Attorney for Kristin Smart’s Convicted Murderer Challenges Conviction 2 Weeks Before Sentencing

Convicted California murderer Paul Flores is scheduled to be sentenced today for the murder of California Polytechnic State University student, Kristin Smart.

According to Fox News Digital, Flores faces 25 years to life in prison for the death of Smart, whose remains have never been found. She was last seen on campus on Memorial Day weekend in 1996 and declared legally dead in 2002.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, a jury at the Monterrey County Superior Court found Paul Flores guilty of murder in October 2022.  Both Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested in 2021 after investigators searched Ruben Flores’ home multiple times.

Investigators said Paul Flores killed Smart at the college before hiding her body under Ruben’s shed.

Ruben was arrested at his Arroyo Grande residence, on a charge of “accessory after the fact of a felony” according to San Luis Obispo County jail records. The jury later found Ruben Flores not guilty of being an accessory to Smart’s murder.

Check back for updates.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Here is a previous episode on the case. 

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[Feature Photo: Right: Paul Flores/San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office and Kristin Smart/Handout]

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