New warrant to search body

nearly 30 years later Kristen Smart Although she was missing, the search for her body continued after police issued a new search warrant related to her 1996 disappearance.

On May 25, 1996, 19-year-old Smart disappeared after attending an off-campus party at California Polytechnic State University, where she had just completed her freshman year.

Twenty-five years later, in October 2022, Paul Flores was convicted of murder. Although Flores, 49, was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, the mystery behind Smart’s disappearance still has several unanswered questions, including where her body is.

On Wednesday, May 6, deputies with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at a home in the 500 block of East Branch Street in connection with Smart’s disappearance. The home reportedly belongs to Flores’ mother, Susan Flores. USA Today.

Related: Testimony from two women helps convict Kristen Smart’s killer Paul Flores

Although Kristin Smart was killed in 1996, her murderer, Paul Flores, was not convicted until nearly three decades later, in 2022. In an exposé for Us Weekly, investigative reporter Kristin Thorne explains how the testimony of two women ultimately helped convict him of Smart’s murder. At 19 years old, Smart was (…)

The Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement that day that the investigation stemmed from a search warrant signed by a Superior Court judge related to Smart’s disappearance.

“The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Christine home to her family,” the Sheriff’s Office said. statement read. “No further information.”

While the agency didn’t share any other information, they did upload photos of recent searches. Officers were filmed talking outside the house and walking around the house’s outdoor garden and garage where many household items are stored.

“Your Own Backyard” PodcastReports of Smart’s disappearance said officers were called to Flores’ mother’s door at 7:05 a.m.

Back in March 2021, Flores’ father Ruben FloresWhen Smart disappeared, police searched his property using ground-penetrating radar. The search led to the arrest of two Flores men. Reuben was arrested as an accessory to the murder but later acquitted.

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During the search, authorities discovered a 6-foot-by-4-foot void under Reuben’s deck and collected several soil samples from the area. The samples tested positive for human blood, leading prosecutors to believe Smart’s body had been removed from the location some time before the search.

Smart’s disappearance became a talking point US Weeklyof exposed. san luis obispo tribune reporter Chloe JonesPeople who covered Flores’ trial and spoke with Smart’s parents told investigative reporters Christine Thorne The Smart family still hopes her body will be found.

“They still don’t have a body and all they want to do is have her body, closure and let her rest in peace,” Jones said. “They’re still in pain, they’re still hurt. They still feel like, even though the trial is over, they still didn’t get the ending they wanted.”