July 26, 2021 • 37 mins
More than two dozen women have come forward to say that accused killer Paul Flores “either raped, drugged, stalked, or peeping tommed them.” None of those allegations will be presented when Flores goes on trial for the death of Kristin Smart, however, as a judge said the evidence for those cases is “too thin.”
A recent search found “a homemade CD he made of himself having sex with women going in and out of consciousness. There is also a Google search for “real drunken girl drugged and raped while passed out.” Paul Flores, 44, is the prime suspect in the disappearance and presumed death of 19-year-old Smart in 1996 when both were students at California State Polytechnic University.
Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested in April after investigators searched their homes. Investigators said they found traces of human blood on a patch of soil that had been disturbed underneath Ruben Flores’ house, surrounded by a lattice. A tenant at the property told authorities Ruben Flores always kept the area locked with a padlock. Smart’s parents have filed a lawsuit against Flores’s mother and her boyfriend, alleging that they helped move their daughter’s body.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
- Kathleen Murphy - North Carolina, Family Attorney, www.ncdomesticlaw.com
- Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, www.drbethanymarshall.com, Netflix show: 'Bling Empire'
- Sheryl McCollum - Forensic Expert, Founder: Cold Case Investigative Research Institute in Atlanta, GA, ColdCaseCrimes.org, @ColdCaseTips
- Dr. Priya Banerjee, M.D. [BANNER-JEE] - Board Certified Forensic Pathologist, Anchor Forensic Pathology Consulting, AnchorForensicPathology.com, Assistant Medical Examiner
- Dave Minsky - Public Safety and Military Reporter, Santa Maria Times, Lompoc Record and Santa Ynez Valley News, Twitter: @daveminsky
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Prime Stories with Nancy Grace. A beautiful co ed Christmas
Smart goes missing after a college party. Years passed, no resolution,
and now we are learning the prime suspect allegedly has raped, peeped, on,
(00:31):
stalked twenty nine other women. And we're just hearing that
amongst so much more evidence, is it true? Human blood
has been found in the backyard of the prime suspect,
(00:52):
Paul Floreses Dad Ruben Flores' home. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.
Take a listen to this. Friday, May twenty fourth, nineteen
(01:15):
ninety six was the start of the Memorial Day weekend.
Most students had taken off, but Kristen had stayed on campus,
so had Margharita Campos, who lived in the next room
in your hall. They had become close friends, so when
they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristen
was excited to go. And Kristen was like, come on,
(01:37):
let's go, let's go, And I was like, nah, I
have to study. And so she pulled me into this
sort of like, oh, come on, let's socialize, and these
girls are inviting us out, let's go. And I was
like okay, fine, But when we got to the house.
It was pretty dead to it. It was like a
couple of roommates hanging out playing video games, and Kristen
was like, oh gosh, there has to be something better
than this. The two girls walked to an area off
(01:59):
campus or there were fraternities, sororities, and residential housing for students.
Marcar Rita soon decided she'd had enough. I'll never forget
her shadow against the building this apartment complex, just standing
like kind of cross armed with a long leg and
she was just kind of like looking at me like, Oh,
you're really walking away now, Like you're really you're leaving
you are hearing Jonathan Bigliotti at forty eight Hours, describing
(02:22):
the night that Kristin Smart goes missing. Her body has
never been recovered to this day, but is so finally
a lead in the case. It may show us reveal
where her body is with me an all star panel
to make sense of it all. First of all, veteran
trial lawyer Kathleen Murphy joining us out of North Carolina
(02:43):
at NC Domestic Law dot com. Doctor Bethany Marshall, renowned psychoanalysts,
joining us out of Beverly Hills, a star of a
Netflix series blaming Empire. A doctor Bethany Marshall dot com,
forensics expert, founder and director of the Cold Case Research Institute.
You can find her at Cold Case Crimes dot org.
(03:04):
Cheryl McCollum, doctor Pria Banerjee, forensic pathologist at Anchor Forensic
Pathology Assistant medical Examiner. And Dave Minsky Public Safety, a
military reporter sent to Maria Times on the case from
the get go. Before we go to Dave Minsky, take
a listen to more of what we know happened than night.
(03:28):
Christis Bart disappears. Paul keeps stopping along the way and
letting Cheryl Anderson know you can go on ahead. I've
got her, It's fine. She didn't think that was okay,
so she slowed down and walked with them. When they
reached the turn off to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores
tried to hug and kiss her. She left them only
after he promised to take Kristan back to her dorm.
(03:51):
Paul and christ and then make their way here. What
happens next, So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes
into his dorm room here and he leaves her to
walk up this walkway. Her dorm entrance is right over here.
I personally think that wherever Kristen went, Paul was there
with her. I don't think that she went back to
(04:11):
her dorm at all. Whatever happened in those early hours,
one thing is indisputable. Christian Smart has never been seen again.
You're hearing our friends at forty eight hours. Take another
Listen to our cut too. She had ended up at
a party at this house. It's mostly frat guys from
the Kappa Kai fraternity. I don't know if Kristin knew
(04:32):
anybody there. Chris Lambert is a CBS News consultant, and
he's pieced together what he learned from people who were
there that night. Kristen 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. Lambert says Christine could
(04:53):
not stand on her own, so fellow student Cheryl Anderson,
who was also at the party, began helping her back
to campus. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores.
As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears
out of nowhere and offers to help. He gets his
arm around her torso and her arm around his neck,
(05:15):
and he's helping her walk. That's how it all went
down the night that Christian Smart disappeared. But in the
present day, major developments in the case regarding the search
of college co ed Christian Smart with me Dave Minsky,
Public Safety military reporter, Santa Maria Times. Dave, what is
the latest? I mean, what can you tell me about
(05:37):
this treasure trope of documents. We've just gotten our mits
and we all know that in about a week's time
there's going to be a preliminary hearing where the state
will lay out its case in order to get the
case bound over for felony prosecution. But what's in those documents? Well,
right now, what we have in these documents, you have
(05:57):
about forty seven plus t about eaty pages actually that
kind of layout give details of what happened to Kristen
or allegedly happened to christ on the night she disappeared,
and what they allegedly discovered at Reuben Flores' house. And
also it provides accounts of several dozen women of Paul
(06:20):
Flores's alleged behavior over the years. By my account, a
total of twenty nine women now coming forward claiming that
Paul Flores, then in college at the time Christian goes missing,
had either raped, stopped, drugged, or peaked on them. Twenty
(06:41):
nine women, separated in time and space, have come forward.
I'm just stunned that none of this has come out before,
but we're learning it now. We're also learning about very
damning evidence that's found at the home of the suspect,
Paul Flores and his add Ruben Flores. Take a listen
(07:02):
now to our cut five. This is Alexa Bertola at Ksby.
