Lead detective takes stand in day 5 of Flores preliminary hearing
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The Paul and Ruben Flores preliminary hearing spent day five focused on questioning the lead detective who spent the past four years investigating the case.
The preliminary hearing began late in the morning, starting just before 10:30 a.m. after a lengthy closed door chamber conference with attorneys and judge Craig van Rooyen.
When questioning began, defense attorney Robert Sanger resumed cross examination of Clint Cole. The San Luis Obispo County sheriff's detective first took the stand last week. He's been assigned to the Kristin Smart case since September 2017.
For nearly 90 minutes, Cole answered questions from Sanger regarding details from several interviews conducted by other detectives over the years following the disappearance of Kristin Smart.
Those included interviews with roommates and friends of Smart. Some of the interviews were just obtained by the Defense within the last few days.
Interview subjects included, Lauren Osborne, one of Smart's former dorm roommates, as well as the roommate she was living with at the time of her disappearance, Crystal Calvin.
Other interviews included a former boyfriend of Kristin Smart, who allegedly set her shoes on fire after their break up.
Sanger's goal appeared to be pointing the finger at other potential suspects besides his client, Paul Flores, that were never properly followed up by law enforcement.
Among those, a student who was living in Muir Hall, close to Smart. Smart reported to her dormitory resident advisor she was being stalked by this individual.
During an interview that was just obtained by the defense, the student claimed he was being stalked by Smart, saying she was leaving blank messages on his answering machine, and at one time, walked into his dorm room while he was sleeping.
Another potential suspect Sanger asked Cole about was Ted Munley, another Cal Poly student.
In an interview with Munley. Munley said he had stayed in Smart's dorm room the night of her disappearance. Munley tapped on the window of Smart's dorm room on the night of May 14, 1996 – the night she disappeared – and was let in by a woman who was friends with Smart's roommate.
In an interview with that friend, she said Munley woke up next to her, which she didn't realize since she had consumed a lot of alcohol.
Despite this, during questioning by prosecutor Chris Peuvrelle, Cole stated the FBI ruled Munely was not a viable suspect.
Also in the afternoon, Sanger indicated Smart may have worked as an escort for a San Luis Obispo-based adult entertainment business. The business was owned by a man named Trent Buckle, who was later convicted of killing a roommate in San Diego County.
That man was a Cal Poly student at the time of Smart's disappearance.
Like he did last week, Sanger also brought up the possibility Scott Peterson may also be a potential suspect.
Peterson, a former Cal Poly student, was convicted of killing his wife Laci Peterson, another Cal Poly alum, in 2004. Cole confirmed Peterson was a student in May 1996, the time Smart disappeared.
As the preliminary hearing continues, the prosecution is expected to call a witness known as Angie C., a former girlfriend of Paul Flores. She will be allowed to testify about her trip to Arroyo Grande, when she visited the home of Ruben Flores.
Paul Flores is accused of killing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, who disappeared 25 years ago after an off campus party.
The preliminary hearing is expected to last at least three weeks. At the end, a judge will rule if there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial.
Digital communication is limited during this preliminary hearing. We will continue to bring you updates on air and online throughout the process.
Editorial Note: This story has been updated to remove some names mentioned by the defense that are no longer relevant to the case.
