No worries, we will email you reset instructions! Nick Wilson is a Tribune contributor in sports. This search comes almost a year after four search warrants were served in February 2020, just before the pandemic. What will happen to residents? Why her family still doesnt have peace. Proportion is the important thing. Image via Foras Studio. Now 44, Flores was charged with murder in the killing of the 19-year-old while trying to rape her in his dorm room, prosecutors said. The other location in Califonia was at Paul Flores residence in San Pedro, and the fourth location at the sisters home in Washinton State. Lambert said investigators had dismissed that account in the early years of the probe. All Gardenista storiesfrom garden tours and expert advice to hand tools and furniture roundups. Of course, hes hoping that when he signs on again, Smarts body will be found and an arrest will be made at which time he plans to celebrate with the family hes grown so close to. A group of community advocates seeking justice for missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart is floating the idea of buying an Arroyo Grande home next to the property of Susan Flores. Lambert has been thrust into the spotlight with the arrests. The 200 Greatest Singers of All Time Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Theres human decomposition in that backyard, Dostie announced. The earlier investigations failed her and this darkness has lurked for 24 years., The Facebook group has been vital to keeping the spotlight on this case, she added. Bonnyman was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, but his body was never recovered. Susan Flores drove by the house with Ruben to get Ruben's mail around 5:30 p.m. Lambert had the recording chops, having served as an engineer for his share of other artists; he also hosted another podcast from 2016 to 2019: Are We Okay?, an interview show in which he introduced his mostly local listeners to various community members and friends. Flores had been walking an intoxicated Smart home from a party and was the last person seen with her. Smart was last seen on May 25, 1996, after returning to campus from a fraternity party in San Luis Obispo. You need to login or register to view and manage your bookmarks. A podcast about Smarts disappearance, Your Own Backyard, has renewed interest in the Smart case since it launched in September 2019. People opened up to Lambert and he encouraged them to contact investigators with relevant information. But it was a local story and the thing that stood out to me is that nobody was talking about it anymore. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. She created the low-maintenance scheme a few years ago for a Brooklyn couple whose townhouse had a typical rectangular backyard (20 feet wide by 36 feet deep). Experts and neighbors tell The Daily Beast they might be digging in the wrong spot, and that they have reason to believe Smart may be buried in the backyard that once belonged to the last man seen with her. Cadaver dogs search an old Volkswagen cabriolet that was parked in Ruben Flores garage @KSBY #kristinsmart pic.twitter.com/NsaFWDJVld. Officials say the search warrant is sealed and no other information on the "active and ongoing investigation" will be released at this time. A former colleague of Paul Flores' mother, Susan Flores, told him Mrs. Flores came into work after Memorial Day weekend 1996 when the Stockton student went missing saying she didn't. Shops, hotels, restaurants and points of interest for the home and garden obsessed on the go. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of. Delivered Wednesdays. Heading somewhere? From there, Lambert and the Smarts became friends. The 100 Best Albums of 2022, Kristin Smart, a freshman at California Polytechnic State University, disappeared May 25th, 1996, after attending a party near campus. for which use the property could be zoned, against the Smarts for emotional distress, served a search warrant at Flores Los Angeles County home, the Sheriffs Office served search warrants at four locations, announced it had taken two trucks into evidence, We are still waiting for justice. Car cruise honors missing woman Kristin Smart, Who is Paul Flores? The student had to call both the police and the Smarts in order to raise the alarm. Anderson also told investigators that fellow students called the 19-year-old man Chester the Molester.. A former colleague of Paul Flores' mother, Susan Flores, told him Mrs. Flores came into work after Memorial Day weekend 1996 when Smart went missing saying she didn't sleep well because. The Smart case is moving forward and this podcaster is along for the ride. The results after the search were. Don't miss your chance to see this incredible home - call today for an appointment! At least they could have before the 12-year-old cadaver dog passed away this February. Breaking news, commentary, comprehensive coverage, and local profiles. Im good. Vass is a forensic anthropologist at the University of Tennessees Law Enforcement Innovation Center (who was brought in to give expert testimony in the Casey Anthony trial). Those might include the Kristin Smart scholarship fund, established by the nonprofit organization Justice for Kristin. If there was Dr. Vass and I would be