Paul and Reuben Flores were both in suits for their
first in person court appearance. The prosecution argued that additional
rape charges should be included in the case against Paul,
who was charged with murdering Smart during the commission of
rape or attempted rape. Prosecutor Chris Provel revealed in court
(07:25):
that during a search of Flores's San Pedro home in
twenty twenty, they discovered Google searches for porn related to
drunk girls. One search included real drunken girls drugged in
rate well passed out. He said they should include alleged
victims from the LA area dating back to twenty ten
and twenty seventeen. After searching Paul's cell phone in a
(07:47):
home video. Pravell also said Flores created home rape videos
that were stored on his home computer under a file
labeled practice, and called the defendant a serial rapist. He
said during a twenty twenty search warrants, they also found
date rape drugs at Flora's home. Okay, let me understand
this to Dave Minski joining us in the Santa Maria Times,
(08:07):
when they search the prime suspect, Paul Flora's home, who
was last with Kristin Smart the night she disappears, they
find a homemade date rape video montage various women drifting
in and out of consciousness while he has sex with them.
(08:29):
That's rape because they're unconscious and they cannot consent. They
find that, and it's called practice. And then they also
find very damning Google searches, for instance, real drunken girls
drugged and raped while passed out. I wouldn't even imagine.
(08:51):
I wouldn't even think to search a Google search like that.
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Guys, we are talking about
(09:14):
the most recent developments that we have learned in the
case of a missing co ed Kristen's smart a treasure
troupe of documents evidence. We've just gotten our mits on
very damny. I mean, Bethanie Marshall, you're the shrink. I'm
just a trial lawyer who in the world actually looks
(09:34):
on Google real drunken girls drugged and raped while passed out. Well,
it tells us so much information about him, Nancy. First
of all, it says that he wants absolute control over
his victims. He is not relating to women as people
with thoughts and feelings and motivations of their own. He
(09:56):
is relating to them as objects. It that there's a
certain amount of sadism in this, that he wants to
do things to them without their consent. Nancy. There were
a couple other reports that came out, one which is
that he was on the balcony of one of the
dorms with some women way back in nineteen ninety six,
(10:18):
and these women asked him to leave, and he would
not do it. They had to call the campus police.
Do you know for a college age man to not
leave the balcony of other students until the police arrived,
That tells me that way back then he was already
completely predatory. So I wonder some pipes with Kristen Smart
(10:41):
if he was sort of a practice. And one other
thing about these rapes and rape kits and everything we're
learning about men who commit rape homicide have very prolific
fantasy lives, so they often this is why they will rape,
and then they will go under ground and then they'll
rape or rape and kill because they gather so many
(11:04):
fetishized objects, tape, memorabilia, fetishized objects, and then they use
those to masturbate too, so that in the absence of
victims they can keep their perverse sexual life going. I
agree with you, doctor Bethany Marshall, although with twenty nine
women coming forward, I don't know how much of a
(11:25):
break he took these twenty nine women claiming he either
drugged and raped them, stalked them, peeped on them, and
more so he got this perverse enjoyment out of peeping
tom activity. You know, Cheryl McCollum, I'm just sick to
(11:45):
my stomach that it has taken so long for this
evidence to be uncovered. You know what stands out for me.
You've got the twenty nine women, but oftentimes in these
type of social settings, men are oblivious, but not with
this guy. You've got men that have coming forward saying
(12:06):
he was aggressive towards females at the party. You got
another man saying he even went up to him and said, dude,
we hate you. Like other men had noticed he was
hanging out at the dorm that he didn't live at,
that he was waiting in the early morning hours for somebody,
and he would follow them and stalk them and be
inappropriate with them in front of other men. So that
(12:29):
tells you this open secret this dude had about his
sexual predatory behavior was wide open. In fact, he had
a nickname at school. Did he not out to you,
Dave Minsky Chester the molester and psycho Paul. Yeah, that's
what they were alleging here in the documents that they released. Now,
(12:50):
why is it these documents are just being released, Dad Minsky?
You know, they allegedly uncovered all this evidence that you know,
Paul Flours might have raped women in la you know,
and back in April, District Attorney Saint Luis Obispo County
District Attorney Dan dow He wanted to add a rape
(13:12):
charge to the complaint, but the statute of limitations had expired.
So therefore they had to go back and kind of
dig up or find all this alleged evidence. And in
order to add that charge, they had to request the
judge to do that. In order to do that, they
had to show all this other evidence alleged evidence. I
(13:34):
also believe that all this evidence is coming forward at
a statutory time. Under the law, it has to come
out X number of days before a for instance, trial
or preliminary hearing. But another thing that's very upsetting to me,
Kathleen Murphy trial lawyer, is that the current judge says
(13:55):
that these rapes cannot be brought into evidence as similar
transactions to prove motive of course of conduct scheme frame
of mind. Remember with Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, other sex attacks
on women that happened the same way as the case
(14:17):
in chief or allowed to show that Weinstein is what
we call a sex predator. Okay, so this is allowed
under the law. It's the same exact thing. He hits
on Christmas Smart, He starts following her, He takes her
back to his dorm. She was drugged, she had only
(14:40):
had like one or two drinks, but she was laying
on a lawn. She was obviously drugged. Same, Nancy. I
think you said it right on the You hit the issue.
It is the law we are allowed to bring in
that evidence, and that makes this an appealable issue. You
from the beginning, they should be allowed to bring in
(15:04):
all of those witnesses to show the course of conduct
is similar. Absolutely, not allowing that is outrageous. Go ahead, Dave, Well,
except the judge. You know, he thought that that evidence
would be too prejudicial to a potential jury, blah blah,
which is why he you know, I mean, that's why
(15:27):
very often she will call him. You and I have
been in the trenches. Very often you will get a
judge get a wild hair and disallow similar transactions. And
that's what's happening here. Of course, it's prejudicial. Every bit
of evidence the state brings on as prejudicial against the defendant.
But that doesn't mean it doesn't come into evidence. I mean,
(15:48):
the fact he was the last one with her, well,
that prejudices him. But it's true. I believe complaint what
but we have a video of it. And here's the thing.
I am never for keeping any information from a jury.
They should have everything that law enforcement has to make
that decision. If you keep the video of him raping
(16:09):
women from him, how does that help them put all
the pieces of this puzzle. Hey, Cheryl, are you sitting down?
I hope you may need to lay down for this.
Guess what the judge said that the evidence of all
the other rapes was quote too thin. Can you name
me one other felony that has to be corroborated outside
(16:30):
the victim's testimony other than rape? You know, I rob
a bang the bank till goes. It was him, It
was him, it was Grayson. That's all you need. So
why is it in a rape case? The victim was
saying he raped me, but that's not enough in a
rape case. And this judge upon the bitch. I hope
(16:51):
he is recalled. I can only pray that his constituents
are listening, says these women's their testimony quote too thin.
You've been fighting for a long time, and when we
first started, women had to pay for their rate kits.
We had to fight for that to change. There was
(17:11):
no other case at all, not entering auto, not burglary,
not homicide. We're a victim out to paper evidence crime
stories with Nancy Grace, Guys We are talking about a cash,
(17:37):
a treasure trove of documents that Dave Minsky with Santa
Maria Times is describing that we have just gotten our
hands on in the Christian Smart disappearance that has gone
unsought for years and years. I've talked to her parents.
