Authorities plan to update the public on Friday regarding a grounds search at a home connected to the man convicted of killing 19-year-old college student Kristin Smart in 1996. Her body has never been recovered. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office in California has scheduled a news conference for 9 a.m.
Details of the Search
The office served a search warrant on Wednesday at the residence of Susan Flores, whose son Paul Flores was convicted in 2022 of murdering Smart. Authorities have not disclosed what prompted the search, but scientists specializing in human decomposition and soil were observed taking samples from the ground. Tim Nelligan, an expert in soil vapor testing, confirmed by phone on Thursday that he was on the premises, collecting samples from the yards of Flores and a neighbor. He stated that his team has generally “come up with a methodology to assess soil vapor” and its relation to “human cadaver decomposition,” but he could not discuss the current investigation.
Background of the Case
Smart went missing from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996 after returning from an off-campus party. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape, and the last person she was seen with was Paul Flores, a fellow student. She was declared legally dead in 2002. The decades-old case has captivated the public, partly due to a podcaster who helped investigators by bringing forward additional witnesses. Chris Lambert of the “Your Own Backyard” podcast first reported the search of the home in Arroyo Grande, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Attempts to reach Susan Flores for comment on Wednesday and Thursday were unsuccessful. She has never faced criminal charges related to the case. Nelligan and other scientists inserted instruments into the soil and pulled up long tubing. Soil vapor sampling, an evolving science, involves collecting underground gas samples to detect volatile organic compounds associated with human decomposition.
Lambert said he did not know much about the search but was optimistic investigators could locate Smart's body. He noted that past searches of Susan Flores' home have never been thorough. “This property in particular has been overlooked for quite some time,” he said on Thursday in front of the house.
Legal Developments
Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested in 2021. Prosecutors alleged Smart’s remains were buried on Ruben Flores’ property and later moved. He was acquitted of accessory charges. That property is different from the one currently being searched. Paul Flores was sentenced in March 2023 to prison, where he has been physically attacked at least twice. In 2024, a judge ruled that he must pay just over $350,000 to Smart's family for costs they incurred after her death. The family has said it would forgo restitution if Flores would reveal the location of the woman's body. Flores’ attorney, Harold Mesick, said in 2024 that the defense did not know where her remains are. Flores maintains his innocence.
