Search warrant served at home connected to killer of California college student Kristin Smart

This undated photo released by the FBI shows Kristin Smart, the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo student who disappeared in 1996. (FBI via AP)

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — Authorities served a search warrant Wednesday at a home connected to the man convicted of killing 19-year-old college student Kristin Smart in 1996, according to law enforcement and media reports.

Her remains were never found and she was declared legally dead in 2002. Paul Flores was convicted in October 2022 and ultimately sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that the search in the central coast town of Arroyo Grande is related to the ongoing investigation into Smart’s disappearance. Flores’ mother, Susan Flores, lives at the home, according to public records and reporting by a podcast that has closely followed the case.

“The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Kristin home to her family,” the sheriff’s statement said. “No further information is available.”

The “Your Own Backyard” podcast, which helped investigators crack the case by bringing forward additional witnesses, first reported the search and said the home belongs to Flores’ mother. Attempts to reach Susan Flores for comment were not immediately successful. The search was ongoing Wednesday afternoon.

Kristin Smart went missing from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Flores, a fellow student.

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 searched on Wednesday.

Paul Flores was sentenced in March 2023 to prison, where he has been physically attacked at least twice.

In 2024, a judge ruled that Paul Flores 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 tell them where Kristin’s body was. Flores’ attorney, Harold Mesick, said in 2024 that the defense did not know where her remains are. Flores maintains his innocence.

The county district attorney’s office said it was helping the sheriff’s office with the investigation.

“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,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement.

The Associated Press