the only ones qualified to give such a certification.. All rights reserved. No further information will be released at this time. 16, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores, father of Paul Flores. We feel like the stars aligned when the podcast aired, she says. SOURCEBOOK FOR CONSIDERED LIVINGThe definitive guide to stylish outdoor spaces, with garden tours, hardscape help, plant primers, and daily design news. You dont have to tear out of the entire concrete, Vass said. Joseph Lassiter said the earring he saw was hooped with beads that hangs down and had red stuff on it, according to the warrant. Your Own Backyard producer Chris Lambert, who lives in Orcutt, has interviewed Smarts parents, investigators and multiple women who said they have felt personally threatened by Flores.. [The billboard is] a reminder that theyve never found her. As a result, no further details were released. Lambert details all this and more in his podcast, homing in on details that armchair sleuths believe signal Flores guilt: a possibly blood-flecked earring that looked like one of Smarts found on Susan Flores property by renters (it was misplaced by the police) and a mysterious beeping that emanated from the concrete yard at 4:20 every morning about the time Smart often set her alarm for to make it to early swim practices. The paper also reported that a man believed to be Flores was detained in a Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department squad vehicle for two hours that day and that his house was one of the locations searched. searches a vehicle during an investigation outside of a home in connection with the disappearance of Kristin Smart. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's investigators served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores on Monday, March 15, 2021. Perhaps Kristin's body was there initially and her belongings were buried there. . Im good, he said. On Wednesday, investigators could be seen at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores, as authorities served a search warrant in the Kristin Smart missing person case. I thought Id give it a shot and see if I could get a few people talking, Lambert said. SOURCEBOOK FOR THE CONSIDERED HOMEThe one-stop sourcebook for the considered home, guiding readers artfully through the remodeling and design process. Mary Lassiter stands in front of a planter box in her backyard, with her mother, Sharon, and stepfather, Richard, December 1996 . The Smart family took their fight to civil court by filing a wrongful death lawsuit against Flores. He lived directly across the street and saw something that haunts him like it was yesterday.. Lawmen were led here by a trio of the FBIs own Quantico-based Springer spaniels and German shepherds who hoped they got a human cadaver hit at three spots along the hill in January. I was a little concerned about how that would affect my relationship with them. It was reported that Ruben Flores is not allowed at the home during the search and is currently with his wife Susan Flores at her East Branch Street Home. There were trees in the yards all around, so we got something smaller. Acer palmatum Sango Kaku has coral bark; $15 from Kigi Nursery. It doesnt have to be six beds; it could be three beds, or four, Welti said. I just get sucked right back in because I want to be resolving things.. ---. For more than two decades, a billboard featuring a photo of a grinning Smart advertised a $75,000 reward. Over the years, Susan Flores's backyard has been the focus of widespread speculation because of stories like the ones Mary Lassiter told Chris Lambert. Heres why, Judge sentences SLO County man who sexually abused children to 435 years in prison, Atascadero city manager is retiring after 26 years with city: A tremendous asset, Residents of SLO County Safe Parking site react to news of closure: Its a bad idea. For another New York City backyard, see Lush Life: A Townhouse Garden in Manhattan. The forensic team packed up, and at 2 p.m., the Sheriff released a statement that the Smart Investigation Search Warrant has concluded at the home of Ruben Flores in Arroyo Grande. It scared him that someone had gone missing and no one knew what happened. A 57-year-old neighbor across the street who gave only his first name, Gary, said Flores was a nice guy who has never bothered me.. I cannot wait to get back to just writing songs, he says. Image by Judy Craghead, via Flickr. Flores was first interviewed by Cal Poly police investigators Ray Barrett and Mike Kennedy at the end of May 1996, according to The San Luis Obispo Tribune; he was also interviewed by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorneys Office. Later investigation determined that, in fact, Susan Flores did reside at [redacted] at the time of Kristin Smarts disappearance, the report states. The San Luis Obispo Sheriffs Department and the FBI declined to be interviewed by Rolling Stone, but the Sheriffs Department did credit Lamberts podcast with helping move the case forward in interviews with both the podcaster and the press. Crews used ground-penetrating radar to canvas the property and could be seen going underneath the house with the mechanism and with cadaver dogs. Image via Mooseys. She created the low-maintenance scheme a