Can you imagine every morning they wake up without their
daughter and no justice. But it's not just about the
(17:58):
twenty nine other budged victims of his. It's not just
about his freaky CD. It's not just about his damning
Google searches. Take a Lissa to our cut six. This
is k sby. He added that four cadaver dogs hit
on Flores's mattress in his dorm room, adding they believe
Smart died in or around his bed back in nineteen
(18:21):
ninety six. The defense fired back, arguing that there is
zero evidence of rape, attempted rape, or murder. Attorney Robert
Singer said he was very disappointed in the effort to
make an emotional argument instead of facts. He said investigators
have been focusing on Flores since June six, nineteen ninety six,
when Flores stopped talking after voluntarily talking to law enforcement.
(18:44):
Singer claims Smart disappear before in Hawaii, and also that
three or more people reported the college freshman may have
been pregnant at the time she disappeared. The judge ruled
that there would be a spillover effect into the current case,
which he said has little to no evidence of rape.
Were attempted rape, so the motion to add new rape
charges was denied. All right, and Rade the victim through
(19:06):
them ud claiming that this teen girl was pregnant. I've
never heard that in my life. Now the defense attorney,
what is he a gynecologist? Why to say? Why would
he say that as total bs to make Kristin's Smart
look bad? Now, but that's not all present day. Take
a listen to our friends at k e YT. This
(19:28):
is our cut. Seven prosecutors will try to prove that
the remains of Kristen Smart were buried under the Arroyal
Grande home of Reuben Flores under a deck in the
back of the property, five days after the home was searched.
On February fourth of twenty twenty, a neighbor says they
saw Paul's mother and Flores and her boyfriend Mike McConville
(19:48):
pull a trailer into Reuben Flores's backyard near the deck.
A long time renter at the home on White Court
says the space underneath that deck was always locked. Authorities
returned to search the entire property on March fifteenth, and
archaeologists use ground penetrating radar under the deck. The documents
say that data showed a large four by six foot anomaly.
(20:11):
The experts said they found a major disturbance. Prosecutors argue
this is the exact scenario where someone would dig the hole,
put in the body, re excavate the hole to remove
the body, then fill it back in once the body
has been removed. The document states samples tested positive for
human blood in the area. I feel like my head
(20:32):
is about to blow off, Cheryl McCollum. You and I
together have gone on many many sayings including where we
bring cadaver dogs and ground penetrating sonar and what that does?
It looks like some have you ever seen those people
on the beach looking for money or rings that might
(20:53):
be in the sand. That's what it looks like. And
they device gives you a picture deep deep down into
the soil, and you can see once you take it
back and look at it, if that soil has been
moved rearranged. That's what it's looking for, or it might
(21:13):
actually find an object. It's kind of like a sonogram.
For you ladies like me that have had a somnogra
have to look at your children in your tummy. That's
kind of what it looks like. And so you see
all these gray ways and then you see something that
are different. That means the ground has been disturbed. So
now they find this area Cheryl mc collumn, that looks
(21:37):
like the shape of a casket. Why do people always
do in the shape of a casket. In fact, you
and I were just at a scene under a definite
lady convicted where he built a deck over the body.
I'm talking about, Chase Master. That's what's happening here. They
even find human blood, Cheryl not long ago, using the
(21:59):
ground in a trait and radar, and we found a
pipe and even with that image you could tell clearly
it was some type of metal object. Here's here's a thing.
They've got blood, they've got a clandestine grave that she's
been removed from. They've got video, they've got similar transaction.
(22:21):
They've got witnesses that are male and female. They've got
a pattern of behavior that I guarantee you if investigators
would go back started in high school, they should piece
this together and put this in front of a jury,
almost like a movie the way you would do. Let
show this predator for the hunter that he is, and
(22:43):
what about this it's a it's a I swore I
would not curse tins. Yes, David, Dave Miski, I mean
I got to hear about the blood. Was the blood
found in the dirt or on the bottom of the
debt and this is a whole family affair. Did I
hear correctly, Dave Minsky that after the last sort of
(23:06):
the home, that one of the last sort of the home,
the mom and her boyfriend pull up with a trailer
to the back deck and dig something up. Help me, Minsky? Yeah,
well that was alleged by a neighbor who caught them,
(23:26):
allegedly caught them, you know, or you know, putting a
trailer up to his house and doing something and hauling
something away. But you know, we don't know what that is.
And I also just want to add real quick that
you know, there may have been a positive presence for
human blood and the dirt or in the in that
clandestine grave that you're describing. However, no DNA evidence was
(23:49):
attached to that, so they can't you know, rule out
that she was there, nor that they could rule out
that she wasn't there. Well, can't we tell that it's human?
What about that door? Preyert Banner forensic pathologist anchor forensic
pathology assistant medical examiner. Can't wait to tell if it's
human blood even if we don't get DNA. Yes, I mean,
(24:11):
I think that's a huge find and they can do
I'm not sure about field test, but if you collect it,
you know, that's one of the first steps in testing
any sort of trace evidence is it human or not?
You know, I just wanted to add that I do
go to a lot of crime scenes as a part
of my work, and any sort of indication like this,
(24:31):
you know, you should have more eyes out there. I've
been you know, involved in multiple on earthing of you know,
digging up of bodies. You can really get a sense
of if something's been disturbed recently, even if you know
the grass grows back different. Why did a deck appear?
Why is there a new path of cement? I mean,
(24:53):
people notice these things and I think it's worth going
back and if there's blood in that area, why not
start digging, you know, um and see if there's crass
of you know, clothing or other hair. I mean, I
don't know what would have survived, So that's really important
to get some skilled eyes out there. Let me understand
(25:13):
what you're saying. Day Man's key. I agree with everything.
Doctor pre Advantages just said. You're telling me that there
was blood found, but they couldn't get DNA or we
don't know if they've gotten DNA. Well, according to this, uh,
these documents, it looks like there is no human DNA
that was found in the blood due to the blood's petrification.
(25:35):
And also you know the tests they use. I guess whatever,
whatever kind of tests it was, it couldn't screen out
primate or ferret blood. But also you know, later on
in the document it said that you know, no, no
bodies of primates or ferrets are found nearby. So I
was going to say, like, I gotta jump in here,
(25:57):
Jo Cheryl. Let's see, an animal did not go into
that deck and die and better than sales and nor
did another animal come along and unearth them and move
them more than ten feet didn't. Are you sure to
tell me they don't know if it was an animal
or a human. Is that what you're saying? Apparently? Yeah?
(26:19):
You know, I mean, you know, I read through all
these documents. I still distill a lot of questions I
have in my mind, and I just I don't really see. Well,
the document that we have recovered in this huge amount
of discovery says that samples tested positive for human blood
in the area. Correct, right, So why are we talking
(26:44):
about a primate who speaking? It's a docum energy Go ahead, dodger. Yeah,
I mean, I'm just saying, like, why isn't that probable
cause enough to start digging? I mean, they are digging.
