San Luis Obispo, California – On Thursday, authorities plan to enter the second day of their search for a home connected to the man convicted He killed 19-year-old college student Kristin Smart in 1996, according to law enforcement.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office issued the arrest warrant Wednesday in the ongoing investigation into Smart’s disappearance. Her remains were never found and she was declared legally dead in 2002. Paul Flores was convicted in October 2022, and eventually sentenced to prison. convicted From 25 years to life imprisonment.
Law enforcement searched a home in the central coastal town of Arroyo Grande occupied by Flores’ mother, Susan Flores, according to public records and reports from a podcast that closely followed the case.
“The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to returning Christine to her family home,” the sheriff’s statement said. “No additional information is available.”
the “Your backyard” The podcast, which helped investigators solve the case by providing additional witnesses, first reported on the search and said the house belonged to Flores’ mother. Attempts to reach Susan Flores for comment Wednesday were not successful.
Smart disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996 after returning from an off-campus party. Prosecutors claimed she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Flores, a fellow student.
Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested in 2021.
Prosecutors alleged that Smart’s remains were buried on Ruben Flores’ property and later removed. He was acquitted of accessory charges. This property is different from the property searched on Wednesday.
It was Paul Flores convicted In March 2023 to the prison where he was He was physically attacked At least twice.
In 2024the judge ruled that Paul Flores must pay just over $350,000 to Smart’s family for costs incurred after her death.
The family said they would forgo compensation if Flores told them where Christine’s body was. Flores’ attorney, Harold Messick, said in 2024 that the defense did not know where her remains were. Flores maintains his innocence.
The county prosecutor’s office said Wednesday it was assisting the sheriff’s office in the investigation.
“While those responsible for Christine’s death — and those who know her whereabouts — could provide answers at any time, we remain firmly committed to using every legal tool available to locate Christine’s remains and support her family until they are brought home,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement.