Kristin Smart was a woman of America who was presumed to be legally dead in 2002. She was enrolled in Polytechnic University. She was born on February 20, 1977 in West Germany and become missing on May 25, 1996. She moved to California with her family. Her parents Stan and Denise were teachers in American Military Personnel. She had one brother and one sister. She graduated from Stockton’s Lincoln High school and she was worker in Lifeguard and camp counselor in Hawaii. She was 19 years old when she was abducted, raped and thought to be killed by her university fellow Paul Flores of 45 years. On her missing day Kristin attended a party in her university. On the party, at 2am two students helped to walk her towards dorm room. When they were carrying her to dorm room then Paul Flores asked them that he will drop Smart to her house as he was living near the dorm of Smart. So Anderson and Davis left the group. It was the night when Smart was seen at the last time and no trace of her was found. When she got missed, she has no money and credit cards at that time. Afterwards on trial of April 13, 2021, Paul Flores and his father who was of 82 were taken into custody of Smart’s disappearance and their trial began on July 2022. When their home was searched by investigators numerous things related to case were found in their house and manydate raped drugs and videos were found in which Flores was seen torturing and raping a girl presumed as she was Kristin Smart. This news was reported by Los Angeles Times in 2020. On the night of incident Flores might caught Smart to his home and raped and killed her, as none has seen Smart alive or diedafter Flores has taken her to drop her to dorm.
Case Investigation.
The University Police has thought that Smart has gone to unannounced vacation. His is because that it was common in the students. She was thought to be a missing person. In the Laci Pertson,s murder case investigation it was thought that Peterson has involvement in Smart’s disappearance but due to lack of evidence he was not arrested by the police. Not yet the body of Smart is discovered but her earring was founded by a resident in Paul Flores’s mother’s house. This earring is not assumed as the evidence and it as lost by the police. From 1996 and 2007, many searches for her remains and other evidence were conducted, by using cadaver dogs trained to detect the human remains, including searches of properties owned by the Flores family. By using the dogs the items were found at three digs sites near Smart’s dorm. It might take time to understand that these evidences are related to the case or not. Nothing useful was found for nearly two decades. People have tried to find Smart by radar devices and also by riding horses.
On September 6, 2016, officials from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office announced they were investigating a new case. The Cadaver dogs from the FBI were brought in and investigators were preparing to spend approximately four days excavating an area on the Cal Poly campus. Investigators were also searching Smart’s body by using radar machines and by horse riding. After about three days some items were found in three dig sites located on the same hillside near Smart’s dorm. A spokesman for the sheriff’s office said, “The items are being analyzed to see whether they are connected to the case, which could take days, weeks, or months“. Many items are still being investigated.
On April 20, 2021, it was thought by the Public Prosecutor that the Kristin was murdered and raped and was buried beneath the deck of Ruben Flores’s home. But after sometimes her body was removed from that place. Biological evidence were find out by using ground penetrating radar and cadaver dogs.
Legal Proceedings
In 2002, on her Sixth anniversary of disappearance Smart was presumed legally dead. In 2005, her parents, Denise and Stan Smart have filed civil case against Flores who was one of the three students who walked Smart to her dorm. Due to lack of evidence against Paul Flores, he pled 5th amendment. In 2007, Flores family due to emotional distress from Smart’s family filed lawsuit against the Smart’s family but no judgment was seen in lawsuit. The officers have spent their precious time and money during the period of2011-2016.Terry Black, a Delta-area man, offered a $100,000 reward for Smart’s dead body. On February 5, 2020, search warrants were served for “specific items of evidence” at four different locations – two in San Luis Obispo, one in Washington State, and at a home in Los Angeles County. Flores was briefly detained during the search.
In September 2021 a judge ordered that much evidence is seen to proceed for trial. The trial has begun on April 25, 2022, delayed, as a change of venue motion by the defense was granted on March 30, 2022. The case was moved to Monterey County and was heard by Judge Jennifer O’Keefe. Pretrial motions were heard on June 6 & 7, 2022, with some ruled upon and other rulings deferred. Over 1500 jury summonses were sent to County residents. Jury selection has begun on June 13, and opening arguments began on July 18.Lambert has produced a series of 10 podcasts. He recounts the case off missing person named Smart and her unknown murder by her University fellow about 26 years ago. The podcast was downloaded 12 Million times and renewed by the people. It is expected that trial may last until October 2022. And now the month of October is started and no Justice has been seen till now. Responsible Citizens must prefer Justice for Kristin Smart. Because:
Justice delayed is Justice denied.
Unfortunately her case is still unsolved. None has taken steps against Flores.
