Immediately Dostie knew as an investigator a cadaver dog could be an immense help to him. Grounds for a mistrial, grounds for a motion to dismiss with prejudice. 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.. There are typically seven stages of decay: pallor mortis, algor mortis, rigor mortis, liver mortis, putrefaction, decomposition, and finally, skeletonization. Paul Flores talks to his attorneys Sara Sanger and Robert Sanger on during a court appearance in September 2021 in San Luis Obispo, Calif. had been arrested in connection with her disappearance, Paul Flores was found guilty of murdering Ms. Smart, while in the commission of, or attempted, rape, Paul Flores was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. The jury rejected that theory, acquitting Ruben on Tuesday. Shecan be reached ataleathley@recordnet.comor on Twitter@LeathleyAaron. Dostie trained Buster in 100-year-old cemeteries in Nevada and used techniques from bomb detection dogs. Court is set to resume Wednesday, when the judge will determine if Paul Flores should be put on trial for murder and if his father should go on trial for helping his son dispose of Smarts body. Prosecutors suggested that this was how he seized on Kristin, a popular blonde who he'd admired but could never win over. , updated Ruben Flores, 81, was acquitted of being an accessory to the first-degree 1996 murder his 45-year-old son, Paul Flores, was convicted of on Tuesday. The California Polytechnic State University freshman was last seen around 2 a.m. on May 25 when she walked back to her to her dorm room after an off-campus party in San Luis Obispo. It was fascinating to be able to combine all the different levels of technology, including the dog alerts. They were both 19 at the time. Ruben Flores lives at a home at 710 White Court, Arroyo Grande, California. Police searched the family home and yard. In 1996, Cal-Poly student Kristin Smart vanished while walking home from an off-campus party. Here, DailyMail.com examines the mystery that's gripped the US for nearly three decades. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. You now know the truth of what happened,' he said, according to those in the court. In a deposition with Attorney James Murphy, neighbors of Susan Flores said they noticed Paul and Ruben doing work in Susan's backyard not long after Kristin's disappearance. He requested a complete review of all the evidence in relation to Kristin Smart's missing person case. But the jury found Ruben not guilty. But Paul Flores, then 19, volunteered to help after appearing 'out of nowhere,' Anderson recalled. Flores' father, now 81, was alleged to have helped bury Kristin behind his home in Arroyo Grande, and later dug up the remains and moved them. Conyers was not given permission to search the cement planters. Kristin Smart timeline: 24 years from the Cal Poly student's disappearance to a suspect's arrest. Later, he said it was the result of bumping his head on his car. In his closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle went over evidence presented during the hearing, including Jennifer Hudson who testified she heard Paul Flores admit to killing Smart at a party in 1996, human blood found in a filled-in hole under Ruben Flores porch and cadaver dogs alerting to Paul Flores dorm room in 1996. From those searches, they claim to have found physical evidence of human remains and that those remains were moved. The only proper verdict, in this case, is not guilty.'. This is a case that should not go any further.. The question that still remains iswhere are Kristin Smarts remains? That lawsuit resulted in the 1997 deposition in which Paul pleads the 5th Amendment to all questions except for his name. 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. He condemned what he said was a rush to judgement. At a preliminary hearing, prosecutors presented evidence that four cadaver dogs stopped at Flores' room and alerted to the scent of death near his bed. But Dostie didnt know much about cadaver dogs until a homicide case he worked on in 2006 when a narcotics dog handler mentioned training a cadaver dog when she retired. It was just, does anyone know what happened? It was also believed that the first sample was taken at a shallower depth, which resulted in a weak positive due to vegetation drawing bio-marker chemicals through cracks in the wall of the footer. 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. After, there were new latticework and planter boxes that had been cut out of existing cement. In another deposition with Murphys Office, Joe Lassiter said one of the planter boxes measured six feet long by three feet wide. The eight-episode series investigates the case of Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old college student who went missing in 1996. . 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. Twelve U.S. Marines were found under the building. During these searches, Dostie was not told whether they knew or not there were remains there. 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. In 1997, Murphy filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Paul Flores on behalf of the Smart family. That search yielded no new evidence in the criminal investigation. Ty Roush In his closing, defense attorney Sanger blamed Your Own Backyard podcast, the media and billboards for promoting Paul Flores guilt without sufficient evidence. denver county. In the months after Smart disappeared, her frustrated parents hired attorney James Murphy who filed a wrongful death lawsuit against bothRuben and Paul Flores. The trials began in July this year in Monterey, California. The man from Orcutt, California, started the podcast in 2019, and has since been credited with renewing worldwide interest in the unsolved case. In plain mans wordstraces of human decomposition may be closer to the surface than at lower depths. Both Paul and Ruben Flores' verdicts are reached. The two men arrived at Branch Street around 1:45 p.m. Buster was brought to the backyard of Lot 29. Dostie reached out to Cadaver Dog: K9 Specialty Search Associates for cadaver trainers. 18:05 BST 19 Oct 2022, The father of Kristin Smart's convicted killer said there was 'no evidence' tying his son to her murder, suggesting the court 'works on feelings instead of facts.'. 'We like to watch shows, and you think, 'I bet I know what happened'. Freshman Kristin Smart disappeared without a trace after a Californian college party 26 years ago - and now the prime murder suspect has been found guilty after a crime podcast helped cops crack the case. Ruben Flores stares down the Google Street View car. He told the court that there are no witnesses who can corroborate Flores' story of what happened in his dorm room on May 25, 1996. Describing Paul Flores during the final statements, Rubens' attorney Harold Mesick said: 'He was an awkward freshman who liked to wear baseball caps. This time around, the authorities stated that they retrieved evidence regarding the murder of Kristin. "Mr. Flores can appear in the LA courtroom from SLO County Jail from coordination with the sheriff here and the sheriff there. Ruben Flores Deposition Early this week the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department barricaded the road leading to the residence of Ruben Flores, the father of Paul Flores, the suspected killer of Kristin Smart. Lambert was one of the few journalists and members of the public who have been privy to what is happening inside the court room. 