They dug it up and there's not a body. Time
(27:12):
stories with Nancy Grace, everybody were talking about the disappearance,
and I believe rape and murder co ed Kristen Smart.
Isn't it true that now the mother and her BF
have been charged. I don't know if I don't think
(27:33):
they've been charged. Excuse me? Named in a civil lawsuit. Yes,
they were about the civil law correct, right, Well, the
civil lawsuit alleged is just what you you mentioned that.
In s February of twenty twenty, the Sheriff's office conducted
a search on Reuben Flora as his home in Arroyo
Grinder and then with honor. About five five or so
(27:56):
days after that, that's when Susan Flora's and her boyfriend
Mike mcconbell allegedly went to Reuben's house did something you
know with the trailer and worked quote under the cover
or under the darkness of night to remove something and
hallowed away. We don't know what it was, and we
don't know if it's really true. So, guy John Van
(28:19):
about this. You know, this whole family is covering up
the crime. It's obvious. But the only person who doesn't
truly have skin in the game is Mike, Susan Flores's
current boyfriend. This whole family has been conspiring and plotting
for years to cover up the crime of Chester, the molester,
(28:40):
the strange now adult son. I'm sure there's multiple other
things he's done. I'm sure the whole family dynamic is
organized around covering up their son's dysfunction problem criminal activities.
But Mike mccondrel, he's a newer member of the family.
Do you think he's really going to go to prison?
(29:02):
I mean, Reuben Flores is not his biological son. What
motivation does he have to cover up the crime. I mean,
if we look at the behavioral elegance, I couldn't imagine
that there's not at least one extended family member or
a friend of a family member who doesn't know something
about this crime. Nancy, I was in a royal grande recently,
(29:26):
the small town where the family lives. There's a huge
billboard there with Kristen Smart's picture, the same picture that's
all over the internet. A lot of people know about
this crime. It's hard to believe that somebody doesn't have
something that they can talk to about, talk about to
the police. I want to be specific about what Dave
(29:48):
Minsky is telling us. He's right. We are now learning
that Saint Louis Bispo investigators discovered human blood under the
home of Paul Flora's father, but records also show they
found fabric fibers in the place where they believe Christen
Smart was buried. The ground penetrating radar found a six
(30:11):
by four foot anomaly, in other words, where somebody had
dug under the home. Four soil samples test positive for
human blood, but not for DNA. An archaeologist named Cindy Errington,
as I recall found standing in the dirt to indicate
a body had been put in a hole, chemical poured
(30:33):
over it, the whole field in and the body moved later.
Now again, I'm a trial lawyer. This is what an
archaeologist is saying. Nancy, pardon me for playing the devil's
advocate here, but I don't see anything that conclusively linked
(30:54):
Smart to this location. Yeah, okay, was that the devil's
advocate part? Yeah, well, you know you've got yeah, there's
no DNA found, right, you just have the positive presence
for human blood. But you also have, you know, some
sample fibers containing various colors of red, blue, brown, black,
(31:15):
and brown and black. And isn't it true when Christa
Smart was last saying she was wearing red Puma shoes,
black shorts with white stripes at a great top. Correct
if you can somehow prove that you know, these fibers
are linked to Kristen Smart and there might be something there.
Let me ask you something, Dave Minsky. If you went
(31:37):
into your studio and when you went in, the sun
was shining, it was beautiful weather outside, but when you
left for lunch, you looked around and everything was dark
and gray, there were black clouds overhead, and women were
going by holding their raincoats, and men rushing by with umbrellas,
and the ground was wet. Believe, yes, that circumstantial evidence
(32:04):
would prove to you beyond a reasonable doubt that it
had rained while you were in the studio, I might agree.
Do you agree I might reach that answer via conclusion
by exclusion? Yeah, well, I don't know what you're saying.
That's gibberish to me, but I will tell you that
(32:27):
as you just said, you would think you immediately said,
oh it rained. Yeah, you didn't see the storm, did you.
You didn't see the rain drops, you didn't hear the lightning,
but you know it rained. And I would argue in
this case that Paul Floris was all over Christmas Smart
(32:47):
at this party. In fact, they fell to the floor.
He somehow, in his wrestling at the party, knocked her
to the floor. They fell together, and people took him
apart and went, man, you need to leave her alone.
Then somehow at this party she, after one or two drinks,
passed out on a lawn, and then he took her
(33:10):
cadaver dogs hit in his bedroom, his dorm, at his bed.
She's never seen alive again, and now dirt is moved.
There's a casket shape hole in his dad's backyard with
human blood in it. I don't need to say the
(33:33):
storm Dave Minsky to know it. Reigned. Take a listen
to our friend, Our cut eight Alexa Bertola Kspy. Eighty
total pages submitted before Wednesday's motion hearing are now unsealed.
On June twenty fifth, the LA County District Attorney's Office
granted permission to our jurisdiction to prosecute two counts of rate.
(33:55):
The documents claimed Paul Flores read two women in twenty
eleven and twenty seventeen in San Pedro. On June twenty ninth,
the defense filed opposition citing the rape charges where a
publicity stunt stating there is no new evidence tying Floors
to the disappearance of Smart since the initial investigation. It
goes on to say this may more accurately be characterized
(34:16):
as adding week but sensational counts to a week or
non existent murder case. The prosecution then filed a forty
three page response in a phone tap in January twenty twenty.
The document says Susan Paul's mother had a conversation with him, saying, quote,
the other thing I need you to do is to
start listening to the podcast. I need you to listen
(34:37):
to everything they say so we can punch holes in it.
Wherever we can punch holes, maybe we can't. You you're
the one that can tell me. And also to our
nine this is Megan Heal a KSB line plus. Then
twenty four hours after posting bail, Reuben Flores is hit
with a lawsuit filed Thursday morning on behalf of the
Smart family. Civil attorney James Murphy filed an intention infliction
(35:00):
of emotional distressed lawsuit saying there's compelling evidence Reuben and
Susan Flores and Susan's boyfriend quote worked through the night
under the cover of darkness to remove the remains of
Kristen Smart to avoid having those remains at seven ten
White Court in the event of an additional search of
the property, and we have information that the contents of
(35:20):
that grave site was then offloaded in some manner to
another location. He alleged is that Christen's remains were removed
from Ruben's property and scattered in the Wazna area after
the San Luis Obispol County Sheriff's Office served search warrants
at the Floors home on February fifth, twenty. The civil
lawsuit is based upon the fact that biological materials were
(35:45):
found in the ground in a whole adjacent to the
wall of Reuben Flores's house and unders deck. To you,
Cheryl McCollum, we learned that the night, as Dave Minsky
accurately reported from the Santa Maria Times, that a neighbor
says they saw a trailer of sorts pulling up to
the back of the Flora's home. That all through the night,
(36:09):
the neighbor could hear arguing all night long, all night long,
that lights were on, and that there was a ruckus
going on in the back, in the cloak, under the
cloak of darkness. Well, it would have to be a
pretty stressful event because you have to make sure that
you're getting every single bone, button, shoe, earring, anything that
(36:34):
might be in that clandestine grave. And let me just
say one other thing, Nancy, because this to me again
is common sense. Who other than somebody with the last
name of Floras would need to move that body If
I'm a stranger and just happened to pick that kid's
porch to hide a body under. I ain't moving it.
