If Paul is convicted of murder and Ruben convicted of accessory after the fact as charged, the Smart Family attorney James Murphy will then ask a judge to lift the stay on the wrongful death lawsuit and move forward with both civil cases. It's believed that the new-found impetus was driven by the fresh interviews police conducted, which first came to light via the Your Own Backyard podcast. That stunt resulted in a murderer going free. 'Know that your spirit lives on in each and every one of us, every day. It depends on all 12 of you to deliberate to show whether there's proof beyond a reasonable doubt. After analyzing Busters reaction, Dostie said it was clear there was human decomposition there. In 1996, Cal-Poly student Kristin Smart vanished while walking home from an off-campus party. It would be one of several home searches . As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. The jury in Ruben's case reached a decision on Monday but were told they could not announce the decision until Paul's case was closed. Paul Flores, right, in court with his attorney Richard Hutton in 1996. He was charged with murder, while his father was charged with being an accessory after the fact. What you have to decide is whether Paul Flores committed murder.'. After reading the paper, Dostie said he was thoroughly impressed with the amount of detail put into the articles on Kristin Smart. Paul Dostie retired in 2009 from Mammoth Lakes Police Department, where he worked as a detective sergeant on the narcotics task force. The authorities stated that sometime in 2016, they had recovered evidence that had pointed towards Paul as being the prime suspect in Kristins missing case. There was also a search warrant that was served at Pauls sisters home in Washington. The authorities have stated that Kristins remains have not yet been found. Paul Flores was then named by police as the "prime suspect" in March of this year, and cadaver dogs were seen scouring Ruben Flores' property the following day. Smart's case was never closed, but momentum was revived in the last two years. It resulted in the deposition of Paul and Ruben Flores and the 2007 dig of Susan Flores's Arroyo Grande home. Not the Flores boys. It was dropped when the father filed for bankruptcy. He was doing a good deed.'. She was under their deck. The following were arrested Thursday in Aurora: Tapia-Rubio and Mora-Sanchez; Selestino Hernandez-Mayo, 45; and . From there, Murphy said there is "compelling evidence" that Kristin's remains were removed from Ruben's property and scattered in the Huasna area. He has denied any involvement. He said that during the trial, defense attorneys have said 'a number of times' that the podcast was 'designed to convict Paul Flores.'. In the criminal case, [Simpson] was found to be not guilty and yet the civil case was able to proceed," he said. ', 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.'. Susans home was searched again on Jun. Paul was convicted of murdering her while trying to rape her after the pair attended a party at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. In addition, Dr. Vass has developed another category called odor mortis. Smart's family and friends plan to hold a celebration of her life at her memorial at Dinosaur Caves in Shell Beach at 6pm on Tuesday, with a music jam session celebrating the guilty verdict. Dostie and David Smallwood of the California Register newspaper were given permission to search the yard directly in the back of the Susan Flores home. 'And I wish the community who still feels that way would disabuse themselves of those feelings.' 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. For the next 25 years, I did whatever I could and looked for answers wherever I could, Denise Smart told the court, according to CBS 13, a local television station. Peuvrelle is a deputy district attorney for San Luis Obispo County, where the case against Flores was first filed. Paul Flores was charged with murder, and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. Smart added: 'To our Kristin: Almost three decades ago, our lives were irreparably changed on the night you disappeared. 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. He now faces a minimum of 25 years in prison but could spend the rest of his life behind bars. Members of History Flight work to find individuals who have been listed as Missing in Action (MIA) or deemed non-recoverable from WWII, the Korean War, the Cold War, and the Vietnam War. For example, a hole that was dug and then covered up again. The trial got underway with opening statements on July 18 in Monterey County Superior Court in Salinas. Titled 'Your Own Backyard', the host was a local man who said he felt compelled to investigate the case. Holman later met with Lambert and Murphy at Murphys office to tell her story, which did not include the later reports that she saw people under the home, she testified. On May 25, 1996, friends dropped her off at an off-campus party. Flores was previously accused of moving Smart's remains from the burial site 'in the event of an additional search of the property.'. Over time, these chemicals spread through moisture in the soil. The comments below represent the opinion of the writer and do not represent the views or policies of CalCoastNews.com. The Superior Court judge, Jennifer OKeefe, was blunt in her remarks, telling him that he had been a cancer to society who deserved to spend the rest of his life behind bars. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Noah said, He [Buster] alerted within six inches of the biggest recovery of MIAs thats been done since WWII. Smart, 19, was a 'bright' student at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Vasss technology works similarly to cadaver dogs. A neighbor of Ruben Flores denied seeing anyone under his Arroyo Grande home on Feb. 9, 2020, calling the allegations she viewed digging, shovels and a wheelbarrow untrue.. Paul was then named a person of interest in Kristins disappearance. As a result, Buster became State Certified in Cadaver and Avalanche Rescue. Then in April 2021, Flores was charged for her murder. The two alleged culprits are being held at the San Luis Obispo County Jail, awaiting arraignment. Ruben Flores was acquitted by a separate jury. 'We now put our faith in the justice system and move forward, comforted in the knowledge that Kristin has been held in the hearts of so many and that she has not been forgotten.'. 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. Once again, Buster gave a strong alert to a spot along the fence bordering Susans backyard. 'They're trying to poke holes in the witnesses' credibility and they want to do it through me, and I think that's improper.'. Flores also invoked the Fifth Amendment during a 1997 deposition, after Smart's family sued him for the wrongful death of Kristin. Describing Paul Flores during the final statements, Rubens' attorney Harold Mesick said: 'He was an awkward freshman who liked to wear baseball caps. Kristin was coming back home from a fraternity party when this happened, and she was reported missing by her roommate two days later. Ruben Flores was arrested as an accessory at his Arroyo Grande home, where sheriff's investigators conducted another search. Again, Buster quickly picked up on the scent of human decomposition. Officials obtain four search warrants for Paul Flores. Recalling moments from 1996, Smart's heartbroken mother Denise said she contacted police shortly after Kristin failed to call home on Sunday, May 26. I heard something about something from someone who knows someone. Behind lattice work beneath the deck of his large house on a dead end street off Tally Ho Road, archaeologists working for police in March found a soil disturbance about the size of a casket and the presence of human blood, prosecutors said. He later changed his story to say he bumped his head while working on his car. 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. California Kristin Smart case: Images from the investigation and arrest . During the call, the mother tells her son he needed to tell her where they can 'punch holes' in the 'Your Own Backyard' podcast because 'only you can.'. Flores is represented by attorney Robert Sanger. But the jury decided it was. Ty Roush This study sent seven . Civil cases often are stalled by criminal proceedings. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. During the trial, San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle sensationally pointed at Ruben Flores and his ex-wife, Susan Flores, and said of Kristin: 'She was under their deck.'. Flores was then the only person left helping Smart stagger back from the party at around 2am. Paul Flores was charged with murder, and Ruben Flores with being an accessory after the fact, accused of helping to bury her remains. In 1997, civil attorney James Murphy, Kristin Smarts family attorney, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Paul Flores. 'It'd be nice to just preserve this idea that everything was fine and she was angelic, but the reality is she engaged in at-risk behavior and you have to interpret how that affects the events that may have transpired,' he said. March 31, 2023. Davis was going to walk her home with another student, Cheryl Anderson. Ruben Flores is 'relieved' after being acquitted of helping son Paul Flores bury Kristin Smart's body under decking in his backyard - but slams his son's murder conviction: 'It was about. and They had attended the off-campus frat party with other friends, and their dorms were close to each other. They used ground-penetrating radar and a cadaver dog during the probe. It also led to the 2007 dig of Susan Floress East Branch Street home. Both men pleaded not guilty. By "If that coordination occurs for him and that some lawyer does get authority to appear for him, then that case down there would just get continued, continued, continued until his case is solved up here.". and They were both 19 at the time. In March 2021, investigators used cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Floress property in Arroyo Grande, Calif. Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in the San Pedro section of Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder. This search was done after FBI agent Jack Schafer gave the SLO police department a warrant to dig up Susan Floress backyard. Javascript is required. All Filters. and last updated 9:36 PM, Apr 22, 2021. You took an oath that you would follow the rule of law.'. During the deposition for the civil suit, he only spoke to confirm his name and invoke the Fifth Amendment 27 times. Fungi biofilms have been found growing on spacecraft surfaces such as windows, piping, cables, etc. His attorneys filed a 'Hail Mary' motion asking for a mistrial to be declared, claiming it was improper for a member of the victim's family to be seen by the jury hugging someone from the prosecution. It is believed by Dostie and Dr. Vass that migration of bio-markers in the soil was being impeded by the block wall and/or concrete footer supporting the wall. The last witness on Monday, Jamilyn Holman testified she contacted Your Own Backyard podcast creator Chris Lambert after seeing Ruben Flores, Susan Flores and McConville having trouble backing a trailer down Ruben Flores driveway on Feb. 9, 2020. Closing statements conclude and jurors are dismissed for deliberations. These tests search for chemicals specific to humans. When Kristin Smart fell at the party, he helped her up. Image Credit: ABC10. For my friend @Dsjmnz thank you for the request :)I APOLOGIZE in advance for the really low volume on Flores' deposition. Kristin Smart timeline: 24 years from the Cal Poly student's disappearance to a suspect's arrest. Investigators only searched underneath the deck of his home in 2021. My feelings are more important than facts. Judge van Rooyen announced in April that the trial would be moved to Monterey County, about 140 miles north of San Luis Obispo, after the defense team requested the change of venue because of extensive publicity around the case. 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 next month, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office took over from the Cal Poly police as the lead investigators. Smart was formally declared dead in 2002, and her body has never been found. She left around 2 a.m. and was accompanied by Paul Flores, who was also a student at Cal Poly. Kristin's cheerful call home was a weekly ritual, she said. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kristin-smart-case-timeline.html. 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. Remember, if it does not fit, you must acquit. Investigators said the warrants were for very specific items. The GPR search geologist said he found an anomaly under the cement but told police he thought it was likely naturally made. In his closing, defense attorney Sanger blamed Your Own Backyard podcast, the media and billboards for promoting Paul Flores guilt without sufficient evidence. You can have the case stayed as to you, which means it doesn't dismiss the case. Peuvrelle said: 'Now you know where she was all along. Stan Smarts statement following the verdicts in the murder trial of his daughter, #kristinsmart pic.twitter.com/biFgN0auBj. Here, DailyMail.com examines the mystery that's gripped the US for nearly three decades. Kristin Smart,fromStockton, California, was in her freshmen year at college when she disappeared after a party on May 25, 1996. Davis and Anderson walked with Flores and Smart, but parted ways before reaching their dorm buildings. 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. Kristin Smart's body has still never been found. I couldn't increase the volume.Join this channel to get access to perks:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYhttSiWdhYYPjs3v5PA0Jg/joinE-Mail: Twistedtruecindy@ gmail dot com It is also the same area where the Lassiters found an earring with what they believed to be blood on it. Ruben Flores was also arrested as an accessory, he is out on bail. 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. Prosecutors believed that Flores killed Smart in his dorm room after trying to rape her. 'He's charged with murder, not rape or attempted rape,' he said. They described dropping her off at the party at an unofficial fraternity house, and said that when it was over, she needed support to walk as she was being accompanied home by Paul Flores. Police searched the family home and yard. A judge moved the trial to Monterey County in April over concerns that unbiased jurors could not be found in the county. Ruben Flores' deposition, November 14, 1997 (courtesy James Murphy/Garin Sinclair) Alexandra Wallace October 28, 2019. 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. They called him 'Chester the molester' and 'Psycho Paul', they said. Evidence from previous search warrants led detectives to serve an additional warrant at Paul's home. The dogs, which are trained to pick up the smell ofhuman remains, alerted to the corner of a mattress on Flores side of the room. They suggested that the pair moved the body years later. 'It's too bad that sometimes the system works on feelings instead of facts, but I am relieved about myself of course.'. In a statement, the Smart family described a long wait for this bittersweet day.. Lived In Denver CO, Dearborn Heights MI, Oscoda MI. In February 2020, the authorities executed search warrants at four locations in California and Washington State and recovered what the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office described as items of interest. One location was the Los Angeles home of Paul Flores, KCAL-TV reported. Both Paul and Ruben Flores' verdicts are reached. fromStockton, California, was in her freshmen year at college when she disappeared after a party on May 25, 1996. Closing statements in the case against Ruben Flores begin and end. 'I wish to express to you appreciation and that of the parties for your service in this case,' she said. 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. 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.'. 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. The trials began in July this year in Monterey, California. Kristin Smart, 19, of Stockton, California vanished. Sanger demeaned Hudsons reputation, calling the witness who said she heard Paul Flores admit to the crime a troubled person. Sanger said Hudson was only able to remember facts after reminders from Lambert. There's so much hate, and I really have never understood it. That lawsuit resulted in the. 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