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nineteen-year-old Christian smart disappeared on Memorial Day weekend of 1996. for more than two decades her
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family friends and supporters searched for answers and for justice in October 2022 the man long suspected
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in her disappearance was found guilty of murder his father charged with being an
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accessory after the fact was found not guilty we take you back to their arrest and how
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The Saga began [Music] it's a landmark day in this very high profile casual development of
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Christiansburg County Sheriff's Office is set to release details about the latest developments today is a day that
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many had hoped for wished for and prayed for this is where it all began on the campus of Cal Poly University
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the last place that Kristen smart was seen alive it's my hope that we're able to take the
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first step toward Justice for the smart family [Music] I grew up not far from where Kristen
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disappeared the billboard in Arroyo Grande is visible it's got Kristen's photo on it driving past that billboard
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was a periodic reminder that oh yeah they still haven't found that girl I'm Chris Lambert I created the podcast your
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own backyard which focused on The Disappearance of Kristen smart investigators say smart and two other
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students left the party that night and walked back to their on-campus dormitory buildings we're here surrounded by dorms
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and yet nobody saw anything it was a very dead holiday weekend A lot of people had gone home and the amount
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of time that they were alone and whatever happened that her life ended I think there was plenty of opportunity to
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hide her body without anybody noticing my sister turned 19 in February she disappeared in May
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when she disappeared I was about to graduate eighth grade but my parents did a really good job of shielding us Stan
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and Denise they're wonderful parents very large group of friends went down to Cal Poly to help search for her the Stan
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was there Denise stayed back and I stayed back with her in case Kristen came home never would have dreamed in a
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million years that she would not return and Cal Poly is a safe place you do not think of this happening
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one of my favorites of her with this great smile that she has I just love that it's just to me that's just that
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captures her remember her wanting to like travel the world and be an architect I really miss her she should be here
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originally when we first took the case I was determined I would be able to find her in six months if you've ever been on
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one of these searches you walk up a canyon here in San Luis Obispo County and then there's another Canyon off that
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you get to the end of that one there's another Canyon there's billions of places to hide a body
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it's important to explain here that Kristen's case has never been declared cold a case is only considered cold when
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law enforcement decides that they've exhausted all of their leads foreign but what makes it interesting to me is
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that they've had a suspect since pretty much day one hi Paul good morning I'm Jonathan Vigliotti with CBS News were
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you involved in The Disappearance of Kristen smart Paul can you tell us what happened that
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night between you and Kristen it's important that there's an arrest made you've got to move and you've got
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to do it now I'm here this afternoon to announce the rest of Paul Flores for the murder of Kristen smart