SALINAS — The lawyer for Paul Flores, accused of murdering Kristin Sensible in 1996, wrapped up his closing argument Tuesday arguing that prosecutors haven't any proof to assist their case.
“This case was not prosecuted all these years as a result of there was no proof,” protection lawyer Robert Sanger mentioned in a Salinas courtroom. “And there’s nonetheless no proof.”
Flores, 45, is accused of murdering Sensible whereas she was a scholar at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. In April, a decide moved the trial north to Monterey County after ruling Flores can be unable to get a good trial in San Luis Obispo County. Flores’ father, 80-year-old Ruben Flores, was charged with serving to eliminate Sensible’s physique, which was by no means discovered. Each males pleaded not responsible.
Prosecutors argue that Flores killed the 19-year-old throughout an tried rape on Could 25, 1996, in his dorm room at Cal Poly, the place each had been first-year college students. His father allegedly helped bury the slain scholar behind his residence within the close by neighborhood of Arroyo Grande and later dug up the stays and moved them.
Sanger used the closing argument to attempt to poke holes within the case prosecutors specified by the 11 weeks because the trial started in July.
“The individuals must show a homicide or a rape or tried rape and so they haven’t completed that,” he mentioned.
Whereas reviewing the testimony of non-expert witnesses within the trial, Sanger mentioned the media protection, together with a podcast titled “Your Personal Yard,” by which San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson credited the podcast with serving to break the case open in 2021, had influenced their testimony. He identified that Vanessa Shields, a classmate of Sensible, didn’t point out Flores when she was first interviewed by the FBI however then introduced him up in 2022 after making an look on the podcast.
“(Media publicity) has an impact on witnesses,” Sanger mentioned.
Whereas discussing the testimony of Steve Fleming, one other classmate of Sensible, Sanger argued that the witness tied the disappearance of Sensible and the investigation into his life story. He requested why would Fleming await the FBI to return to him earlier than he made an announcement.
“He didn’t say a phrase for 3 years,” Sanger mentioned.
Whereas discussing skilled testimony, Sanger argued it was “junk science.” He mentioned simply because Decide Jennifer O’Keefe allowed them to current as an skilled witness, it didn't imply she is certifying that they're in actual fact consultants in these fields.
When discussing testimony from forensic DNA analyst Angela Butler, Sanger mentioned the validity of the blood check she used was unproven.
Deputy District Lawyer Chris Peuvrelle was scheduled to offer a ultimate assertion earlier than jurors begin their deliberation Tuesday afternoon earlier than a second jury, for the case of Ruben Flores, was set to listen to closing arguments.