Search for Kristin Smart's remains continues Friday
KCRA • • nation
Key Points:
- Authorities continue searching the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores, mother of Paul Flores, who was convicted in the 1996 murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, but have not yet found her remains.
- Investigators are using advanced ground-penetrating radar and soil tests to detect compounds linked to human decomposition, with a warrant that prevents occupants from returning to the home during the search.
- Susan Flores remains a person of interest, though she is not currently detained, and could potentially be prosecuted as an accessory if evidence supports such a charge.
- Paul Flores was sentenced in March 2023 to 25 years to life for the murder of Kristin Smart, who disappeared over Memorial Day Weekend in 1996; he maintains his innocence.
- Ruben Flores, Paul’s father, was acquitted of accessory charges despite prosecutors’ claims that Smart’s remains were initially buried on his property and later moved.
