Three years after Paul Flores was sentenced for the 1996 murder of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart, another search warrant has been served in connection with the case.
Law enforcement, including San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson, was seen at the home of Flores’ mother, Susan Flores, on the 500 block of East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande on Wednesday morning.
A sheriff’s spokesperson confirms to KSBY that a search warrant was served there in connection with Smart’s murder case.
Those involved with the search could be seen taking various pieces of equipment into Susan's home and also a neighboring yard.
May 25 marks 30 years since the 19-year-old's disappearance from the Cal Poly campus.
Investigators have said she was last seen with Flores after attending an off-campus party.
Flores is serving a 25-year-to-life sentence for Smart’s murder following his conviction in 2022.
His father, Ruben, was tried alongside him in Monterey County but was acquitted by a separate jury of being an accessory to the crime.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow released a statement Wednesday in response to the search, saying, “Since the jury convicted Paul Flores for the murder of Kristin Smart, the District Attorney’s Office has continued working in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office to fulfill our shared commitment to the Smart family and this community: to bring Kristin home. The District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation is assisting with today’s search, and Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth supported the Sheriff’s Office in advance of their obtaining judicial authorization for this warrant. 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.”
Dow encouraged anyone with information about the case to contact Crime Stoppers at (805) 549-STOP.
