Cal Poly freshman, Kristin Smart, was 19 when she was murdered by Paul Flores.
San Luis Obispo County’s most notorious convicted murderer has lost his appeal for a new trial.
Paul Flores, who was convicted in the 1996 murder of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart, was denied his appeal to the State Supreme Court seeking a review of his 2022 conviction. Flores was sentenced to 25-years to life in prison in March 2023.
Smart went missing on Memorial Day Weekend in May 1996 after last being seen in the company of Flores. Smart’s body was never found and the case languished unsolved for over 25 years, though Flores was the only suspect over that entire time.
The Sheriff’s Department reopened the case in 2021 an arrested Flores along with his father in 2021. Reuben Flores was charged as an accessory to the murder but was acquitted in the trial. Both men were tried at the same time but had separate juries. Their case was moved to Monterey County due to excessive pre-trial publicity.
This was Flores’ second appeal of the conviction. “Flores earlier appealed his conviction to the Second District Court of Appeal,” reads a news release from SLO County D.A.’s Office. “In October 2025, the Court of Appeal issued a written opinion that affirmed the October 2022 conviction.”
D.A. Dan Dow said, “While we are very pleased that this decision brings a stronger sense of finality for all involved, we will always remember Kristin Smart and will continue to do all we can to honor the memory of her vibrant life.
“Our hearts go out to Mr. and Mrs. Smart and their entire family for all that they have endured for the last 30 years.”
One mystery continues to overshadow the whole case — Smart’s body has never been found. The murder trial included evidence that a body had been buried for some time under the porch of the elder Flores’ Arroyo Grande home, but only minute traces of her were discovered.
