New Developments in Kristin Smart Case Reveal Grim Findings After Recent Search Efforts

On Saturday, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office updated the public on their search efforts, revealing that Kristin Smart’s remains were not discovered at the residence of her killer’s mother.

Officials concluded their search of Susan Flores’s home, located in the 500 block of East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande, California. Susan is the mother of Paul Flores, who was found guilty of Kristin’s murder.

The sheriff’s office said ‘we did not recover Kristin Smart’ and refused to say specifically what evidence they had found. 

The sheriff’s office emphasized their ongoing commitment to uncovering Kristin’s whereabouts and reuniting her with her family.

Investigators will now carefully analyze any materials gathered during the search to advance their case.

The search of Flores’s Arroyo Grande property, conducted on Wednesday, employed advanced ground-penetrating radar and specialized soil analysis, sparking renewed hope of locating Smart nearly 30 years after her disappearance.

Smart vanished over three decades ago while she was a student at California Polytechnic State University. She was officially declared dead in 2002.

Paul Flores, her former classmate, was convicted of her murder in 2022. Smart’s remains have never been found. 

In Saturday’s update, law enforcement said they would not provide any further information.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson had said Friday that that Flores remained a person of interest in the decades–old case. 

Parkinson said prosecutors could pursue charges if investigators uncovered enough evidence to build a case. 

‘She can still be prosecuted as an accessory if we can make that link,’ Parkinson said. 

He said that had happened with Flores’ ex–husband, Ruben Flores. He was charged with helping conceal Smart’s body but was acquitted of being an accessory after the fact. 

When asked if investigators were receiving results that were ‘consistent with human remains presence,’ Parkinson said, ‘Correct.’

Authorities explained that they would file as many search warrants as needed. 

‘We’re prepared to go as long as it takes until we either find Kristin, find evidence and are satisfied that everything has been searched,’ Parkinson said. 

The search warrant for Flores’ home prevented her from re–entering until the search was complete.

The sheriff’s office had access to the whole property and a portion of a neighboring yard.   

Smart went missing from California Polytechnic State University in 1996 and was declared dead six years later.

Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Paul Flores, a fellow student.

He claimed at the time that he walked Smart home from an off-campus party and parted ways.

Him and his father Ruben were arrested in 2021, with prosecutors alleging that Smart’s body had been buried on Ruben’s property before being moved.

Paul Flores was convicted of her murder and is serving a 25 years-to-life sentence. 

Investigators again noted this week that they believed Smart’s body had been moved.

‘Kristin has been moved, and we don’t know how many times she’s been moved and where she’s moved,’ Parkinson said. 

Susan has never faced criminal charges related to Smart’s death. 

Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Flores (pictured), a fellow student

Smart was reported missing by a friend but a search didn’t begin until days later due to the miscommunication between authorities.

Four different search dogs trained to pick up the smell of human remains led police to Paul Flores’s dorm room during the investigation.

However, no evidence was found in his room.

Investigators found him with a black eye during their interview, which Flores claimed he received playing basketball with friends, who denied his account.

He later changed his story to say he bumped his head while working on his car, per court records.

The jury heard evidence that a grave was located beneath the deck of Ruben’s home which is believed to have previously held Smart’s body.

Additionally, two women testified that Flores subsequently drugged them and engaged in sex acts with them against their will and while they were so intoxicated that they were incapable of giving legal consent.

Flores was unanimously found guilty of Smart’s first degree murder.