Still Missing CA - Kristin Smart, 19, San Luis Obispo, 25 May 1996 *arrests* #2

[Emi]

Megan Healy [URL='https://twitter.com/MeganHealyTV']@MeganHealyTV [/URL]13h
The Kristin Smart billboard outside James Murphy’s law office in the village of Arroyo Grande is temporarily changed. Here’s what it currently looks like:

 

[Emi]

Matt Fountain [URL='https://twitter.com/MattFountain1']@MattFountain1 [/URL]22h
Paul Flores' attorney, Robert Sanger, making some bold but not unexpected allegations in his motion.




Matt Fountain [URL='https://twitter.com/MattFountain1']@MattFountain1 [/URL]22h
Looks like Sanger is also acknowledging that evidence related to the Smart investigation was discovered during two recent searches:

 

[Emi]

Matt Fountain @MattFountain1 22h
Here's the write-up on the arraignment:


Paul and Ruben Flores make first court appearance in Kristin Smart killing
Paul Flores is accused of murdering the missing Cal Poly student and hiding her body with the help of his father.
sanluisobispo.com


Matt Fountain [URL='https://twitter.com/MattFountain1']@MattFountain1 [/URL]23h
Hearing has concluded, no pleas were entered. The arraignment will resume Monday at 1:30, when Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen will hear arguments regarding bail.

 

[charminglane]

Matt Fountain@MattFountain1


Never seen a defendant in SLO County allowed to be dressed out in a full suit and tie for an arraignment. Usually it's a crumpled collared shirt someone keeps in a closet somewhere.



12:26 PM · Apr 15, 2021·

As my Dad always says - You can't shine .

 

[Caring4Many]

Matt Fountain @MattFountain1 22h
Paul Flores' attorney, Robert Sanger, making some bold but not unexpected allegations in his motion.




Matt Fountain @MattFountain1 22h
Looks like Sanger is also acknowledging that evidence related to the Smart investigation was discovered during two recent searches:

Is it just me reading too much into things or do lines 21 & 22 seem as if they come right out and say "yes the evidence collected at Paul's house was from the murder"?????? Lines 24 & 25 state it was related to the investigation.

 

[TigerLou]

Matt Fountain@MattFountain1


Never seen a defendant in SLO County allowed to be dressed out in a full suit and tie for an arraignment. Usually it's a crumpled collared shirt someone keeps in a closet somewhere.



12:26 PM · Apr 15, 2021·

The difference in appearance between father and son is very telling. I agree with the previous poster who speculated that they family is throwing everything at Paul’s defense instead of his.


Also could his mother have provided it for him? And left the father to hang, so to speak, since they are divorced now.

 

[LadyL]

not sure if posted

Shy podcaster helped police crack California cold case

 

[jewelsmac]

Podcast for the win!

 

[Caring4Many]

The difference in appearance between father and son is very telling. I agree with the previous poster who speculated that they family is throwing everything at Paul’s defense instead of his.


Also could his mother have provided it for him? And left the father to hang, so to speak, since they are divorced now.

BBM - actually they aren't divorced. I was questioning this as well, but then I found where she says "her husband" in the interview from last month. Here's a link below to the video and some transcript. Either way, I do think it is possible that she would delegate her funds to PF over RF either way.

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-new...mart-case-speaks-out-in-first-media-interview

 

[K9Enzo]

IMO, many YouTubers and podcasters can make a mess out of a case, get on the bad side of LE, but not Chris Lambert. I'm listening to the podcast series again (Your Own Backyard) and he is very well researched, does not repeat everything he hears, fact checks, re-checks sources and is very calm and methodical when he talks about the case.

It appears that people that knew Paul Flores in High School, college, after college, or saw him and Kristen that night were comfortable talking to him, many saying no at first, but then changing their minds after episodes of the podcast were released. Kristen's parents, after pretty much saying no to interviews over the years (they thought hosts/shows were self serving in talking about their daughter) trusted him and took part. He got praises from a active LE investigator on the case who even agreed to an interview on the podcast. I personally give him a huge thumbs up for his style and for being respectful. IMO

 

[charminglane]

Is it just me reading too much into things or do lines 21 & 22 seem as if they come right out and say "yes the evidence collected at Paul's house was from the murder"?????? Lines 24 & 25 state it was related to the investigation.

