Developer of Ruben Flores’ house, roommate testify in Kristin Good homicide trial

The Kristin Good homicide trial resumed Monday after a delay over an unnamed “proof problem” on Friday.

Paul and Ruben Flores are on trial for the homicide of Kristin Good, who disappeared from the Cal Poly campus in Might 1996 after an off-campus social gathering.

Witnesses say Paul Flores was the final individual to be seen along with her. Paul is charged with the 19-year-old’s homicide whereas his father, Ruben, is charged as an adjunct, accused of serving to cover the physique.

A contractor who constructed Ruben’s house and a former roommate who lived in the home from 2010 to 2020 had been each on the witness stand Monday, however earlier than testimony may start, Monterey County Superior Court docket Decide Jennifer O’Keefe met with a number of jurors independently to debate conflicts in attendance.

This newest delay adopted an early finish to proceedings on Friday after solely about quarter-hour of testimony.

Simply after 9:30 a.m. Monday, the contractor who constructed the home Ruben at present lives in began answering questions.

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Developer Ed Chadwell described the steep slope of the lot and development of the house’s basis, which required digging right down to stable rock typically as deep as eight ft underneath the soil.

San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Lawyer Christopher Peuvrelle requested Chadwell in the event that they discovered any stays underneath or close to the home when staff had been constructing the deck and if any severe accidents had been reported by staff.

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Chadwell answered no to each questions whereas additionally explaining how Ruben and Susan Flores agreed to buy the home whereas it was underneath development. It was accomplished and handed over to the Flores’ in August of 1991.

Throughout Cross examination, Paul’s lawyer, Robert Sanger, confirmed Chadwell a few of the constructing plans and allow utility in addition to a number of photos of the home whereas it was underneath development.

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Sanger had the builder clarify how the deck was constructed and describe any modifications to the house’s basis as soon as it was underneath development. He additionally confirmed Chadwell some pink development twine and requested him if it was much like what he used to mark out the muse in 1991.

Chadwell mentioned it was comparable and the colour he most popular to make use of was pink because it exhibits up properly.

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Sanger additionally requested Chadwell if he’d ever used diesel gasoline as a “launch agent” to assist the concrete from sticking to the development varieties. Chadwell mentioned it was a typical follow within the ’90s and that he’d typically used it.

The questions are prone to clarify a few of the objects discovered within the soil underneath the deck throughout a search of the house together with discoloration within the grime and crimson fibers.

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Kristin Good was reported to be carrying crimson on the time of her disappearance.

Sanger additionally requested a number of questions the jury submitted for the witness together with what the soil circumstances had been like underneath the deck, why the footings needed to be so deep and the way tall the crawl house underneath the home and deck had been.

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Chadwell defined the realm was made up of soil on high of rock, so the footings needed to be dug right down to the rock in all areas.

He mentioned the peak of the crawl house various due to the slope underneath the home, however that you could possibly simply arise on some areas.

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Ruben’s lawyer, Harold Mesick, requested Chadwell about whether or not the home was related to a septic or a sewer system and the place cleanouts had been positioned, once more presumably to clarify a few of the objects discovered throughout the search.

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Court docket resumed within the afternoon making it a busy day for testimony.

A former roommate, David Stone, who lived with Ruben for 10 years testified about his time in the home from 2010 to 2020.

He informed jurors a couple of time when he moved a number of empty plastic, 55-gallon drums into the house underneath the deck. Stone mentioned Ruben was offended he hadn’t requested for permission forward of time and in the end made him transfer the drums.

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He additionally testified he overheard Ruben referring to Kristin as an “*expletive slut.”

Below cross examination from each Sanger and Mesick, Stone mentioned he acquired together with Ruben throughout his time on the house and moved out voluntarily. At one level, he mentioned he’d requested Ruben about shifting again in.

Subsequent on the stand had been two investigators with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Workplace.

Clint Cole talked about his interview with Stone and Detective Matt Terrell described serving a search warrant at Ruben’s home.

Terrell confirmed photos of things present in a drawer in Ruben’s bed room. The objects together with flyers, newspaper articles and submit playing cards referring to the Kristin Good case.

Monday wrapped up with a neighbor of Ruben Flores testifying about what she described as unusual exercise throughout February of 2020.

Jamilyn Holman says she heard plenty of arguing and different noise as Ruben and Susan Flores together with Susan’s boyfriend eliminated a part of a fence after which parked a cargo trailer subsequent the home all after darkish.

At one level in court docket, there was a heated alternate between Peuvrelle and Sanger. Sanger needed to evaluation some images taken by Holman and Peuvrelle mentioned he’d already supplied them.

Decide O’Keefe requested to talk with the attorneys within the hallway and once they got here again, Sanger introduced up a number of objections, all of which had been overruled by Decide O’Keefe. The images had been in the end admitted into proof.

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Paul and Ruben Flores are being tried collectively however every have separate juries who will in the end hand down separate verdicts.

Following their arrests in April 2021, Ruben was granted bail and has been out of custody since shortly after his arrest; nevertheless, Paul was denied bail and stays in custody.

If convicted, Paul faces a sentence of 25 years to life. Ruben faces a most sentence of three years in jail if convicted.