On Memorial Day weekend of 1996, 19-year-old Cal Poly student Kristin Smart was reported missing by her roommates and friends. Multiple suspects arose from the situation, but at the time, no charges were ever filed. Nearly 25 years later, podcaster Chris Lambert released the first episode of what became one of the most crucial puzzle pieces to getting Smart’s case to trial and finally getting some justice for the Smart Family.
“Your Own Backyard” became a familiar piece of media to people everywhere along the Central Coast, with many being avid listeners of the podcast. What was originally meant to be a six-episode series turned into 29 episodes, including full coverage of the trial of Paul and Ruben Flores. Lambert spent weeks at the Monterey, CA, courthouse, where the trial was being held due to conflicts with the potential jury pool of SLO County.
Lambert spoke to dozens of individuals related to this case from all perspectives, which is something that truly sets this podcast apart from other true crime podcasts, which often consist of a person or group of people recapping a case from various news sources. Not only did Lambert talk to many different people and share their perspectives, but he also featured multiple different interview segments in almost every episode before the trial began. “There were a few people who were afraid to talk, for obvious reasons, and heard episode one and then emailed me and said, ‘I didn’t know that this was what your podcast was like,’” Lambert said.
“There were also people who I think heard the story I was telling… and were like, ‘Wait a minute, I didn’t realize how important my story was going to be until just now… I now realize that my voice could help propel this story forward, and now I want to talk to you.’”
It’s clear that many people came to Lambert nervous about sharing their story regarding Flores, but when listening to the podcast and the recorded interviews, it is also clear that the people interviewed consistently felt safe to share their story. Being one of the most interesting and crucial aspects of the podcast, being able to feel the level of relief and safety that the people being interviewed felt made this podcast much more personal and evoked much more emotion than other podcasts.
Throughout the podcast, it is made clear that there has been an evolving perspective on the law enforcement officials running this case. Since the day Smart went missing, investigators have been criticized for their strategies and seeming lack of effort in solving this case. And while Lambert certainly shares a similar perspective in some areas, he also provides listeners with insight that the general public may not be aware of. “I’m still disappointed that they didn’t do more, all along the way, but certainly at the time the podcast started airing, I thought they were doing nothing at all, and it turns out that they had put a new lead detective on the case recently who started the case over again from page one,” said Lambert.
“At the very least, they’re invested, they’re solid people, and they’re doing the best they can with a case that got off to a really bad start.”
Lambert covers all aspects of the Kristin Smart case, from the story of what happened the night Smart disappeared to the science behind the soil analysis. One of the most interesting parts of this podcast, however, is hearing about how suspicious and creepy the Flores family was truly acting. “I had driven by his house when I was first recording the podcast, and he came running out to take pictures of me, but he didn’t know who I was,” said Lambert, referring to the Flores family’s behavior by their homes in Arroyo Grande. “From researching and interviewing people, I knew that this is their behavior. If you want to know how suspicious this family was, just drive by their house, and they will run out. They have been doing this for 20 years. They start yelling at you, telling you to leave.”
The podcast covers so much raw content and information about the case, much of which was left uncovered by other media outlets. Lambert included almost every piece of information he could in relation to the case and its progress. He relates much of the information he shares on the investigation back to the public’s criticisms that investigators were not doing enough, often emphasizing both sides of the argument. “Dogs first alerted on Susan’s backyard, where the planters are, in 1997. From the very beginning, dogs were interested in Susan’s backyard, but they never brought dogs to Ruben’s yard. They never searched Ruben’s yard, they never dug at Ruben’s yard, they just kind of looked around and then left. It wasn’t until 2020… that they really started to hone in on Ruben’s house,” Lambert said. The impressive balance Lambert achieved between sharing his opinions on the case and being a reliable source of information for the public during this emotional time is truly something that separates this podcast from other true crime media.
While “Your Own Backyard” is often credited by the public for being one of the reasons that P. Flores was convicted, Lambert himself takes a slightly different perspective. “The podcast played a role in several different ways, so I don’t think that I necessarily ‘solved’ the case… but I was one piece of the puzzle that had it not all come together, maybe it never would have been solved,” said Lambert.
As the trial came to a close, and along with it, the podcast, Lambert reflected on the relationships he formed with everyone involved. The podcast featured recordings of him meeting with important figures in the case, including the Smart family and P. Flores’ jury members, and sharing emotional stories, making the podcast that much more personal. Lambert said, “Absolutely, out of all the people I met in this case, the Smart family became like family members to me.”
“Your Own Backyard” is an incredibly well put-together project; it is just as informative as it is emotional, and that balance is something that many true crime podcasts struggle to achieve. Lambert’s work investigating and reporting on this case is beyond impressive, and the lasting impacts this podcast has had on dozens of people’s lives will never be forgotten.