few years ago for a Brooklyn couple whose townhouse had a typical rectangular backyard (20 feet wide by 36 feet deep). The group had more than 30,000 members as of Monday. He said he sent an intermediary to her house and Susan Flores threatened to call the police. Its taken over his life. The Smart family has an ongoing wrongful death lawsuit pending alleging Paul Flores murdered Kristin. And theyre digging in this womans yard at this time of the day, and the kind of digging they were doing plus the concrete just didnt make sense., In the middle of the construction effort he says he saw both men grab from both ends and lug a rolled-up rug with something heavy inside.. His eight-part series, Your Own Backyard, hit 7.5 million downloads Thursday and it was the No. In April, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriffs Office served a search warrant at Flores Los Angeles County home. Have a good day, he said. Set up in the backyard this morning, close to the deck with lattice running along the edge, are two blue "pop-up" tents. A Wednesday round-up of our favorite new products for the home. 2023 www.recordnet.com. Mann found broken pieces of cement he understood were placed there by Ruben Flores [Pauls father] and Paul Flores about the time Kristin Smart disappeared., Mann informed San Luis Obispo sheriffs deputies of a backfill of some kind and looks to be man made and believes he discovered some anomalies on the west side of the backyard but told authorities he was 80 to 90 percent sure that his conclusion that the anomaly he discovered were a natural excavation or erosion.. I have always loved that passage. So have we. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Flores is the . In Your Own Backyard ran from September 2019 to January 2020 and, not long after the seventh episode aired, authorities showed up at Susan Flores' front door on that day in early February. Get excerpts of the latest Gardenista content delivered each morning. I was told that officers present did not want to pay to have the concrete repaired if the search turned up nothing. Weve used infrared radar technology in order to search plus we had deputies there as well. Why did not police take a closer look after they found evidence in Ruben' yard? With a mix of interviews, a dramatic and eerie soundtrack Lambert created, and narration in his own warm voice that brims with conviction, the podcast drops compelling clues and reveals investigative missteps that impeded the case. Above: Hydrangea All Summer Beauty will bloom blue in acidic soil, pink in alkaline. We want to make it clear this is not to harass or antagonize the Flores family or jeopardize the case in any way, Hunt-Burns said. When the sheriffs office released a press release a little before 7:30 a.m. that day, they didnt reveal that this house in particular would be searched the Sheriffs spokesman Tony Cipolla only stated that officers were searching four locations in California and Washington State as part of the investigation into the disappearance of 19-year-old Smart. On the site, theres a plaque featuring a poem by Smart about her love of the ocean: Floating upon the salty waters/I cringe with excitement/To be in such a heavenly place. Its located about 11 miles from the Cal Poly campus. They all had a different idea of who I was talking about and nobody really knew the details.. We have 200 guides on everything from fences to foxgloves. ust kind of threw (the idea of buying the home) out there to see what people think and received an outpouring of responses. Flores lived there with his roommate, Derrick Tse. Flores was first interviewed on May 28, 1996, three days after Smart was last seen. A lawyer for Ruben Flores said his client is innocent. Photo credit: Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP/Shutterstock. They may have been following up a tip made by a 21-year-old food prep cook. He was repeatedly (almost 30 times) pointed by his attorney to read from a typed sheet to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination in response to innocuous yes/no questions and mundane ones like the names of relatives or his age. The comment got around 1,000 likes and several hundred comments after a day. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office is searching the yard of Ruben Flores's home, located in the 700 block of White Ct. in Arroyo Grande. UPDATE (2:15 p.m.) - The vehicle towed from Ruben Flores' home Monday morning was a 1985 Volkswagen registered to Ruben and Susan Flores, according to the DMV. The neighbor told The Daily Beast the man he saw, who days later would be identified as Flores, and an unknown young man with dark hair took turns shoveling and wheelbarrowing to create a gaping four-foot-deep hole in the recesses of Susan Floress backyard. But, according to Schafers report, sheriffs deputies discounted the cadaver dogs interest in a corner of the backyard at the residence because they believed, at the time, Paul Flores mother, Susan Flores, did not reside there. Our Friday guides to making each plant look its best in your garden. Lassiter and her husband Joseph were deposed during the familys civil dispute against Flores. When asked if he was Paul Flores, the last person to see Kristin Smart alive, he played dumb, at first only