Kristin Smart search ends with no remains found as detectives analyze evidence
Investigators in California have concluded a search at a home tied to convicted killer Paul Flores in the decades-old disappearance of Kristin Smart, saying they did not recover her remains but will continue analyzing evidence collected at the property.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said Saturday that detectives wrapped up their search at a home on East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande, which is linked to the 1996 disappearance of Smart.
"We did not recover Kristin Smart," the sheriff’s office said in a statement. "Detectives will be evaluating any evidence we have recovered to aid in the investigation. The Sheriff’s Office remains fully committed to finding Kristin and bringing her home to her family."
Officials also said no additional updates will be provided at this time.
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The development comes after authorities revealed earlier in the week that investigators had uncovered evidence suggesting possible human remains at the property, which is associated with Paul Flores’ mother, Susan Flores.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said during a news conference Friday that soil testing indicated compounds consistent with a decomposing human body.
"We believe that… human remains were there at one time, or still there," Parkinson said. "We think there’s evidence to support human remains."
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"I’m not going to go into the details, other than just to say with soil tests, it’s about the compounds in the soil that are related to a human, decomposing body," he added.
The renewed search effort marked the latest development in the nearly three-decade-old case that has gripped California’s Central Coast.
Kristin Smart was a 19-year-old student at California Polytechnic State University when she disappeared in May 1996 after attending an off-campus party. Prosecutors later said Paul Flores killed her during an attempted rape in his dorm room.
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Paul Flores, now 49, was convicted of first-degree murder in 2022 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, but Smart’s body has never been found.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow previously said his office remains committed to locating Smart’s remains, adding that authorities will continue using every lawful tool available to bring answers to her family.
Despite the latest search yielding no confirmed remains, authorities say they remain committed to finding Smart and bringing her home to her family.
Fox News Digital’s Adam Sabes contributed to this report.