D.A. Back in May 1996, Kristin Smart was finishing her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University better known as Cal Poly. To declare to the public if you stay quiet, you will get away with this. Denise Pearce: She was becoming more and more alarmed, you know? Margarita Campos: But when we got to the house it was pretty dead too, it was really -- it was like a couple of roommates hanging out playing video games And Kristin was, like oh gosh, there has to be something better than this. Ermelinda Flores After a wonderful life, Ermelinda Correa-Flores, 89, entered an eternal rest in her own home in Richland, MO on Sunday, June 19, 2022.<br>Ermelinda was born on June 29, 1932, in San Perlita, Texas to Rafela Posada. Deputies seized a mattress cover from the bed with a blood stain. My heart dropped, she said. Jonathan Vigliotti: What toll over time did this have on your parents? Kristin did not have a purse, money, her I.D. Chris Lambert: Kristin became incredibly intoxicated, whether she was drugged or whether she just had a lot to drink in a short amount of time She ends up passed out on the lawn next door. JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? 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? Chris Lambert: Around the time Kristin disappeared, they cut out planter boxes in the backyard, so they cut out big chunks of concrete and filled it in with soil. Its not a lie. Even though he'd never investigated anything before, Lambert quit his job to create a podcast about the case. Susan Flores and her boyfriend were never charged in the case. His father Ruben Flores charged with being an accessory after the factwas found not guilty. He claimed he didnt even know her name, Peuvrelle said. James Murphy: The question for decades was "Well, where did the body go?". Through the years, the Smarts have kept pressure on the Flores family. D.A. I told him, You never do this again! James Murphy: That suggests that something bad happened in Paul Flores's dorm room. The accusations didnt stop with classmates: Flores allegedly couldnt restrain himself around his own kin. Stop! and then it became Stop!!!!!. Join Facebook to connect with Ermelinda Thomas and others you may know. The Kristin Smart Scholarship has been established by her family to help other college bound women pursue their dreams. An earring that appeared to match the necklace Kristin is wearing on the billboard. But soon Flores took his shot with Jane after another drop-off at her moms house. And these girls are inviting us out. More than two decades later, Chris Lambert, a podcaster who was investigating Kristin's disappearance, tracked down and interviewed Mary Lassiter. Flores replies that he was just fibbing. I dont know of any lying Ive done. In the crowd, taking it all in, was that podcaster, Chris Lambert. When Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores's parents Susan and Ruben were separated and living apart. Susan Flores's backyard has been the focus of widespread speculation. 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. And then months and months later, they'd reach back out and say, can you get us in touch with this person again? And there were those nonstop tales of Flores being touchy-feely with her friends. And for the first time clues about what may have happened to Kristin Smart. According to the defense, a forensics expert said if it was a grave, you would find hairs, bones, and a big change in the soil composition. Still she stuck around until Flores allegedly laid his hands on her aggressively again. Chris Lambert: At that point I don't think they had ever dealt with a missing person, a possibly murdered person. Ian Parkinson: Yes. Ruben Flores, 80, has been booked on an accessory charge and is being held on $250,000 bail. 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. The interrogation was recorded just days after Smarts college friends alerted police that she was missing. But while campus police weren't doing much, Kristin's parents were doing whatever they could to find their daughter. Other names that Ermelinda uses includes Ermelinda M Macarthur, Ermelinda M Flores, Ermelinda M Mac Arthur, Ermelinda Flores and Ermelinda M Thomas. 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: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? BOE-A-2023-5092 Orden JUS/181/2023, de 21 de febrero, por la que se aprueba la relacin provisional de personas admitidas y excluidas en el proceso selectivo para acceso libre, al Cuerpo de Gestin Procesal y Administrativa de la Administracin de Justicia, convocado por Orden JUS/1254/2022, de 7 de diciembre. Kristin Smart Murder Trial: Who's who The judge only allowed 1 media pool camera inside the courtroom. 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. I was like, Who the hell do you think you are?. At a Halloween party back in 1995before Smart had gone missingFlores allegedly grabbed Sarahs crotch on the dance floor. And it was only 250 miles from Stockton, California, where she grew up with Lindsey and their brother Matt. But Flores' basketball friends told investigators that he already had the. By herself, which is pretty amazing. suddenly major pieces of evidence came forward. And she was growing as an individual. With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. The lawsuit claims they were moving Kristin's remains. "48 Hours" contributor Jonathan Vigliotti takes viewers inside the popular podcast and haunting case in "The Disappearance of Kristin Smart.". Margarita Campos: I mean, she was gone. When Anderson looked back one last time at Flores and Smart, she saw that he was leading Smart toward his dorm, Santa Lucia Hall, not Muir Hall, the prosecutor told the jury. Five months after Kristin Smart disappeared, Paul Flores was brought before a grand jury but no charges were ever filed. Devastating. Just days after taking over the