Naman Shrestha
NBC’s ‘Dateline: Justice for Kristin Smart’ chronicles the sudden and mysterious disappearance of a 19-year-old college student named Kristin Smart after an off-campus party in the spring of 1996. The investigators moved heaven and earth to get to the bottom of the case, leading them to the doorstep of the Flores family, especially Paul Flores, who had also attended the same party after which Kristin had vanished. The documentary features exclusive interviews with Kristin’s parents, who spoke about their opinions on Paul’s guilt and punishment.
Paul Flores Was the Last Person to See Kristin Smart Alive Outside Her Dorm
Son of Ruben and Susan Flores, Paul Ruben Flores was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California, when he first met another freshman named Kristin Smart on the night of May 24, 1996, at an off-campus party. According to witnesses, Paul had approached the 19-year-old woman during the party and talked to her. A few hours into the party, around 2 am on May 25, she was found passed out on a nearby lawn. As a couple of students helped her to her feet, Paul also joined them to help them take her to her dorm room. Since his room was closer to her dorm, he alleged that he walked with her to his dorm and watched her walk back to hers by herself.
That was the last time anybody saw Kristin alive. Thus, Paul was suspected by the authorities and questioned multiple times about the same. During the first interview, the detectives noticed that he had a black eye, which he claimed he got while playing with his friends. However, when he was asked about it in the second interview, he changed his story and alleged that he had gotten the black eye inside his car. As suspicions mounted over him and his parents, the Flores residence was searched by the officials, but to no avail. A couple of decades later, the detectives conducted a thorough search of an area on the Cal Poly campus in 2016.
By 2021, they had gathered enough evidence against Paul and his father, Ruben, to obtain an arrest warrant. On April 13, they were taken into custody in connection with the disappearance and murder of Kristin Smart. While Paul was charged with murder, his father was charged with being an accessory after the fact. The detectives believed that Paul tried to sexually assault Kristin by drugging her, something he allegedly had done with several other women. A few days later, on April 20, the investigators also discovered biological evidence buried deep down in the ground beneath Ruben’s house, indicating that human remains had been exhumed and moved from there.
Paul Flores Continues to Serve Time in a California Prison While Pursuing an Appeal
On July 18, 2022, Paul Flores stood trial for the murder of Kristin Smart, alongside his father, Ruben Flores, who was tried with a separate jury. About three months later, on October 18, Paul was found guilty of first-degree murder. On March 10, 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. While he was serving his time at Pleasant Valley State Prison, he was attacked by a fellow inmate in the recreation yard in August 2023. He had to be hospitalized for a couple of days before he could return to prison. Several months later, on the afternoon of April 10, 2024, he was stabbed at the same prison by another inmate in the yard. The 47-year-old killer was sent to a medical facility where he received treatment for the injuries.
Paul filed an appeal to get his conviction overturned in October 2024, claiming that his 14th Amendment rights were violated. However, in April 2025, the prosecution argued that the trial was fair. A couple of months later, on July 7, the defense filed a fresh appeal in the California Court of Appeals in order to get his sentencing reduced to second-degree murder or reversed altogether, making the same claims as he did during the first appeal. He argued that his trial was unfair because of seven major errors, including the bias of a juror who had struggled with maintaining neutrality during the trial.
Paul also argued that the testimonies from two women alleging he had drugged and raped them should not have been allowed as evidence, as they were unrelated incidents. Paul’s defense counsel also believed that presenting explicit images during the trial was a form of misconduct by the prosecution. As of today, the 48-year-old killer is serving his sentence at California State Prison – Corcoran in Corcoran, California, where he was transferred after being attacked by inmates at Pleasant Valley State Prison. As per records, his parole eligibility date is scheduled for July 2037.
Read More: Merle Stanley and Denise Smart: Where Are Kristin Smart’s Parents Now?
