ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. — California law enforcement officials will brief the public Friday morning about their recent search of a property linked to the Kristin Smart murder case, as investigators continue looking for the remains of the college student who disappeared nearly three decades ago.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has scheduled the press conference for 9 a.m.
Deputies executed a search warrant Wednesday at the residence of Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, who was found guilty in 2022 of murdering Smart. While officials haven’t disclosed what led to the search, specialists in human decomposition analysis and soil examination collected ground samples from the property.
Tim Nelligan, a specialist in soil vapor analysis, confirmed Thursday by telephone that he was present at the location, collecting samples from both the Flores property and an adjacent neighbor’s yard. He explained that his team has developed “a methodology to assess soil vapor” related to “human cadaver decomposition,” though he declined to discuss details of the ongoing investigation.
Smart disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996 following her return from a party off campus. District attorneys claimed she died during an attempted sexual assault and that Paul Flores, a fellow student, was the final person seen with her. She was officially declared dead in 2002.
This long-running case has drawn widespread public attention, partly due to a podcast creator who assisted investigators by encouraging additional witnesses to come forward. Chris Lambert, host of the “Your Own Backyard” podcast, was first to report on the property search in the central coast community of Arroyo Grande, located roughly 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Efforts to contact Susan Flores for a statement on Wednesday and Thursday were unsuccessful. She has not been charged with any crimes in connection with the case.
Nelligan and fellow scientists used instruments to penetrate the ground and extracted lengthy tubing samples. The emerging field of soil vapor analysis involves gathering underground gas specimens to identify volatile organic compounds linked to human decomposition.
Lambert, the podcast host, stated he had limited knowledge about the search details but expressed hope that investigators might finally locate Smart’s remains. He noted that previous searches of Susan Flores’ property had been incomplete.
“This property in particular has been overlooked for quite some time,” he said Thursday while standing in front of the residence.
Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were taken into custody in 2021.
Prosecutors claimed Smart’s body was initially buried on Ruben Flores’ land before being relocated. He was cleared of accessory charges. That location differs from the current search site.
Paul Flores received his prison sentence in March 2023, and has suffered physical assaults behind bars on at least two occasions. In 2024, a judge ordered him to pay Smart’s family slightly more than $350,000 to cover expenses they faced following her death.
The family has indicated they would waive the financial compensation if Flores would reveal the location of their daughter’s body. Flores’ legal representative, Harold Mesick, stated in 2024 that the defense team has no knowledge of where her remains are located. Flores continues to deny guilt.