Let him take the fall. We wait for this preliminary
(36:58):
hearing set to go down and a matter of days
where we will hear more evidence. Nancy Grace Crimes story,
signing off, Goodbye friend,
Prime Stories with Nancy Grace. A beautiful co ed Christmas
Smart goes missing after a college party. Years passed, no resolution,
and now we are learning the prime suspect allegedly has raped, peeped, on,
(00:31):
stalked twenty nine other women. And we're just hearing that
amongst so much more evidence, is it true? Human blood
has been found in the backyard of the prime suspect,
(00:52):
Paul Floreses Dad Ruben Flores' home. Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.
Take a listen to this. Friday, May twenty fourth, nineteen
(01:15):
ninety six was the start of the Memorial Day weekend.
Most students had taken off, but Kristen had stayed on campus,
so had Margharita Campos, who lived in the next room
in your hall. They had become close friends, so when
they were invited to a party that Friday night, Kristen
was excited to go. And Kristen was like, come on,
(01:37):
let's go, let's go, And I was like, nah, I
have to study. And so she pulled me into this
sort of like, oh, come on, let's socialize, and these
girls are inviting us out, let's go. And I was
like okay, fine, But when we got to the house.
It was pretty dead to it. It was like a
couple of roommates hanging out playing video games, and Kristen
was like, oh gosh, there has to be something better
than this. The two girls walked to an area off
(01:59):
campus or there were fraternities, sororities, and residential housing for students.
Marcar Rita soon decided she'd had enough. I'll never forget
her shadow against the building this apartment complex, just standing
like kind of cross armed with a long leg and
she was just kind of like looking at me like, Oh,
you're really walking away now, Like you're really you're leaving
you are hearing Jonathan Bigliotti at forty eight Hours, describing
(02:22):
the night that Kristin Smart goes missing. Her body has
never been recovered to this day, but is so finally
a lead in the case. It may show us reveal
where her body is with me an all star panel
to make sense of it all. First of all, veteran
trial lawyer Kathleen Murphy joining us out of North Carolina
(02:43):
at NC Domestic Law dot com. Doctor Bethany Marshall, renowned psychoanalysts,
joining us out of Beverly Hills, a star of a
Netflix series blaming Empire. A doctor Bethany Marshall dot com,
forensics expert, founder and director of the Cold Case Research Institute.
You can find her at Cold Case Crimes dot org.
(03:04):
Cheryl McCollum, doctor Pria Banerjee, forensic pathologist at Anchor Forensic
Pathology Assistant medical Examiner. And Dave Minsky Public Safety, a
military reporter sent to Maria Times on the case from
the get go. Before we go to Dave Minsky, take
a listen to more of what we know happened than night.
(03:28):
Christis Bart disappears. Paul keeps stopping along the way and
letting Cheryl Anderson know you can go on ahead. I've
got her, It's fine. She didn't think that was okay,
so she slowed down and walked with them. When they
reached the turn off to Cheryl's dorm, she says Flores
tried to hug and kiss her. She left them only
after he promised to take Kristan back to her dorm.
(03:51):
Paul and christ and then make their way here. What
happens next, So, if you believe Paul's story, he goes
into his dorm room here and he leaves her to
walk up this walkway. Her dorm entrance is right over here.
I personally think that wherever Kristen went, Paul was there
with her. I don't think that she went back to
(04:11):
her dorm at all. Whatever happened in those early hours,
one thing is indisputable. Christian Smart has never been seen again.
You're hearing our friends at forty eight hours. Take another
Listen to our cut too. She had ended up at
a party at this house. It's mostly frat guys from
the Kappa Kai fraternity. I don't know if Kristin knew
(04:32):
anybody there. Chris Lambert is a CBS News consultant, and
he's pieced together what he learned from people who were
there that night. Kristen 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. Lambert says Christine could
(04:53):
not stand on her own, so fellow student Cheryl Anderson,
who was also at the party, began helping her back
to campus. They were soon joined by another partygoer, Paul Flores.
As they describe it, Paul Flores just sort of appears
out of nowhere and offers to help. He gets his
arm around her torso and her arm around his neck,
(05:15):
and he's helping her walk. That's how it all went
down the night that Christian Smart disappeared. But in the
present day, major developments in the case regarding the search
of college co ed Christian Smart with me Dave Minsky,
Public Safety military reporter, Santa Maria Times. Dave, what is
the latest? I mean, what can you tell me about
(05:37):
this treasure trope of documents. We've just gotten our mits
and we all know that in about a week's time
there's going to be a preliminary hearing where the state
will lay out its case in order to get the
case bound over for felony prosecution. But what's in those documents? Well,
right now, what we have in these documents, you have
(05:57):
about forty seven plus t about eaty pages actually that
kind of layout give details of what happened to Kristen
or allegedly happened to christ on the night she disappeared,
and what they allegedly discovered at Reuben Flores' house. And
also it provides accounts of several dozen women of Paul
(06:20):
Flores's alleged behavior over the years. By my account, a
total of twenty nine women now coming forward claiming that
Paul Flores, then in college at the time Christian goes missing,
had either raped, stopped, drugged, or peaked on them. Twenty
(06:41):
nine women, separated in time and space, have come forward.
I'm just stunned that none of this has come out before,
but we're learning it now. We're also learning about very
damning evidence that's found at the home of the suspect,
Paul Flores and his add Ruben Flores. Take a listen
(07:02):
now to our cut five. This is Alexa Bertola at Ksby.
Paul and Reuben Flores were both in suits for their
first in person court appearance. The prosecution argued that additional
rape charges should be included in the case against Paul,
who was charged with murdering Smart during the commission of
rape or attempted rape. Prosecutor Chris Provel revealed in court
(07:25):
that during a search of Flores's San Pedro home in
twenty twenty, they discovered Google searches for porn related to
drunk girls. One search included real drunken girls drugged in
rate well passed out. He said they should include alleged
victims from the LA area dating back to twenty ten
and twenty seventeen. After searching Paul's cell phone in a
(07:47):
home video. Pravell also said Flores created home rape videos
that were stored on his home computer under a file
labeled practice, and called the defendant a serial rapist. He
said during a twenty twenty search warrants, they also found
date rape drugs at Flora's home. Okay, let me understand
this to Dave Minski joining us in the Santa Maria Times,
(08:07):
when they search the prime suspect, Paul Flora's home, who
was last with Kristin Smart the night she disappears, they
find a homemade date rape video montage various women drifting
in and out of consciousness while he has sex with them.
