CALIFORNIA- The Sheriff’s Office of San Luis Obispo announced yesterday that another search of the home of Paul Flores, the person of interest and last person Kristin Smart was seen with alive. In February search warrants were served on four locations in California and Washington state regarding the now 24 year old missing persons case. The Sheriff’s Office confirmed that yesterday’s search warrant was only for the residence of Flores in San Pedro, Los Angeles County and for specific items they cannot disclose by law.
Kristin Smart graduated from Lincoln High School in Stockton in 1995 and went missing a year later on May 25, 1996 on her college campus Cal Polytechnic San Luis Obispo after leaving a campus party. She was found by friends passed out on a lawn and helped to walk to her dorm when the group encountered Paul Flores, 100 yards from her dorm, who said he would make sure to take her the rest of the way. She hasn’t been seen since and was legally declared dead in 2002.
A podcast released in 2019 and titled “You’re Own Backyard” by a young man who grew up in San Luis Obispo helped spark new interest and tips in the case. Months later the search warrants would be served at the four locations tied to Flores. He was detained during yesterday’s search on his home and released 3 and a half hours later.
Smart’s parents, who live in Stockton, still hope for justice in this case. Just recently Lincoln High students on the swim team, which Smart was part of, raised money to dedicated benches in her memory on campus.