EVIDENCE RECOVERED.
I'm with you!

 

[everybodhi]

Matt Fountain @MattFountain1 22h
Paul Flores' attorney, Robert Sanger, making some bold but not unexpected allegations in his motion.




Matt Fountain @MattFountain1 22h
Looks like Sanger is also acknowledging that evidence related to the Smart investigation was discovered during two recent searches:

He got his protective order barring anyone involved from talking to the media.
Page six of the Flores document includes an interesting comment to a newspaper article on how the defense can work this case.
https://www.scribd.com/document/503056765/Paul-Flores-motion-for-protective-order

 

[Seattle1]

IMO, many YouTubers and podcasters can make a mess out of a case, get on the bad side of LE, but not Chris Lambert. I'm listening to the podcast series again (Your Own Backyard) and he is very well researched, does not repeat everything he hears, fact checks, re-checks sources and is very calm and methodical when he talks about the case.

It appears that people that knew Paul Flores in High School, college, after college, or saw him and Kristen that night were comfortable talking to him, many saying no at first, but then changing their minds after episodes of the podcast were released. Kristen's parents, after pretty much saying no to interviews over the years (they thought hosts/shows were self serving in talking about their daughter) trusted him and took part. He got praises from a active LE investigator on the case who even agreed to an interview on the podcast. I personally give him a huge thumbs up for his style and for being respectful. IMO

I think motive plays a big part too. I recall this creator was a child who spent his entire life seeing the signs about a missing girl, Kristen. And as a teen, he started asking what everybody wants to know: how do you grow up, go to college, and disappear from campus overnight? I think he did an incredible job!

ETA: add new quotes by Lambert

Lambert, 33, was just 8 when Smart vanished a short drive up the coast from his own home in the small town of Orcutt, about 140 miles (225 kilometres) northwest of Los Angeles. It scared him that someone had gone missing and no one knew what happened.

For more than two decades, a billboard featuring a photo of a grinning Smart advertised a $75,000 reward. It’s located in the town of Arroyo Grande. where Paul Flores grew up and his parents still live.

Lambert passed it many times and it ultimately motivated him to start investigating.

Shy podcaster helped police crack California cold case

 

[Seattle1]

Maybe this explains the suit....

Matt Fountain
@MattFountain1

And here's some background on Paul Flores' defense attorney, who long represented the "King of Pop" and helped win the not-guilty verdict in Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial.



Paul Flores’ attorney won not-guilty verdict for Michael Jackson in child molestation case
Here’s what you need to know about the defense team in the Kristin Smart murder case.
sanluisobispo.com

10:06 AM · Apr 16, 2021

 

[Quill]

IMO, many YouTubers and podcasters can make a mess out of a case, get on the bad side of LE, but not Chris Lambert. I'm listening to the podcast series again (Your Own Backyard) and he is very well researched, does not repeat everything he hears, fact checks, re-checks sources and is very calm and methodical when he talks about the case.

It appears that people that knew Paul Flores in High School, college, after college, or saw him and Kristen that night were comfortable talking to him, many saying no at first, but then changing their minds after episodes of the podcast were released. Kristen's parents, after pretty much saying no to interviews over the years (they thought hosts/shows were self serving in talking about their daughter) trusted him and took part. He got praises from a active LE investigator on the case who even agreed to an interview on the podcast. I personally give him a huge thumbs up for his style and for being respectful. IMO

I'm giving it a listen now. As I am scrolling this thread just going past the photos with it playing, I hear a quote from a psychic "the killer has little ears"......wow.

 

[Caring4Many]

Maybe this explains the suit....

Matt Fountain
@MattFountain1

And here's some background on Paul Flores' defense attorney, who long represented the "King of Pop" and helped win the not-guilty verdict in Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial.