(08:29):
That's rape because they're unconscious and they cannot consent. They
find that, and it's called practice. And then they also
find very damning Google searches, for instance, real drunken girls
drugged and raped while passed out. I wouldn't even imagine.
(08:51):
I wouldn't even think to search a Google search like that.
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Guys, we are talking about
(09:14):
the most recent developments that we have learned in the
case of a missing co ed Kristen's smart a treasure
troupe of documents evidence. We've just gotten our mits on
very damny. I mean, Bethanie Marshall, you're the shrink. I'm
just a trial lawyer who in the world actually looks
(09:34):
on Google real drunken girls drugged and raped while passed out. Well,
it tells us so much information about him, Nancy. First
of all, it says that he wants absolute control over
his victims. He is not relating to women as people
with thoughts and feelings and motivations of their own. He
(09:56):
is relating to them as objects. It that there's a
certain amount of sadism in this, that he wants to
do things to them without their consent. Nancy. There were
a couple other reports that came out, one which is
that he was on the balcony of one of the
dorms with some women way back in nineteen ninety six,
(10:18):
and these women asked him to leave, and he would
not do it. They had to call the campus police.
Do you know for a college age man to not
leave the balcony of other students until the police arrived,
That tells me that way back then he was already
completely predatory. So I wonder some pipes with Kristen Smart
(10:41):
if he was sort of a practice. And one other
thing about these rapes and rape kits and everything we're
learning about men who commit rape homicide have very prolific
fantasy lives, so they often this is why they will rape,
and then they will go under ground and then they'll
rape or rape and kill because they gather so many
(11:04):
fetishized objects, tape, memorabilia, fetishized objects, and then they use
those to masturbate too, so that in the absence of
victims they can keep their perverse sexual life going. I
agree with you, doctor Bethany Marshall, although with twenty nine
women coming forward, I don't know how much of a
(11:25):
break he took these twenty nine women claiming he either
drugged and raped them, stalked them, peeped on them, and
more so he got this perverse enjoyment out of peeping
tom activity. You know, Cheryl McCollum, I'm just sick to
(11:45):
my stomach that it has taken so long for this
evidence to be uncovered. You know what stands out for me.
You've got the twenty nine women, but oftentimes in these
type of social settings, men are oblivious, but not with
this guy. You've got men that have coming forward saying
(12:06):
he was aggressive towards females at the party. You got
another man saying he even went up to him and said, dude,
we hate you. Like other men had noticed he was
hanging out at the dorm that he didn't live at,
that he was waiting in the early morning hours for somebody,
and he would follow them and stalk them and be
inappropriate with them in front of other men. So that
(12:29):
tells you this open secret this dude had about his
sexual predatory behavior was wide open. In fact, he had
a nickname at school. Did he not out to you,
Dave Minsky Chester the molester and psycho Paul. Yeah, that's
what they were alleging here in the documents that they released. Now,
(12:50):
why is it these documents are just being released, Dad Minsky?
You know, they allegedly uncovered all this evidence that you know,
Paul Flours might have raped women in la you know,
and back in April, District Attorney Saint Luis Obispo County
District Attorney Dan dow He wanted to add a rape
(13:12):
charge to the complaint, but the statute of limitations had expired.
So therefore they had to go back and kind of
dig up or find all this alleged evidence. And in
order to add that charge, they had to request the
judge to do that. In order to do that, they
had to show all this other evidence alleged evidence. I
(13:34):
also believe that all this evidence is coming forward at
a statutory time. Under the law, it has to come
out X number of days before a for instance, trial
or preliminary hearing. But another thing that's very upsetting to me,
Kathleen Murphy trial lawyer, is that the current judge says
(13:55):
that these rapes cannot be brought into evidence as similar
transactions to prove motive of course of conduct scheme frame
of mind. Remember with Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, other sex attacks
on women that happened the same way as the case
(14:17):
in chief or allowed to show that Weinstein is what
we call a sex predator. Okay, so this is allowed
under the law. It's the same exact thing. He hits
on Christmas Smart, He starts following her, He takes her
back to his dorm. She was drugged, she had only
(14:40):
had like one or two drinks, but she was laying
on a lawn. She was obviously drugged. Same, Nancy. I
think you said it right on the You hit the issue.
It is the law we are allowed to bring in
that evidence, and that makes this an appealable issue. You
from the beginning, they should be allowed to bring in
(15:04):
all of those witnesses to show the course of conduct
is similar. Absolutely, not allowing that is outrageous. Go ahead, Dave, Well,
except the judge. You know, he thought that that evidence
would be too prejudicial to a potential jury, blah blah,
which is why he you know, I mean, that's why
(15:27):
very often she will call him. You and I have
been in the trenches. Very often you will get a
judge get a wild hair and disallow similar transactions. And
that's what's happening here. Of course, it's prejudicial. Every bit
of evidence the state brings on as prejudicial against the defendant.
But that doesn't mean it doesn't come into evidence. I mean,
(15:48):
the fact he was the last one with her, well,
that prejudices him. But it's true. I believe complaint what
but we have a video of it. And here's the thing.
I am never for keeping any information from a jury.
They should have everything that law enforcement has to make
that decision. If you keep the video of him raping
(16:09):
women from him, how does that help them put all
the pieces of this puzzle. Hey, Cheryl, are you sitting down?
I hope you may need to lay down for this.
Guess what the judge said that the evidence of all
the other rapes was quote too thin. Can you name
me one other felony that has to be corroborated outside
(16:30):
the victim's testimony other than rape? You know, I rob
a bang the bank till goes. It was him, It
was him, it was Grayson. That's all you need. So
why is it in a rape case? The victim was
saying he raped me, but that's not enough in a
rape case. And this judge upon the bitch. I hope
(16:51):
he is recalled. I can only pray that his constituents
are listening, says these women's their testimony quote too thin.
You've been fighting for a long time, and when we
first started, women had to pay for their rate kits.
We had to fight for that to change. There was
(17:11):
no other case at all, not entering auto, not burglary,
not homicide. We're a victim out to paper evidence crime
stories with Nancy Grace, Guys We are talking about a cash,
(17:37):
a treasure trove of documents that Dave Minsky with Santa
Maria Times is describing that we have just gotten our
hands on in the Christian Smart disappearance that has gone
unsought for years and years. I've talked to her parents.
Can you imagine every morning they wake up without their
daughter and no justice. But it's not just about the
(17:58):
twenty nine other budged victims of his. It's not just
about his freaky CD. It's not just about his damning
Google searches. Take a Lissa to our cut six. This
is k sby. He added that four cadaver dogs hit
on Flores's mattress in his dorm room, adding they believe
Smart died in or around his bed back in nineteen
(18:21):
ninety six. The defense fired back, arguing that there is
zero evidence of rape, attempted rape, or murder. Attorney Robert
Singer said he was very disappointed in the effort to
make an emotional argument instead of facts. He said investigators
have been focusing on Flores since June six, nineteen ninety six,
when Flores stopped talking after voluntarily talking to law enforcement.
