MURDERED: Teresa Flores & Martha Mezo
In 1979, the tiny town of San Miguel, California, was shaken when two kindergarten girls vanished in broad daylight from a main street. Despite a long list of local child predators and bizarre clues, the trail went cold in a matter of years. But now, nearly 5 decades later, the very detective who solved the Kristin Smart case has come out of retirement to take another look, and he’s closer than ever before to a solve.
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Left to right: Teresa “Terry” Flores & Martha “Marty” Mezo.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Mission Street.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
An aerial photo of San Miguel.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Terry’s older sister Christina.
Courtesy: Angie Gomez
A photo of Angie, Terry’s cousin, in the fourth grade.
Courtesy: Angie Gomez
An aerial photo of the bridge near the Salinas riverbed.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
The side of the bridge where Terry and Marty’s bodies were found.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
One of the ligatures found around Terry and Marty’s necks.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
The Green trash bag found at the scene.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Greg Hickey.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Cal Owens.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Roy Hash.
Courtesy: San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
Henry Lee Lucas.
Credit: AP Photo
Timeline:
Before 12 p.m.
Martha and Teresa are dropped off at the post office on Mission Street in San Miguel, California, by Teresa’s aunt.
Around 4 p.m.
Martha and Teresa are reported missing by their parents. Officials launch a wide-scale search for Martha and Teresa.
Around 6:30 p.m.
Martha and Teresa’s bodies are found in a shallow grave near the Salinas River in San Luis Obispo County, California.
Martha and Teresa’s case is reopened.
A billboard is erected in San Miguel, California, to raise awareness for Martha and Teresa’s case.
Mission Street, San Miguel, CA
The primary street with the post office, market, and Elkhorn bar; the girls walked here and were last seen heading toward Martha’s house.
Elkhorn Bar, San Miguel
Local hangout where a patron bought Martha Mezo and Teresa Flores a Coke late that morning.
Camp Roberts, California
Military base area near the Salinas River.
Atascadero State Hospital
A maximum-security facility for sex offenders 20 minutes south, where released individuals often frequented San Miguel.
Bradley Road Bridge
Where Martha Mezo and Teresa Flores were found buried in a shallow grave.
You can help:
GoFundMe
Terry’s family is currently trying to raise $10,000 for a billboard on Highway 101 and $25,000 to create a reward for information. If you’d like to help her out with that we’ve included the link here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/justice-for-mezo-flores-murder-case
We’d love to speak with you and see how we can support.
If you’re a law enforcement agency or family member of one of the people we mentioned in this episode, or if you’re looking for more coverage on a case, please reach out. You can email us at:
Episode Source Material
- Original reporting by Nicole Kagan
- Santa Maria Times (Santa Maria, CA): San Miguel search for 2 missing girls called off. Published May 19, 1980. Accessed via Newspapers.com.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/446890110 - Santa Maria Times (Santa Maria, CA): Missing San Miguel girl’s father cleared. Published May 27, 1980. Accessed via Newspapers.com.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/446907350 - Santa Maria Times (Santa Maria, CA): Still no trace of missing San Miguel girls. Published May 20, 1980. Accessed via Newspapers.com.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/446892894 - Paso Robles Daily News (Paso Robles, CA): Lead Investigator in the Kristen Smart case retiring. Published February 8, 2023.
https://pasoroblesdailynews.com/retirement-announced-for-detective-clint-cole/171031/ - The Doe Network: 1652UFCA – Kristin Denise Smart.
https://www.doenetwork.org/cases/1652dfca.html
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