Search warrant served in Kristin Smart case nearly 30 years after disappearance
Published at
ARROYO GRANDE, California — Law enforcement has announced new developments in the case of a 19-year-old who disappeared in 1996.
Kristin Smart vanished at age 19 while attending California Polytechnic State University. She has never been found, but Paul Flores was convicted of her murder in 2022.
On Wednesday morning, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant at the home of Susan Flores, Paul Flores’ mother. Susan Flores’ property is located in the 500 block of East Branch Street, where investigators conducted additional activity tied to the decades-old case.
RELATED | ‘Prime suspect’ arrested in California student’s 1996 disappearance
“This activity is the result of a search warrant signed by a Superior Court judge,” a San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office Facebook post says. “The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Kristin home to her family.”
District Attorney Dan Dow released a statement saying his office has worked with the sheriff’s office to fulfill the commitment made to Smart’s family to bring her home.
“The District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation is assisting with today’s search, and Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth supported the Sheriff’s Office in advance of their obtaining judicial authorization for this warrant,” Dow’s statement says. “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.”
