Investigators working on the case of Kristin Smart, a college student who disappeared without a trace 25 years ago in San Luis Obispo, a small California town, believe that the young woman's body was recently unearthed from the home of Paul's father. Flores, suspected of the death of the young woman.
Detectives have "biological evidence that leads them to believe that the victim
was buried under the roof
of Rubén Flores' home at some point," according to a sheriff's office deputy who spoke to the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Paul Flores was formally charged last Wednesday with first degree murder.
Prosecutors alleged that Flores killed the 19-year-old in her college dorm while sexually assaulting her, according to the Los Angeles Times
.
Kristin Smart (left) and Paul Flores, in a combination of photos. AP
Flores, 44, was arrested this week.
Along with him, his father, Rubén Flores, 80, was arrested at his home in Arroyo Grande, where
investigators searched
for more evidence.
The old man was accused as an accomplice in the murder of the young university student.
A quarter of a century after the disappearance of the young woman,
her body has not been found
.
A few days ago, some details began to be revealed about what happened that day in 1996, when Smart's trail was lost when he returned from a party to his university residence.
They arrest a man linked to the murder of a young woman in 1996
April 14, 202101: 09
At that time, the young woman was seen for the last time with her partner Paul Flores, who
always denied
any
guilt
and even accepted the Fifth Amendment of the Constitution so as not to incriminate himself when he was called to testify before a grand jury, after the family will sue you in civil court.
San Luis Obispo County Prosecutor Dan Dow said his office is investigating whether
Flores assaulted other women
and added that they have evidence that an unspecified number of victims have suffered "some criminal act committed by Flores." Los Angeles Times.
[Paul Flores killed Kristin Smart when he raped her in her bedroom, according to authorities, who track other victims]
Dow said last week that they
believe they know where
the college girl's
body was buried
, although she declined to give further details.
At last Monday's bail hearing for Paul and Rubén Flores - who has also pleaded not guilty - Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle argued that bail should not be allowed for Paul Flores because it represents a "flight risk ”And“ a risk to public safety ”.
"If he were released, the court would be
returning a
serial
rapist to the street
and freeing him to victimize more women," Peuvrelle said, according to local media.
The prosecutor also recommended that Rubén Flores not be released on bail, as he could help his son hide evidence.
[Police shoot a young black woman to death after an alert for an alleged knife attack]
"Due to the evidence obtained from the excavation, it is reasonable to believe that Rubén Flores currently knows the location of the remains of Kristin Smart," Peuvrelle said.
"If he were allowed bail, it is a virtual certainty that he would use his freedom to continue his attempts to help Paul Flores thwart the trial in this case and continue to hide his remains."
Ruben Flores, 80, in a photograph provided by the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office.
The arrests of the father and son came after investigators using radars capable of probing the subsoil and dogs trained to sniff out bodies
discovered evidence directly related to Smart's death
last month when they searched the home of Rubén Flores.
Authorities did not reveal what they found, but returned to the yard to continue digging after the arrests.
Defense attorney Harold Mesick declined to comment to
The Associated Press
news agency Tuesday
, claiming the court prevented him from doing so.
On Monday, Mesick questioned why investigators should continue to search for evidence after making arrests.
[They publish police recordings of the shooting of Adam Toledo. "I haven't seen any evidence that he shot the agent," says Chicago Mayor]
At the time of the April 13 arrests, the Sheriff said he believed he had enough evidence to obtain convictions.
Mesick argued that there were
many innocent explanations for why the courtyard had been excavated
.
He claimed that a backhoe had dug a trench to fill it with the earth that had been removed to build a foundation.
"The site was a mess because it had been excavated previously," Mesick said.
"If we even call it evidence, it is so tiny as to question our sanity," he added.
Paul Flores was held without bond Monday.
But the judge said he would set reasonable bail Wednesday for the father, who has health problems and is currently in the San Luis Obispo jail on a $ 250,000 bond.
With information from The Associated Press, San Luis Obispo Tribune and the Los Angeles Times.