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. Ruben Flores was also arrested as an accessory, he is out on bail. 'He never should have been charged, and I'm very pleased with the outcome. Ms. Smart, who was from Stockton, Calif., was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Please address the Policies, events and arguments, not the person. After analyzing Busters reaction, Dostie said it was clear there was human decomposition there. On the night she was last seen, Smart and her friends from California Polytechnic State University grabbed a ride in a truck and arrived at an unofficial fraternity house near campus. The paper that attorney Melvin Delamotte repeatedly pointed to during the deposition of his client, Paul Flores, on November 14, 1997. But the jury decided it was. Kristin's remains have never been found. Ruben likely has huge drug money from his career as a corrupt LEO. For 25 years, you have lived free in the community while Kristins family has lived a nightmare, she said. She was never seen again. Noah said, He [Buster] alerted within six inches of the biggest recovery of MIAs thats been done since WWII. Breaking news, commentary, comprehensive coverage, and local profiles. 'Paul Flores was innocent, and his actions were helpful. Anyone can read what you share. The Smart family filed a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit against Paul Flores in 1997, but he was not immediately charged criminally in the case. You have been very attentive and conscientious throughout this case. Resides in Southgate, MI. 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. Paso Robles Press Over the years, judges have allowed the lawsuit to move forward. In the criminal case, [Simpson] was found to be not guilty and yet the civil case was able to proceed," he said. Harriet Alexander For Dailymail.com. 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.'. On Thursday, Ruben Flores was hit with his own lawsuit and that civil case moves forward with discovery until Ruben's attorney asks for a stay, too. For example, a hole that was dug and then covered up again. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. "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. With no new evidence in the case, Kristin was declared legally dead six years after she first went missing. Ty Roush He faces a minimum of 25 years in jail. That VW Cabriolet was removed from Ruben Flores home on Monday morning and towed to an undisclosed location by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Department. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Kristin Smart's body has still never been found. 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. Kristin was last seen alive walking home to her dorm with Paul Flores on May 25, 1996. 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. Closing statements conclude and jurors are dismissed for deliberations. Next, he brought the duo to an area where he knew there were recently recovered graves. As Kristin Smarts body was never found, it is reasonable to assume that Paul Flores received assistance in moving the body in the middle of the night. The authorities removed items from Paul Floress home in Los Angeles in February 2020. Next month, the judge is scheduled to discuss potentially enabling online access to documents filed in Flores's trial, according to The Tribune. 'You have a pretty straightforward job. Ruben and Paul Flores, the father and son arrested in connection with the disappearance of Kristin Smart, are facing lawsuits on top of their felony charges. Titled 'Your Own Backyard', the host was a local man who said he felt compelled to investigate the case. 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. If Kristin Smart is dead, where did her body end up? With no new evidence in the case, Kristin was declared legally dead six years after she first went missing. 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. I'm not willing to turn that stuff over because there are so many anonymous sources I'm not willing to jeopardize. Here is his Dad, Ruben Flores' 1997 deposition. Murphy called it compelling evidence they had moved Kristin Smarts body to another location just a few days after deputies searched the home. ', He finished his closing arguments by telling jurors: 'You must decide the case for yourself. 'Some of that information came to light through the podcast that was produced and eventually led to our interviewing that witness.'. Worried Denise had days earlier called the college president, but was redirected to a residential advisor who refused to give any information about Kristin on 'privacy' grounds. The 19-year-old was last seen with Flores walking back. He must have made a lot from the drug dealers. This time around, the authorities. Paul and Ruben Flores appear at the San Luis Obispo Superior Court for the first time, at which time Judge Craig van Rooyen denies Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle's request to. In an interview withPaso Robles Press, Schafer said, I gave them the opportunity to dig up the backyard, but they didnt do it.. Buster alerted right on top of grave sights where two Marines were recovered the year before. Opening arguments for the 1996 mystery started on July 18, 2022. They claimed that he was then helped by his father to bury the girl's body under the deck behind his home inArroyo Grande, California. Davis and Anderson walked with Flores and Smart, but parted ways before reaching their dorm buildings. 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. 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. He was later praised by San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson for his help bringing attention to the case. It just puts it on hold until the criminal case is resolved or until you are removed from suspicion, explained civil attorney Gordon Bosserman. In opening statements last month, the prosecutionpainted a picture of the now 45-year-old Paul Flores as having hovered around Smart in the run-up to her disappearance, andas having later engaged in a pattern of non-consensual encounters with women. The police searched her dorm room in Muir Hall, finding her wallet and reminders to turn in assignments. Adela Morris, Gail LaRoque, Wayne Behrems, and their dogs participated in searching Paul Floress dorm room at Cal Poly in 1996. He was handed his verdict on October 18. Paul was charged with the murder of Kristin Smart while Ruben was charged with being an accessory after the fact. 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. He told them he got it playing basketball with friends, who denied his account, according to court records. In total, over 100 American remains were found where Buster alerted. During his deposition in November 1997, Paul had invoked the 5th Amendment in response to any questions regarding the case. Ms. Smarts family said they had faith in the justice system, comforted in the knowledge that Kristin has been held in the hearts of so many and that she has not been forgotten.. The comments below have not been moderated, By In response, Lambeth said afterwards: 'I know that's just smear, that's their angle on it, but it couldn't be further from the truth. This study sent seven . 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