(18:44):
Singer claims Smart disappear before in Hawaii, and also that
three or more people reported the college freshman may have
been pregnant at the time she disappeared. The judge ruled
that there would be a spillover effect into the current case,
which he said has little to no evidence of rape.
Were attempted rape, so the motion to add new rape
charges was denied. All right, and Rade the victim through
(19:06):
them ud claiming that this teen girl was pregnant. I've
never heard that in my life. Now the defense attorney,
what is he a gynecologist? Why to say? Why would
he say that as total bs to make Kristin's Smart
look bad? Now, but that's not all present day. Take
a listen to our friends at k e YT. This
(19:28):
is our cut. Seven prosecutors will try to prove that
the remains of Kristen Smart were buried under the Arroyal
Grande home of Reuben Flores under a deck in the
back of the property, five days after the home was searched.
On February fourth of twenty twenty, a neighbor says they
saw Paul's mother and Flores and her boyfriend Mike McConville
(19:48):
pull a trailer into Reuben Flores's backyard near the deck.
A long time renter at the home on White Court
says the space underneath that deck was always locked. Authorities
returned to search the entire property on March fifteenth, and
archaeologists use ground penetrating radar under the deck. The documents
say that data showed a large four by six foot anomaly.
(20:11):
The experts said they found a major disturbance. Prosecutors argue
this is the exact scenario where someone would dig the hole,
put in the body, re excavate the hole to remove
the body, then fill it back in once the body
has been removed. The document states samples tested positive for
human blood in the area. I feel like my head
(20:32):
is about to blow off, Cheryl McCollum. You and I
together have gone on many many sayings including where we
bring cadaver dogs and ground penetrating sonar and what that does?
It looks like some have you ever seen those people
on the beach looking for money or rings that might
(20:53):
be in the sand. That's what it looks like. And
they device gives you a picture deep deep down into
the soil, and you can see once you take it
back and look at it, if that soil has been
moved rearranged. That's what it's looking for, or it might
(21:13):
actually find an object. It's kind of like a sonogram.
For you ladies like me that have had a somnogra
have to look at your children in your tummy. That's
kind of what it looks like. And so you see
all these gray ways and then you see something that
are different. That means the ground has been disturbed. So
now they find this area Cheryl mc collumn, that looks
(21:37):
like the shape of a casket. Why do people always
do in the shape of a casket. In fact, you
and I were just at a scene under a definite
lady convicted where he built a deck over the body.
I'm talking about, Chase Master. That's what's happening here. They
even find human blood, Cheryl not long ago, using the
(21:59):
ground in a trait and radar, and we found a
pipe and even with that image you could tell clearly
it was some type of metal object. Here's here's a thing.
They've got blood, they've got a clandestine grave that she's
been removed from. They've got video, they've got similar transaction.
(22:21):
They've got witnesses that are male and female. They've got
a pattern of behavior that I guarantee you if investigators
would go back started in high school, they should piece
this together and put this in front of a jury,
almost like a movie the way you would do. Let
show this predator for the hunter that he is, and
(22:43):
what about this it's a it's a I swore I
would not curse tins. Yes, David, Dave Miski, I mean
I got to hear about the blood. Was the blood
found in the dirt or on the bottom of the
debt and this is a whole family affair. Did I
hear correctly, Dave Minsky that after the last sort of
(23:06):
the home, that one of the last sort of the home,
the mom and her boyfriend pull up with a trailer
to the back deck and dig something up. Help me, Minsky? Yeah,
well that was alleged by a neighbor who caught them,
(23:26):
allegedly caught them, you know, or you know, putting a
trailer up to his house and doing something and hauling
something away. But you know, we don't know what that is.
And I also just want to add real quick that
you know, there may have been a positive presence for
human blood and the dirt or in the in that
clandestine grave that you're describing. However, no DNA evidence was
(23:49):
attached to that, so they can't you know, rule out
that she was there, nor that they could rule out
that she wasn't there. Well, can't we tell that it's human?
What about that door? Preyert Banner forensic pathologist anchor forensic
pathology assistant medical examiner. Can't wait to tell if it's
human blood even if we don't get DNA. Yes, I mean,
(24:11):
I think that's a huge find and they can do
I'm not sure about field test, but if you collect it,
you know, that's one of the first steps in testing
any sort of trace evidence is it human or not?
You know, I just wanted to add that I do
go to a lot of crime scenes as a part
of my work, and any sort of indication like this,
(24:31):
you know, you should have more eyes out there. I've
been you know, involved in multiple on earthing of you know,
digging up of bodies. You can really get a sense
of if something's been disturbed recently, even if you know
the grass grows back different. Why did a deck appear?
Why is there a new path of cement? I mean,
(24:53):
people notice these things and I think it's worth going
back and if there's blood in that area, why not
start digging, you know, um and see if there's crass
of you know, clothing or other hair. I mean, I
don't know what would have survived, So that's really important
to get some skilled eyes out there. Let me understand
(25:13):
what you're saying. Day Man's key. I agree with everything.
Doctor pre Advantages just said. You're telling me that there
was blood found, but they couldn't get DNA or we
don't know if they've gotten DNA. Well, according to this, uh,
these documents, it looks like there is no human DNA
that was found in the blood due to the blood's petrification.
(25:35):
And also you know the tests they use. I guess whatever,
whatever kind of tests it was, it couldn't screen out
primate or ferret blood. But also you know, later on
in the document it said that you know, no, no
bodies of primates or ferrets are found nearby. So I
was going to say, like, I gotta jump in here,
(25:57):
Jo Cheryl. Let's see, an animal did not go into
that deck and die and better than sales and nor
did another animal come along and unearth them and move
them more than ten feet didn't. Are you sure to
tell me they don't know if it was an animal
or a human. Is that what you're saying? Apparently? Yeah?
(26:19):
You know, I mean, you know, I read through all
these documents. I still distill a lot of questions I
have in my mind, and I just I don't really see. Well,
the document that we have recovered in this huge amount
of discovery says that samples tested positive for human blood
in the area. Correct, right, So why are we talking
(26:44):
about a primate who speaking? It's a docum energy Go ahead, dodger. Yeah,
I mean, I'm just saying, like, why isn't that probable
cause enough to start digging? I mean, they are digging.
They dug it up and there's not a body. Time
(27:12):
stories with Nancy Grace, everybody were talking about the disappearance,
and I believe rape and murder co ed Kristen Smart.
Isn't it true that now the mother and her BF
have been charged. I don't know if I don't think
(27:33):
they've been charged. Excuse me? Named in a civil lawsuit. Yes,
they were about the civil law correct, right, Well, the
civil lawsuit alleged is just what you you mentioned that.
