A college student goes missing after an off-campus party
Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, disappeared on May 25, 1996, after attending an off-campus party. She was last seen walking back to her dormitory with Paul Flores, a fellow student, who became the primary suspect in her disappearance. Despite initial investigations, which included searches of Flores’ dorm room and properties connected to his family, Smart’s body was never recovered, and the case remained unsolved for decades.
Flores was long suspected of involvement in Smart's disappearance, but it wasn’t until years later, following renewed efforts by law enforcement and heightened public interest driven by media coverage, that significant progress was made. Investigators found evidence linking Flores to the crime, including cadaver dogs detecting human remains near his dorm and blood traces found at his father’s home under a deck. In 2021, Flores was arrested and charged with Kristin Smart's murder, and his father, Ruben Flores, was charged with being an accessory for helping to hide her body.
In October 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first-degree murder, while his father was acquitted of the accessory charges. Despite Smart's body still not being found, Flores’ conviction brought some closure to the case, nearly 26 years after her disappearance.
