A California man convicted of murdering his 19-year-old college classmate 27 years ago was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison Friday.
Paul Flores, 46, was found guilty in October of the first-degree murder of California Polytechnic State University student Kristin Smart. His sentencing brought a close to a case that had gone unsolved for decades and captivated true crime audiences. Flores was only arrested in 2021 after the podcast Your Own Backyard uncovered new evidence, but Smart’s body has still never been found.
“After nearly 27 years of unspeakable anguish, the Smart family has finally seen their daughter’s killer sentenced,” Deputy District Attorney Christopher Peuvrelle said in a statement. “Their strength and determination serve as an inspiration to us all.”
Smart was reported missing in May 1996, and several witnesses said that she was last seen with Flores walking back to the dorms from an off-campus party.
During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that a clandestine grave was underneath the deck of his father’s home, and they said they believed it held Smart’s remains for some time. Investigators also found human blood beneath the deck, but it was too old to do proper DNA testing.
Source: https://www.buzzfeed.com/pocharaponneammanee/paul-flores-sentenced-kristin-smart-murder
