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On October 18, 2022, 45-year-old Paul Flores was convicted in the murder of Kristin Smart, a California college freshman who disappeared after an off-campus party in 1996.
According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, Paul Flores and Kristin Smart had been classmates at the California Polytechnic State University. NBC reported that he was the last person seen with Smart before she disappeared after an off-campus party on May 25, 1996. Prosecutors claim that Smart was murdered after Flores attempted to physically take advantage of her.
NBC reported that Flores' father, Ruben Flores, was charged with aiding Paul in disposing of the victims. He was accused of being an accessory to murder, but a jury eventually found him not guilty.
While Kristin Smart's body was never recovered, prosecutors speculated that it may be buried under Ruben Flores' Arroyo Grande home.
Responses to the new developments in the Kristin Smart case
In an official press conference that took place after Paul Flores was deemed guilty, Kristin Smart's father, Stan Smart, told reporters how relieved he was that the suspect had finally been convicted 26 years after his daughter went missing.
Stan Smart said:
"This has been an agonizingly long journey with more downs than ups. Without Kristin, there is no joy or happiness in this verdict."
Dan Dow, a San Luis Obispo County District Attorney, celebrated the verdict. Dow said:
"Today, justice delayed is not justice denied."
As per court records, Paul Flores emerged as a suspect in the murder in 1996, however, there was reportedly not enough evidence to move forward with the case. Authorities noted that on the day they interviewed him, he had a black eye, indicating that he may have been involved in a struggle.
The Guardian reported that the case moved forward after authorities shifted their focus to searching the home of Ruben Flores, which is 12 miles away from California Polytechnic State University.
On March 12, 2021, authorities reportedly discovered a soil disturbance under the desk of Ruben Flores. It was supposedly the size of a human casket, with traces of blood. However, authorities were unable to use the blood for an accurate DNA test. In light of this discovery, both Paul and Ruben Flores were arrested.
Ruben Flores denied any involvement in the murder.
He told reporters:
“We don’t know what happened to (Kristin Smart)."
KSBY reported that Paul Flores is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9. His attorney, Robert Sanger, has repeatedly denied his client's involvement in the slaying. Sanger claims that the forensic evidence had misled the jury.