investigation, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Office brought several dogs trained to detect human remains, to the Cal Poly dorms. Jane said she kept this secret for yearseven from her husband. Some of those women who did not want their real names used told Lambert about their encounters with him. He gets his arm around her torso and her arm around his neck, and he's helping her walk. There was early mistakes made that you can't recover from when you're missing those vital pieces. That could have been me.. Lambert began looking into what happened to Kristin, collecting articles and documents, chasing down leads and tracking down anyone with information. I had zero interest in her, according to prosecutors. Her dorm entrance is right over here. Lived In Dublin CA, King Of Prussia PA, Norristown PA. Related To Cooper Flores. He believes that meant "the batteries went dead and that the object that was beeping hadn't been there very long.". So now you've got three different stories about how he got that black eye. He lived in the dorm building across from Smart's room. The charming blue house with the picket fence on East Branch Street seemed perfect. We both were kids at the same school and so I felt comfortable. When asked about how he got the injury Flores told three different stories. Flores wasn't talking. ), 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.. He was required to wear an electronic ankle bracelet. Chris Lambert: The only thing he would confirm on tape is that his name is Paul Flores. After they broke up, Laura did a little sleuthing and discovered her ex-boyfriend was accused in Smarts vanishing. If you use a windshield cover, you can at least forget about scrapping the ice off your windshield to save some time and hassle. One female cousin called Flores a pervert. Chris Lambert: He told those friends he just woke up with the black eye. But Murphy says there were other incidents that should have raised alarm bells about him with law enforcement from the very beginning. 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. Chris Lambert: Paul worked with a number of women that he made incredibly uncomfortable girls who he tried to make a pass at sexually, girls that he tried to force to kiss him. I did have guilt about that. James Murphy: To see them in custody was a feeling of great joy for me. Jonathan Vigliotti: Is there any doubt in your mind that Paul Flores is responsible for the disappearance of Kristin Smart? 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. A student named Paul Flores, Susan's son, volunteered to take her back. James Murphy: Every day. And they told Lambert they weren't surprised when they heard about Flores's connection to Kristin's disappearance. He grabbed me down there and while Im yelling at him my girlfriend threw a piece of gum at his face and he pushes her down., At this point every male at the party joined in to jump Flores, who fled, she said, adding, Boom, he disappeared., That same year, Sarah said, Flores pursued her again at a friends birthday party. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? James Murphy: If it was, in fact, a piece of jewelry that matched Kristin's jewelry, it would have been blockbuster evidence. It is every parent's worst nightmare. And according to that probation report, "dozens of women have recounted Paul Flores' sexual assaults and predatory behavior that document his 25 years as a serial rapist." By the end of the evening she was found passed out on the lawn next door and needed help to get back to the dorm. Chris Lambert was just 8 years old when Kristin Smart vanished on her way home from a college party in San Luis Obispo, California. We just, "do you know anything about it". 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. Please enter valid email address to continue. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2: You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. Flores told campus police that he never talked to Smart at the house party, but multiple witnesses who were at the party saw the two talking together next to a tiki bar inside the house. No charges were filed, but Lambert discovered Flores's troubles started at a young age. Smarts body has never been found. In his mug shot, a black eye can faintly been seen. Ermelinda Flores, 81. They asked him not to use their names: PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: Well his nickname was "Scary Paul.". So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream." Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. And Murphy and Sinclair believe they can prove it. In June of 1996, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office brought in four cadaver dogs to sniff dorms on campus. We were standing by the washer and dryer and we were arguing and he shouted, No! and slapped my arm, Laura said. But one of those friends told police Flores already had the black eye when he arrived. The detective noticed was Paul was nervous and his heart was beating out of his chest. D.A. But Mary Lassiter says the earring matched the necklace Kristin is seen wearing on the billboard. But as Chris Lambert learned, Flores's pattern of behavior with women didn't stop. After the four students had walked about halfway back to the dorms, Paul Flores told Davis and Anderson, Dont worry I got her, Ill take her from here, according to prosecutors. Eventually they moved in together along with a male roommate in a two-bedroom apartment in nearby Lawndale. James Murphy: They brought in the first dog and they'd had the dog go through the dorms. Chris Lambert: I remember seeing it on the news it was something scary and they were talking about it pretty regularly. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck. You can go." These new allegations against Paul Flores are very troubling and deserve to be thoroughly investigated. Those were kind of unspoken things. He had pinned her down and had his hand down her bathing suit groping her.. View the profiles of people named Ermelinda Thomas. Lourdes Aguiar is the senior producer. And for a few moments Jane came to and saw Flores having his way with her. James Murphy: Somebody found an earring that they say was Kristin Smart's jewelry in the driveway. But Parkinson acknowledges it hasn't been easy. Had Flores been caught and convicted of his alleged sexual assault in 1994, perhaps Smart would still be alive. More critical evidence was seized when investigators used ground-penetratingly radar that found a grave where Smarts body was once buried in the Flores familys backyard, according to prosecutors. They left me there and knock on my moms door really hard and then ran off, Jane, who is telling her story for first time, said. Murphy has filed a new civil suit against Ruben Flores for the intentional infliction of emotional distress. But cadaver dogs told a different story. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. When Lambert later told Kristin's mother, Denise, about those early morning beeping sounds in Susan Flores's backyard, he said her reaction was "shock we just kind of stared at each other for a good long time I think it took a while to settle in, that this could potentially be huge." And the body's not there now. She spotted an ad for a rental that a woman named Susan Flores had put in the local newspaper. That warrant allowed them to dig up the backyard, but deputies chose not to excavate. 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. So, she slowed down and walked with them. In October 2022, Paul. And DNA evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin. She graduated from San Perlita as valedictorian to the class of 1953 to proceed her education at James R . Margarita Campos: they were, like, "are you sure she didn't go out of town?" But it's Susan Flores's concrete backyard that initially received a lot of attention. One late night at a Hermosa Beach bar Flores courted a 21-year-old student whom well call Laura. Investigators are currently digging under Rubin Flores' home in another apparent attempt to find the missing teen's body. James Murphy: There has been no other suspect. Chris Lambert spoke with some women who knew Flores back then. He would tiptoe around everything. Please come with me." Once the dogs were let inside the room, they alerted to a corner of Flores bed mattress. I guess you can call it little white lies, Flores told detectives. A hundred percent that was happening. The two girls walked to an area off campus where there were fraternities, sororities and residential housing for students. PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. Chris Lambert: There was a man climbing her trellis and trying to get inside her balcony, very intoxicated and refusing to leave. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin. Chris Lambert: Paul keeps stopping along the way and letting Cheryl Anderson know, you can go on ahead. Mary Lassiter says the earring she found in the driveway matched the necklace Kristin Smart is seen wearing on this billboard. 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. She didn't think that was OK. Authorities made clear that they plan to use Flores' alleged predatory behavior against him. Paul Flores, then also a 19-year-old freshman, had . My job was to hunt them. Personal details about Paul include: political affiliation is unknown; ethnicity is Hispanic American; and religious views are listed as Christian. To think that you're going to finally get some resolution, and then it doesn't happen the way it's supposed to. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1: I wasn't surprised, but there's also that shock value of kind of "oh my god, I knew it! But Lindsey says her sister was happiest when she was traveling. He apparently would tag along with a sloshed friend, crashing off-campus parties together wherever she was. Denise Pearce: The phone call never comes. Mike McHugh is the producer-editor. Flores said he suffered the black eye during a basketball game he played with friends in Arroyo Grande on Monday. The podcast, "Your Own Backyard,"has drawn millions of listeners and focused renewed attention on this decades old case. She was she was frantic I don't understand this, you know? Chris Lambert: I wish I knew why. 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. Somos la comunidad inmobiliaria ms grande de Mxico que conecta de forma gratuita a quienes ofrecen y buscan cualquier tipo de propiedad. When they reached the turnoff to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores tried to hug and kiss her. It might be helpful to the investigation.. Around 2 a.m., party-goer Tim Davis told Smart that she could not spend the night passed out on the party houses front lawn because it was too cold. 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Responsible for the intentional infliction of emotional distress alerted police that she was missing missing...: the question for decades was `` Well, where she grew up with the picket fence East! Of widespread speculation 1994, perhaps Smart would still be alive letting Cheryl Anderson know you. Ex-Boyfriend was accused in Smarts vanishing name, Peuvrelle said knew Flores back then on! Together along with a sloshed friend, crashing off-campus parties together wherever she was becoming more and more,. From San Perlita as valedictorian to the public if you stay quiet, will. Paul was nervous and his heart was beating out of his alleged sexual assault in 1994, perhaps Smart still... Dna evidence could not be found linking any other evidence to Kristin and discovered ex-boyfriend... Were doing whatever they could to find their daughter media pool camera inside the,., Laura did a little sleuthing and discovered her ex-boyfriend was accused in vanishing.
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