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Smart, a 19-year-old assemblage student, disappeared successful 1996.
Last Updated: October 18, 2022, 7:46 PM ET
A California assemblage has recovered Paul Flores blameworthy successful the execution of 19-year-old assemblage pupil Kristin Smart successful 1996.
His father, Ruben Flores, was recovered not blameworthy of accessory to execution successful transportation with the crime.
Paul Flores, a erstwhile classmate of Smart, was charged with murder, portion his begetter was charged with being an accessory to the crime. Prosecutors accidental helium helped fell Smart's assemblage connected his spot successful Arroyo Grande earlier moving it successful 2020.
Smart went missing walking location from a enactment astatine California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her assemblage has ne'er been found, but authorities arrested Paul and Ruben Flores successful April 2021 and recovered alleged grounds related to Smart's execution successful their homes.
Paul and Ruben Flores were tried astatine the aforesaid time, but with abstracted juries proceeding the lawsuit together. A verdict was reached successful Ruben Flores' lawsuit connected Monday; that determination was sealed until Paul Flores' assemblage reached its verdict Tuesday and they could beryllium announced simultaneously.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson told reporters that the Kristin Smart lawsuit "is not over."
"This lawsuit volition not beryllium implicit until Kristin is returned home," helium said during a property league Tuesday with the family. "That I stay committed to."
Smart's assemblage was ne'er recovered aft she disappeared successful 1996.
Kristin Smart's father, Stan Smart, made a connection connected behalf of the household successful the aftermath of the blameworthy verdict.
"Without Kristin, determination is nary joyousness oregon happiness with this verdict," helium told reporters during a property league with the San Luis Obispo County's territory attorney's bureau and sheriff's bureau Tuesday.
He called the travel to the trials a "long, overwhelming and emotional" one, and spoke straight to his daughter.
"To our Kirstin, astir 3 decades agone our lives were irreparably changed connected the nighttime you disappeared," helium said. "Know that your tone lives connected successful each and each 1 of us."
"Not a azygous time goes by that you aren't missed, remembered, loved and celebrated," helium continued.
Kristin Smart's mother, member and sister were besides contiguous astatine the property conference.
Ruben Flores said helium was "relieved" astir his not-guilty verdict arsenic helium near the courthouse Tuesday.
"There was a batch of made-up things," Ruben Flores told reporters. "You look done it and determination is nary grounds against anybody, maine oregon Paul."
When asked if helium had immoderate comments for Kristin Smart's family, helium said, "I consciousness atrocious for them due to the fact that they didn't get nary answers astir what happened to their daughter, and we don't cognize what happened to their daughter."
Ruben Flores' attorney, Harold Mesick, said his lawsuit ne'er should person been charged and that the verdict was the "just outcome."
He said "there is simply a tenable inference to beryllium drawn" that Smart mightiness inactive beryllium alive, and that prosecutors ne'er proved her death.
Commenting connected the divided verdict, Ruben Flores said the jurors who recovered his lad blameworthy "were carried distant with feelings astir the family."
Kristin Smart's household volition articulation a property league connected the verdicts with the San Luis Obispo County's territory attorney's bureau and sheriff's bureau that's scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, ABC News has learned.
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