In s February of twenty twenty, the Sheriff's office conducted
a search on Reuben Flora as his home in Arroyo
Grinder and then with honor. About five five or so
(27:56):
days after that, that's when Susan Flora's and her boyfriend
Mike mcconbell allegedly went to Reuben's house did something you
know with the trailer and worked quote under the cover
or under the darkness of night to remove something and
hallowed away. We don't know what it was, and we
don't know if it's really true. So, guy John Van
(28:19):
about this. You know, this whole family is covering up
the crime. It's obvious. But the only person who doesn't
truly have skin in the game is Mike, Susan Flores's
current boyfriend. This whole family has been conspiring and plotting
for years to cover up the crime of Chester, the molester,
(28:40):
the strange now adult son. I'm sure there's multiple other
things he's done. I'm sure the whole family dynamic is
organized around covering up their son's dysfunction problem criminal activities.
But Mike mccondrel, he's a newer member of the family.
Do you think he's really going to go to prison?
(29:02):
I mean, Reuben Flores is not his biological son. What
motivation does he have to cover up the crime. I mean,
if we look at the behavioral elegance, I couldn't imagine
that there's not at least one extended family member or
a friend of a family member who doesn't know something
about this crime. Nancy, I was in a royal grande recently,
(29:26):
the small town where the family lives. There's a huge
billboard there with Kristen Smart's picture, the same picture that's
all over the internet. A lot of people know about
this crime. It's hard to believe that somebody doesn't have
something that they can talk to about, talk about to
the police. I want to be specific about what Dave
(29:48):
Minsky is telling us. He's right. We are now learning
that Saint Louis Bispo investigators discovered human blood under the
home of Paul Flora's father, but records also show they
found fabric fibers in the place where they believe Christen
Smart was buried. The ground penetrating radar found a six
(30:11):
by four foot anomaly, in other words, where somebody had
dug under the home. Four soil samples test positive for
human blood, but not for DNA. An archaeologist named Cindy Errington,
as I recall found standing in the dirt to indicate
a body had been put in a hole, chemical poured
(30:33):
over it, the whole field in and the body moved later.
Now again, I'm a trial lawyer. This is what an
archaeologist is saying. Nancy, pardon me for playing the devil's
advocate here, but I don't see anything that conclusively linked
(30:54):
Smart to this location. Yeah, okay, was that the devil's
advocate part? Yeah, well, you know you've got yeah, there's
no DNA found, right, you just have the positive presence
for human blood. But you also have, you know, some
sample fibers containing various colors of red, blue, brown, black,
(31:15):
and brown and black. And isn't it true when Christa
Smart was last saying she was wearing red Puma shoes,
black shorts with white stripes at a great top. Correct
if you can somehow prove that you know, these fibers
are linked to Kristen Smart and there might be something there.
Let me ask you something, Dave Minsky. If you went
(31:37):
into your studio and when you went in, the sun
was shining, it was beautiful weather outside, but when you
left for lunch, you looked around and everything was dark
and gray, there were black clouds overhead, and women were
going by holding their raincoats, and men rushing by with umbrellas,
and the ground was wet. Believe, yes, that circumstantial evidence
(32:04):
would prove to you beyond a reasonable doubt that it
had rained while you were in the studio, I might agree.
Do you agree I might reach that answer via conclusion
by exclusion? Yeah, well, I don't know what you're saying.
That's gibberish to me, but I will tell you that
(32:27):
as you just said, you would think you immediately said,
oh it rained. Yeah, you didn't see the storm, did you.
You didn't see the rain drops, you didn't hear the lightning,
but you know it rained. And I would argue in
this case that Paul Floris was all over Christmas Smart
(32:47):
at this party. In fact, they fell to the floor.
He somehow, in his wrestling at the party, knocked her
to the floor. They fell together, and people took him
apart and went, man, you need to leave her alone.
Then somehow at this party she, after one or two drinks,
passed out on a lawn, and then he took her
(33:10):
cadaver dogs hit in his bedroom, his dorm, at his bed.
She's never seen alive again, and now dirt is moved.
There's a casket shape hole in his dad's backyard with
human blood in it. I don't need to say the
(33:33):
storm Dave Minsky to know it. Reigned. Take a listen
to our friend, Our cut eight Alexa Bertola Kspy. Eighty
total pages submitted before Wednesday's motion hearing are now unsealed.
On June twenty fifth, the LA County District Attorney's Office
granted permission to our jurisdiction to prosecute two counts of rate.
(33:55):
The documents claimed Paul Flores read two women in twenty
eleven and twenty seventeen in San Pedro. On June twenty ninth,
the defense filed opposition citing the rape charges where a
publicity stunt stating there is no new evidence tying Floors
to the disappearance of Smart since the initial investigation. It
goes on to say this may more accurately be characterized
(34:16):
as adding week but sensational counts to a week or
non existent murder case. The prosecution then filed a forty
three page response in a phone tap in January twenty twenty.
The document says Susan Paul's mother had a conversation with him, saying, quote,
the other thing I need you to do is to
start listening to the podcast. I need you to listen
(34:37):
to everything they say so we can punch holes in it.
Wherever we can punch holes, maybe we can't. You you're
the one that can tell me. And also to our
nine this is Megan Heal a KSB line plus. Then
twenty four hours after posting bail, Reuben Flores is hit
with a lawsuit filed Thursday morning on behalf of the
Smart family. Civil attorney James Murphy filed an intention infliction
(35:00):
of emotional distressed lawsuit saying there's compelling evidence Reuben and
Susan Flores and Susan's boyfriend quote worked through the night
under the cover of darkness to remove the remains of
Kristen Smart to avoid having those remains at seven ten
White Court in the event of an additional search of
the property, and we have information that the contents of
(35:20):
that grave site was then offloaded in some manner to
another location. He alleged is that Christen's remains were removed
from Ruben's property and scattered in the Wazna area after
the San Luis Obispol County Sheriff's Office served search warrants
at the Floors home on February fifth, twenty. The civil
lawsuit is based upon the fact that biological materials were
(35:45):
found in the ground in a whole adjacent to the
wall of Reuben Flores's house and unders deck. To you,
Cheryl McCollum, we learned that the night, as Dave Minsky
accurately reported from the Santa Maria Times, that a neighbor
says they saw a trailer of sorts pulling up to
the back of the Flora's home. That all through the night,
(36:09):
the neighbor could hear arguing all night long, all night long,
that lights were on, and that there was a ruckus
going on in the back, in the cloak, under the
cloak of darkness. Well, it would have to be a
pretty stressful event because you have to make sure that
you're getting every single bone, button, shoe, earring, anything that
(36:34):
might be in that clandestine grave. And let me just
say one other thing, Nancy, because this to me again
is common sense. Who other than somebody with the last
name of Floras would need to move that body If
I'm a stranger and just happened to pick that kid's
porch to hide a body under. I ain't moving it.
Let him take the fall. We wait for this preliminary
(36:58):
hearing set to go down and a matter of days
where we will hear more evidence. Nancy Grace Crimes story,
signing off, Goodbye friend,
Host
Nancy Grace
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