Kristin Smart’s ex-roommate, Crystal Teschendorf claims police were not serious, when she reported missing
Although Smart’s corpse has not yet been found, Paul Flores, 45, and his father Ruben, 81, have been charged with her homicide.
Crystal is in SALINAS, California. In his testimony during the murder prosecution of the 19-year-old, Kristin Smart’s former dorm roommate Calvin Teschendorf claimed that the police initially dismissed her initial worries about her fellow CalPoly student. According to reports, Teschendorf testified on Monday, August 1, 2022, and claimed that she called the police twice after Smart failed to return to her hostel on May 24, 1996, two days after leaving for a party.
According to sources, Teschendorf testified to the court that she phoned police enforcement on Sunday, May 26, 1996, and again on Tuesday, May 27, 1996. “We had discussed several explanations for why she might not have returned to the dorms. We felt that was a little weird,” she remarked.
The former roommate stated that once she approached the police a second time and a missing report was later filed, they took her complaint seriously. She added that she had been in a “nice mood” before to parting ways with Smart. Teschendorf, however, noted that when she first noticed that “Smart’s keys and personal possessions that she always took everywhere were left in the room,” things started to feel off.
Although she and the victim were not particularly close, the young lady made a tendency of alerting her if she intended to spend the night somewhere other than the hostel, the witness continued.
Smart was declared dead in 2002. The 45-year-old Paul Flores and his 81-year-old father Ruben have been charged with murder even though her body has not yet been found. Prosecutors claim that Paul killed Smart while attempting to rape her in his dorm room at CalPoly on May 25, 1996, and that his father assisted in concealing the body. As a result, both the accused are currently on trial.
In the meantime, a website created in Smart’s honor also charges campus police with conducting an inadequate investigation. She was kidnapped by a different student (suspect Paul Rueben Flores) on the Cal Poly campus in San Luis Obispo at around two in the morning, it says. Campus Police acted improperly and took too long to get in touch with local police authorities.
The website continues by describing the pain and suffering endured by Smart’s family. The statement continues, “There are not enough words in the dictionary to adequately express the anguish of our loss and the heartbreak we experience every day that we are without Kristin and an explanation. Kristin deserved a lot more from the first law enforcement agency than she got. Thankfully, Kristin now has the support of active, involved, and dedicated law enforcement authorities. The process of trying to piece together evidence from 24 years ago while still following up on ongoing fresh leads is difficult, infuriating, and never-ending.
“We look forward to the day when we may bury her in front of our loved ones and everyone who fought for her. We believe that through encouraging other young women to pursue their goals, her life will continue to have significance and purpose while being silenced, the website continues.