What was the evidence against Paul Flores? Kristin Smart's killer sentenced to 25 years to life in prison

Paul Flores was sentenced to 25 years in prison in October 2022, for the 1996 murder of college student Kristin Smart. Authorities have now stated that they discovered biological evidence at now-46-year-old Paul Flores' father's home. However, they are yet to specify what the evidence exactly is.

Trigger warning: This article contains mentions of murder. Discretion is advised.

Kristin Smart, who was 19 at the time of her death, was Paul's fellow student at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. She was last seen leaving a party on May 25, 1996, and Paul had told her friends that he would walk Kristin to her dormitory.

While Flores initially claimed that he had last seen Kristin Smart entering her dorm, he soon emerged as a person of interest in the investigation. Despite extensive searches, authorities could not find enough evidence against Paul Flores, and the case went cold.

In 2021, new evidence emerged against Paul Flores. Authorities found reason to believe that Kristin Smart's remains were hidden somewhere on the property that belonged to Ruben Flores, Paul's father.

CNN reported that investigators used ground-penetrating radar to recover several items of interest under the property. While they did not disclose the exact nature of the evidence, forensics revealed that the items led authorities to believe there were traces of the victim under the house.

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Officials comment on the new evidence against Paul Flores

Authorities have confirmed that they never found Kristin Smart's remains. However, they did state that they found biological evidence that led them to believe that she had been buried at Ruben Flores' property at some point in the past.

This discovery led them to believe that Paul Flores assaulted Smart, before killing her, and that his father supposedly helped him dispose off the body.

Speaking about the situation, prosecutor Christopher Puevrelle said that the excavation under Ruben's deck showed "damning evidence" that a body had been buried there before it was moved.

Tony Cipolla, a spokesperson for the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department, noted that the new findings had provided a breakthrough in the case.

He said that they had found some items of interest in the case and were following up on the leads and tips and getting some "good investigative work" done.

Puevrelle said that he believed that Ruben Flores had most likely helped his son conceal the murder after the fact. When the older Flores' defense team attempted to post bail on his behalf, Puevrelle said that if the suspect was released, there was a risk that he would continue to tamper with any potential evidence.

He added:

“Due to the evidence gleaned from the excavation, it is reasonable to believe Ruben Flores currently knows the location of Kristin Smart’s remains."

Ruben Flores has been found not guilty of being an accessory after the fact. NBC noted that if he had been convicted, he could have potentially faced up to three years in prison.