Paul Flores’ attorney won not-guilty verdict for Michael Jackson in child molestation case
Here’s what you need to know about the defense team in the Kristin Smart murder case.
sanluisobispo.com

10:06 AM · Apr 16, 2021

If you read the article on Sanger, it addresses PF having a suit on Thursday. BBM

"He appeared at the arraignment via Zoom from the County Jail dressed in a full suit and tie — a rare occurrence for San Luis Obispo County defendants, who normally receive a simple collared shirt — after Sanger successfully petitioned van Rooyen by arguing that jail garb would prejudice his client’s right to a fair trial given the international media attention, court records show."

Something else I found intriguing in the article- was this portion about Mesick. Why would he make statements of this nature at this time? Again BBM

"Mesick said Thursday he “helped (his) client make the decision” to testify against the other defendants. Greenwell’s testimony was damning, and every other defendant was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole.

For his testimony, Greenwell was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison.

On Thursday, Mesick told The Tribune he felt that encouraging his client to flip was the right thing to do for both his client and the Myers family. He said Greenwell was “just minimally involved” in the crimes compared to his co-defendants and that Greenwell “got sucked into that case.”

 

[10ofRods]

Is it just me reading too much into things or do lines 21 & 22 seem as if they come right out and say "yes the evidence collected at Paul's house was from the murder"?????? Lines 24 & 25 state it was related to the investigation.

Yep, that's how I read it. I bet they found DNA at Paul's house - perhaps even DNA that could be traced to blood rather than skin cells or other benign reasons.

I sure hope so.

 

[CrimeAway]

IMO, many YouTubers and podcasters can make a mess out of a case, get on the bad side of LE, but not Chris Lambert. I'm listening to the podcast series again (Your Own Backyard) and he is very well researched, does not repeat everything he hears, fact checks, re-checks sources and is very calm and methodical when he talks about the case.

It appears that people that knew Paul Flores in High School, college, after college, or saw him and Kristen that night were comfortable talking to him, many saying no at first, but then changing their minds after episodes of the podcast were released. Kristen's parents, after pretty much saying no to interviews over the years (they thought hosts/shows were self serving in talking about their daughter) trusted him and took part. He got praises from a active LE investigator on the case who even agreed to an interview on the podcast. I personally give him a huge thumbs up for his style and for being respectful. IMO

That too seems to be the case with the Classic City Crime Podcast and the investigation into the murder of Tara Louise Baker (although, IMO I think that there still seems to be resistance from the PD in that case).

Classic City Crime Podcast

GA - GA - Tara Baker, 23, Athens, 19 Jan 2001

Her case is still unsolved, and I'm sure that it could benefit from some of the great minds here

 

[Caring4Many]

EVIDENCE RECOVERED.
I'm with you!

Yep, that's how I read it. I bet they found DNA at Paul's house - perhaps even DNA that could be traced to blood rather than skin cells or other benign reasons.

I sure hope so.

Agreed! I think what surprised me most is that it came across as an admission that she was murdered and PF was involved. Like the first piece of evidence referenced was tied to the murder, the second was just related to the investigation.
Not to mention, the evidence was at the house of PF- not RF or SF. So that means whatever it was, it meant enough to PF to take it with him to his house which in itself comes of so skeevy....(not that I am shocked by that)

 

[10ofRods]

The difference in appearance between father and son is very telling. I agree with the previous poster who speculated that they family is throwing everything at Paul’s defense instead of his.


Also could his mother have provided it for him? And left the father to hang, so to speak, since they are divorced now.

And I believe it was not a very amicable divorce, from what's on the podcast and what she has said in various local interviews. I also think she really wants to keep out of the web of criminality created by her ex-husband (sure, Paul is responsible for the murder, but the dad clearly orchestrated the evasion of justice after the fact, IMO).

If the parents are not divorced (ETA) and they may not be, it is also the case that SF has a boyfriend, who has been with her for a long and with whom she lives, at least according to public records search. In March 2021, approximately, the police took her VW (an older one) into evidence. Her March interview makes her sound as if she truly believes Paul is not involved (nor Ruben).