials said they found evidence related to the murder of Smart. Paul's next Los Angeles County court appearance is scheduled for June 10 for his charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. 'Getting into court was not a goal of mine and I didn't see it happening. Prosecutors filed a first-degree murder charge against Paul Flores and an accessory after murder charge against his father, Ruben Flores, for helping him conceal Smart's body, which has never. He said he went through the case files with a fine-tooth comb. In the criminal case, [Simpson] was found to be not guilty and yet the civil case was able to proceed," he said. Schafer was assigned to the Smart case. They will decide whether or not Paul Flores is guilty of killing Kristin Smart. Soil samples were then retrieved from the backyard corner bordering Susans home. The jury rejected that theory, acquitting Ruben on Tuesday. When Teschendorf returned to their room, she noticed that Smart's keys and personal belongings that she normally took everywhere were still in the room, untouched, and her roommate was nowhere to be found. That search yielded no new evidence in the criminal investigation. He wasn't arrested, despite the fact that four cadaver dogs singled out his dorm room as having a scent of death when they searched the entire dorm building of 120 rooms. Cadaver dogs were sent into Paul Floress dorm room. 'But you're here as jurors. Stan Smarts statement following the verdicts in the murder trial of his daughter, #kristinsmart pic.twitter.com/biFgN0auBj. Citing the podcast, Your Own Backyard, Parkinson said: 'In 2019, (we) interviewed several witnesses that had not been previously interviewed. Justice delayed does not have to be justice denied. The West side of the home is also where Paul Dosties cadaver dog Buster alerted to human remainstwice. The Outback Steakhouse in Irvine, where Paul . The comments below represent the opinion of the writer and do not represent the views or policies of CalCoastNews.com. Prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle told jurors the 'truth is, Kristin Smart is dead and the evidence is clear that she was killed by Paul Flores. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. That stunt resulted in a murderer going free. 'Paul Flores was innocent, and his actions were helpful. His father Ruben Flores was taken into custody in the city of Arroyo Grande, accused of being an accessory, according to ABC 10. . "Defendant Ruben Flores and Doe defendants 1 and 2, through their actions in removing the remains of Kristin Smart from its location, and moving same to an undisclosed location or locations, committed acts of such viciousness, depravity and cruelty as to, by their very definition, cause severe emotional distress to Plaintiffs, the natural mother and father of Kristin Smart," Murphy said in the lawsuit.
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