Warning: This article contains discussion of rape which some readers may find distressing.
Authorities have carried out a fresh search warrant at the California home of the mother of Kristin Smart’s killer, almost three decades after the 19-year-old vanished.
Kristin Smart was a 19-year-old student at California Polytechnic State University when she was killed on May 24, 1996, by fellow student Paul Flores.
Smart, a freshman, went to an off-campus party and did not make it back to her dorm. Investigators said Flores allegedly offered to walk her home in the early hours of the morning.
Flores spoke with police soon after Smart disappeared, but it took more than 25 years for a conviction. In October 2022, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
During earlier searches, investigators said they found human blood and fibers at the home of Flores’ father that matched the colors of the clothing Smart had been wearing the night she went missing.
Despite the conviction, Smart’s remains have never been recovered.
Now, investigators in California have pursued additional search activity connected to efforts to find her body.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said yesterday (May 6) that deputies served a search warrant at the home of Flores’ mother, but did not release additional details about what led to the search or what may have been collected.
District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement: “While those responsible for Kristin’s death – and those with knowledge of her whereabouts – could provide answers at any time, we remain firmly committed to using every lawful tool available to locate Kristin’s remains and to support her family until she is brought home.”
Smart was declared legally dead in 2002, and for years the case drew little movement. It gained renewed attention in 2021 after the true crime podcast ‘Your Own Backyard’ revisited the investigation.
That renewed focus helped generate new leads, including witnesses and evidence that officials said contributed to bringing charges against Flores.
According to the case presented by prosecutors, classmates told detectives they encountered Smart unconscious in the early morning hours, and claimed Flores suddenly appeared at the scene.
They said Flores told them he knew where she lived and offered to take her back to her residence.
Prosecutors alleged Smart was killed during an attempted rape, as per AP.
Flores’ father, Ruben Flores, was arrested in 2021 and accused of acting as an accessory to the murder, but a jury later found him not guilty.
Paul Flores later challenged his conviction, though the California Supreme Court rejected his petition for review in January.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org