confirming Flores was someone who lived at the address. Alexandra Wallace October 21, 2019. Good News Real News Your Hometown News, Atascadero News The front yard is landscaped with an accent lighting package, backyard features an extended patio and upgraded balcony. Lambert also spoke with 13 other women who accused Flores of everything from predatory behavior to harassment to sexual assault. On Monday, Mar. A tenant who lived for a year at Susan Flores home told him she heard a watch alarm every morning at 4:20 a.m. Smart had worked as a lifeguard at 5 a.m. at the Cal Poly pool, so its possible she set her watch to wake up at that early hour. The search warrants were limited in scope and sealed by the court. Time slogged on and Flores was never charged. Related coverage:Paul Flores granted protective order during arraignment in Kristin Smart case. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. Despite having no formal training in law enforcement or journalism, Lambert became so fixated on the case that he quit his job at a musical instrument store in Lompoc in May 2018 to work on the podcast full-time. Flores himself even abruptly attempted to cut short an interview with San Luis Obispo County prosecutors to attend to a concrete project at 4 p.m. of June 19, 1996. I recognized Flores and I knew exactly what I saw., Schafers report prepared back in 2000 referred to another neighbor named Lauri Quinn who also shared her version of seeing ongoing construction work in the backyard of Susan Floress property and later newly constructed concrete planters cut into the existing cement in the backyard.. During Mondays search, a Volkswagen Cabriolet last registered in 2010 and was reported to be registered to Pauls parents, Ruben and Susan Flores. Bluestone Pavers (L), are $8.99 to $9.99 (depending on size), from DFM. The February 2020 investigation also included searches at the two Arroyo Grande homes of Flores's parents, Ruben and Susan, and his sister's home in Washington state. Marine First Lt. Alexander Sandy Bonnyman Jr. was killed fighting the Japanese in the Battle of Tarawa in 1943. On her last night alive, according to Schafers report citing official investigative documents, Smart, a 19-year-old, blond, 6-foot-1 swimmer was passed out drunk on a lawn around 2:30 a.m. after partying at an off-campus home on Crandall Way hosted by Kappa Chi fraternity. The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time His father, Ruben Flores, 80, was charged as an accessory after authorities said he helped hide the body, which has never been located. The house is selling for $700,000, we have over 29,000 members in this group. After listening to the podcast and reading the earlier articles online I was left with the impression that Susan's backyard might contain evidence. Above: For modern inspiration, Welti turned to Russell Pages The Education of a Gardener, first published in 1962. Perhaps I missed something, but what are your thoughts. Together with Colony Magazine, mailing 20,000 monthly copies to our community, we are the best-read, most-trusted news source for our community. Sandee Hunt-Burns, an administrator of the Find Kristin Smart Facebook group, said the idea would need to go through logistical, legal, and financial assessments before it could come to fruition. Paul Flores working at the South Central Coca-Cola Bottling Plant, February 2013. Crime and Courts Lawsuit: Ruben Flores relocated. It's unclear what evidence was found, if any, however, deputies are expected to continue the search Tuesday. Plan your trip with our destination guides to our favorite public gardens, hotels, restaurants, and shops. Kristin the swimmer. He said they began to backfill the hole with dug-up dirt and poured concrete to form a slab. An old backyard of a Persian house. Bowen said purchasing the home would allow investigators to come near the Flores property. That seems to be the moment in the podcast series that most people have been just completely shaken, he said. He was quiet, very quiet, yet I could feel his compassion that we all needed answers, that it was not OK to have a young woman in his own backyard just vanish without justice and that very few knew her story.. If at any time you want to become a Subscriber and enjoy unlimited, ad-free access to all our content, just go to the My Account link and choose Subscribe. Never miss a fabulous garden or ideas on how to design your own. Flores allegedly climbed up her balcony and she suspected he attempted to break into her apartment., The student refused to press charges, but Flores didnt stop. He parked the car again and exited. Davis told investigators that Flores had been trying to flirt with Smart at the party and had even apparently fallen on her at one point. He remembered that when Flores moved in somebody had come and plastered the street with posters revealing Floress past as a prime suspect. Thats the last time I saw her.. When pressed that he was Flores the man replied, Oh. We are advocates for the victims and their families. Flores said it would sound stupid saying he bumped his eye on the steering wheel of his truck, the report states. The home belongs to the. The San Luis Obispo Sheriffs Office initially spoke to The Daily Beast about some of these precise questions about the viability of the mothers backyard and to answer about their current and past investigation efforts. Mann maintains that the home was unfinished business the warrant states and that he was troubled by stains on the west side of the house that showed dirt had once been piled against the house and also by splatters of dirt on the wooden fencing four feet away from the house. No one turned up for a while as Lambert stood in the cold rain, but after a few hours, two older women appeared. Four dogs independently reacted to Flores dorm room at Santa Lucia Hall. Ruben and Susan Flores. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Here's what we know. Some concrete. Asked where he needed to clean it, Flores said, My moms house.. UPDATE (8:00 p.m.) - Investigators primarily focused their search on the backyard and lower deck. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a coordinated search along with the Sheriffs Department; however, they have not been seen during the current investigation. I started asking friends and family members and anybody I could, Do you remember what happened to Kristin Smart? Lambert says. Heres the murder suspect charged in the Kristin Smart case, Man accused of killing SLO couple in crash released with ankle monitor, Paso Robles winery shut down after operating without an alcohol license for 3 years, Native American tribe wants to reclaim 9,000 acres of Diablo Canyon land: Weve been waiting. I did soil analysis from that site, Vass said. One of those warrants was served at the home of Flores mother in Arroyo Grande. At 1:51 p.m. today, the Sheriffs department started removing the caution tape along with the blue pop-ups. Dogs also reacted to his stripped mattress. Susan Flores, who evicted her tenants after they began discovering items at the house, says she has been wrongly targeted. I only wish we could have included Kristins voice; she was like Chris in many ways. A year later Susan Flores's Arroyo Grande property was visited by sheriffs and this time they utilized ground-penetrating radar technology to look underground. Browse photos, see new properties, get open house info and research neighborhoods. The longtime suspect, Paul Flores, 44, was charged with murder in the killing of the 19-year-old while trying to rape her in his dorm room at California Polytechnic State University campus in San Luis Obispo, where both were freshmen, prosecutors said. The garden has withstood the test of timeand long been one of our favorites (we first spotted it in Domino Magazine)so we asked Welti to tell us how you can adapt it for your space. To date, the crime show has been downloaded more than 2.4 million times. With the coast seemingly clear he opened the door to his white 1960 Chevrolet Impala parked on the crammed street where hes resided for almost two years. He started the engine and began pulling off from the curb, then braked just as a Daily Beast reporter approached him. Shovels and orange buckets are at the scene as well. We would like nothing more than to bring closure to the Smart family in this case.. If this is your first time logging in since Nov. 5, you need to reset your password. True crime podcasting is not something that particularly captivated me, he says. If Dostie and Vass could get a chance to return to Susan Floress backyard they could accomplish all they need to do by drilling a few holes. . When investigators asked where, he said I have to clean up some stuff. A red Butterfly Chair, made to the specifications of the original BFK, is $350 from Circa 50. The warrants were for specific items of evidence inside four separate locations in California and Washington. Bowen said a real estate agent has already reached out to help, offering to donate his sales commission if the group raises the money for the home. 6 / The home the Floreses owned at 528 E. Branch St. was used as a rental property until Susan Flores moved in after separating from her husband. The same kind of forensic investigation that was done in Ruben's yard could have been done there as well. All these printouts were put up saying Dont trust him, Gary said. San Luis Obispo. Paul Flores, who walked Smart home from the party and was the last person to see her alive in 1996, was taken into custody on Tuesday in San Pedro, California, and booked into the San Luis Obispo. I know for a fact that [my podcast] got the public talking about Kristin again, which, according to the Sheriffs department has been a good thing, Lambert says. With the heat back on Smarts case, the family can only praise Lamberts work. Sheriff's officials said that arrest came as a result of information obtained during searches of his San Pedro home in February and April of 2020, when investigators were reportedly looking for items of interest in the Smart case. His is the latest in a line of true-crime podcasts credited with producing results in court. After the confession about the black eye, though, Flores clammed up and he hasnt talked to anyone on the record since. This is a garden with blasting sun, so you need something that is really robust, Welti says. He also stayed quiet after the Smarts filed a $40 million wrongful-death lawsuit against him; during a 1997 deposition, he again pleaded the fifth.
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