Nearly 30 Years Later, Investigators Still Haven't Found Kristin Smart's Body — But They're Getting Closer
Kristin Smart has been missing for nearly 30 years. The man convicted of killing her is in prison. His father was acquitted as an accessory. And her body has still never been found.
That may be about to change — or it may not. That uncertainty is exactly where the case stands on the eve of the 30th anniversary of her disappearance.
The Latest Search
On May 6, 2026, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's investigators executed a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores — the mother of convicted killer Paul Flores — on East Branch Street. Investigators spent days searching the property using ground-penetrating radar and specialized soil testing designed to detect compounds associated with human decomposition.
On May 8, Sheriff Ian Parkinson held a press conference and delivered news that stopped the room. The soil tests had come back with results consistent with human remains. "We believe that based on what we're looking at evidence-wise, that human remains were there at one time or still there," Parkinson said. "We can't call it Kristin, but you know, we think there's evidence to support human remains."
Then, on May 9, the search ended — and so did the immediate hope. "We did not recover Kristin Smart," the sheriff's office said in a statement. "Detectives will be evaluating any evidence we have recovered to aid in the investigation."
The soil showed signs of decomposition. The body was not there. The investigation continues.
What the Sheriff Believes
Parkinson has been unusually direct about where his department's thinking stands. At the May 8 press conference he expanded on comments he had made to a reporter earlier in the week.
"We've proven already that Paul did it. We believe that Kristin, at one time, was on Paul Flores' father's property. We know she's been moved, so where she moved to — we're hunting that down," he said.
He went further. "Kristin has been moved, and we don't know how many times she's been moved and to where she's moved, and so just because somebody's house was searched doesn't mean that we're not going back there, because she could have been moved back there thinking that it's a safe place."
The implication is significant. Investigators believe Kristin's remains have been relocated — possibly multiple times — in the nearly 30 years since her disappearance. The positive soil results at Susan Flores' property suggest she may have been there at some point. Whether she is still there, or has been moved again, is the question driving the investigation forward.
Susan Flores has been declared a person of interest. She was not permitted to return to her home during the search.
The Case That Took 25 Years to Break
Kristin Smart was 19 years old when she disappeared over Memorial Day weekend in 1996. She was a freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo — Cal Poly — and had attended an off-campus party on the night of May 24. Witnesses placed her walking back toward campus with fellow student Paul Flores. She was never seen again.
For years the case went cold. Flores remained a person of interest but was never charged. Kristin's body was never found. Her family spent decades pushing for answers.
The case broke open largely because of a podcast. In 2019, true crime host Chris Lambert launched Your Own Backyard, a meticulously researched series that examined every available piece of evidence in the Smart disappearance. The podcast attracted national attention, brought new witnesses forward, and generated renewed pressure on investigators to act.
In April 2021 — 25 years after Kristin's disappearance — Paul Flores was arrested for her murder. His father Ruben Flores was arrested as an accessory, with investigators believing he had helped conceal her body on his property in Arroyo Grande. A jury convicted Paul Flores of first-degree murder in October 2022. He was sentenced to 25 years to life.
Ruben Flores was acquitted of accessory charges in a separate trial in early 2023 — a verdict that shocked many who had followed the case closely.
The Family's Statement
The Smart family released a statement through the sheriff's department following the May search. It was measured and hopeful in equal measure.
"We remain hopeful that this current search will be successful and look forward to the outcome," they wrote. "Our family greatly appreciates the efforts, dedication, and commitment of Sheriff Ian Parkinson, Detective Clint Cole, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department, and the team of investigators."
What Comes Next
The 30th anniversary of Kristin Smart's disappearance is May 25, 2026 — less than two weeks away as of this writing. Her family has waited three decades to bring her home. A man has been convicted of killing her. The soil at a property linked to the case tested positive for human decomposition. And her body is still missing.
The sheriff's office says it remains fully committed to finding her. The evidence collected during the May search is still being evaluated. Other locations have not been ruled out. The investigation is ongoing.
For the Smart family, the answer to the question that has defined thirty years of their lives — where is Kristin? — remains just out of reach.
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