Paul Flores convicted in '96 disappearance, murder of Kristin Smart; dad found not guilty - NBC News

A California antheral has been convicted of sidesplitting Kristin Smart, a assemblage pupil who disappeared successful 1996, and his begetter was recovered not blameworthy by a abstracted assemblage of disposing of her body.

Paul Flores was recovered blameworthy Tuesday of first-degree execution and faces 25 years to life. His father, Ruben Flores, had been charged with accessory aft the fact. He faced up to 3 years successful prison. A spokesperson with the Monterey County Superior Court confirmed the divided verdicts Tuesday.

Paul Flores, 45, and his father, 81, had their cases heard simultaneously but were tried by antithetic juries. The verdicts were work backmost to backmost Tuesday afternoon.

Authorities person ne'er recovered Smart’s body. She was legally declared dormant successful 2002.

Kristin Smart.via FBI

Prosecutors said Paul Flores killed 19-year-old Smart during an attempted rape connected May 25, 1996, successful his dorm country astatine California Polytechnic State University successful San Luis Obispo. He was the past idiosyncratic seen with a precise intoxicated Smart, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors alleged that Smart’s assemblage whitethorn person been buried nether a platform down Ruben Flores’ location successful Arroyo Grande.

He was accused of helping hide the pupil and digging up the remains and moving them years later, prosecutors said.

Paul Flores had agelong been considered a fishy successful the killing, but prosecutors arrested him and his begetter lone successful 2021, aft the probe was reactivated.

San Luis Obispo Sheriff Ian Parkinson acknowledged missteps by detectives implicit the years and credited a fashionable podcast astir Smart’s disappearance, called “Your ain Backyard,” for helping unearth accusation and inspiring witnesses to talk with authorities.

Investigators person conducted dozens of searches implicit 2 decades, but lone precocious turned their attraction to Ruben Flores’ home, astir 12 miles southbound of Cal Poly.

Behind lattice enactment nether the platform of his ample location connected a dead-end thoroughfare disconnected Tally Ho Road, archaeologists moving for constabulary successful March 2021 recovered a ungraded disturbance astir the size of a casket and the beingness of quality blood, prosecutors said.

The humor was excessively degraded to extract a DNA sample. While a humor adept said it was quality blood, the trial utilized did not regularisation retired the anticipation of it being from a ferret oregon ape, though tribunal records said nary remains of specified an carnal were recovered there.

Attorney James Murphy has sued Ruben Flores connected behalf of Smart’s parents and alleged him and unnamed accomplices moved the assemblage 4 days aft investigators searched his location successful February 2020. Investigators didn’t behaviour their excavation beneath the platform until much than a twelvemonth later.

San Luis Obispo Superior Court Judge Craig Van Rooyen ordered the brace to proceedings aft a 22-day preliminary proceeding successful which helium recovered a “strong suspicion” the begetter and lad committed the crimes they were charged with, and that a sedate existed nether Ruben Flores’ platform that erstwhile held Smart’s remains.

Attorney Harold Mesick, who represents Ruben Flores, antecedently said the grounds unearthed was ambiguous. He said that ungraded nether the platform had been dumped determination aft being excavated to laic a instauration nearby.

“It was a blistery messiness due to the fact that it’s been antecedently excavated,” Mesick said. “If we adjacent telephone it evidence, it is truthful minimal arsenic to daze the conscience.”

A juror successful the Ruben Flores lawsuit was dismissed Thursday aft telling Judge Jennifer O’Keefe that helium had discussed the lawsuit for strictly spiritual guidance with his clergyman due to the fact that it was causing him stress, KSBY reported.

The juror said helium did not sermon specifics of the case. An alternate juror was sworn in, and O’Keefe told the assemblage to “begin deliberations anew” to drawback the juror up, according to KSBY.

Rooyen successful March granted a alteration of venue petition determining the defendants could not get a just proceedings successful San Luis Obispo County, according to KSBY. The cases were tried successful Monterey County Superior Court successful Salinas.

The prosecution rested its lawsuit against the Flores' men connected Sept. 20 — aft much than 2 months of witnesser testimony, according to The Tribune Newspaper which covers San Luis Obispo County.

KSBY reported attorneys representing the defendants rested their cases connected Sept. 27.