A man was convicted Tuesday for the murder of Kristin Smart which occurred 26 years ago.
Paul Flores was convicted Tuesday for the murder of Smart, a Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) student, according to the New York Post. Flores, now 45, was found guilty of first-degree murder for the 1996 killing. The case was formerly unsolved for over two decades.
Flores’ father, Ruben Flores, 81, was acquitted by another jury on accessory charges for reportedly aiding his son in hiding the body after the murder. He was accused of burying her body in his yard, according to the NY Post. Investigators of the crime discovered soil that was dug up under his deck and blood present, yet were unable to link that blood to Smart through DNA testing efforts, according to the outlet.
Paul Flores was just found guilty of murder. #kristinsmarthttps://t.co/B4tipLsbWW
— David González (@abc7DavidGonz) October 18, 2022
Prosecutors argued that Flores attempted to rape Smart and killed her, potentially in his dorm room, after coming back from an off-campus party with heavy drinking involved, according to the NY Post. Flores has long been a suspect in the crime as he was reportedly the last person to see Smart alive on the day she disappeared. Investigators said that his whereabouts for the night of the murder were unclear and he reportedly made excuses about a black eye he sustained at the time, according to the outlet.
Arroyo Grande attorney, James Murphy, was hired in 1997 as the Smarts’ family attorney, according to The Tribune. “Justice has prevailed today in the most important way that it needed to and that is to find Paul guilty,” Murphy stated in an interview with The Tribune.
Smarts’ mother and sister were reportedly crying for several minutes when Flores’ verdict was read in court, while her father and brother seemed relieved to hear it, according to KSBY-TV. (RELATED: Man Who Fled Cops For 12 Years Finally Convicted Of Murdering Teenage Daughters)
Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong sent a message to students via email in response to the verdict, stating that he hopes this news brings peace to Smarts’ family. “Today’s guilty verdict is a welcome development in the pursuit of justice, and our university community hopes this verdict brings some comfort and a measure of resolution to Kristin’s loved ones,” he wrote in the email, according to Mustang News.
Paul Flores faces a prison sentence of 25 years to life to be determined on Dec. 9, according to the NY Post.