A warrant was reportedly served at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores, in California, on Wednesday, sparking questions of whether Kristin Smart would finally be found.
Smart disappeared in 1996 and decades later, a search warrant has been issued. Kristin Denise Smart was a 19-year-old American who went missing at the end of her first year on the campus of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Paul Flores was convicted by the jury for the murder of Smart.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announced that they were serving a fresh warrant in the case. “The Sheriff's Office has issued a press release regarding a search warrant related to the Kristin Smart investigation,” the statement read. It added “The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an additional investigation into the property in the 500 block of East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande. This investigation is related to the Kristin Smart disappearance. This activity is the result of a search warrant signed by a Superior Court judge. The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Kristin home to her family. No further information is available. At this time, the Sheriff’s Office will not be making any additional comment regarding this investigation.”
Your Own Backyard Podcast, a documentary podcast series, exploring the Kristin Smart disappearance, noted that the warrant had been served to Susan Flores.
{{/usCountry}}Your Own Backyard Podcast, a documentary podcast series, exploring the Kristin Smart disappearance, noted that the warrant had been served to Susan Flores.
{{/usCountry}}“an Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office is currently executing a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores. She was served on her doorstep at 7:05am and left at 8:02am,” they wrote.
This raised hopes for many and one person directly commented “Will today be the day they finally find Kristin Smart!?!,” sharing the post.
Kristin Smart case: What to know
The warrant comes almost 30 years after Smart's disappearance. She was declared legally dead in 2002. Smart had attended an off-campus party at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo as a freshman but never returned to her dormitory.
In 2021, Paul Flores was arrested and charged. As per detectives, some classmates had found Smart passed out during the early hours of May 25, 1996, but Flores appeared out of nowhere and claimed to know where she lived and offered to drop her to the dorm.
In 2021, cops searched the home of Ruben Flores, his dad, and found human blood and fibers in the dirt matching colors of clothing Smart had on when she had gone missing. Paul Flores was convicted in October 2022 for first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in 2023. Ruben was charged as an accessory to murder but was acquitted of the charges.
Authorities have been focused on finding Smart and bringing her home, to give closure to the case. To that end, District Attorney Dan Dow spoke about the warrant issued today.
He said “Since the jury convicted Paul Flores for the murder of Kristin Smart, the District Attorney’s Office has continued working in coordination with the Sheriff’s Office to fulfill our shared commitment to the Smart family and this community: to bring Kristin home. The District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation is assisting with today’s search, and Assistant District Attorney Eric Dobroth supported the Sheriff’s Office in advance of their obtaining judicial authorization for this warrant. While those responsible for Kristin’s death—and those with knowledge of her whereabouts—could provide answers at any time, we remain firmly committed to using every lawful tool available to locate Kristin’s remains and to support her family until she is brought home,” in a statement.