The mystery over the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart took a new turn Wednesday when a judge ruled that Paul Flores will be tried for murder.
The decades-long mystery over the disappearance of Kristin Smart took a new turn Wednesday when a judge ruled that Paul Flores will be tried for murder in the case. Flores’ father will also face charges that he was an accessory to the alleged crime. The move marks a milestone in a case that has frustrated investigators and Smart’s family for years. Here is what we know about the case: A haunting cold case Paul Flores arrested in Smart killing The long quest for justice for Kristin Smart The long road to Paul Flores in the Kristin Smart case Details emerge from prosecutors: How Smart was allegedly killed After Smart disappearance, Flores moved to L.A. New sex assault allegations followed him. What we know about the case against Flores May 1996 Smart, then 19, of Stockton, disappeared on Memorial Day weekend. About 8:30 p.m. on May 24, she and three companions left their Cal Poly San Luis Obispo dorms, a staggered row of brick and concrete buildings set against a steep incline known as Poly Hill. They grabbed a ride in a truck to a party at an unofficial fraternity house near campus. Her friends did not want to go to the party, so they dropped off Smart a couple of blocks away. Tim Davis, a senior who helped stage the party, told investigators he was shooing away the last stragglers about 2 a.m. when he spotted a tall girl later identified as Smart sprawled on a lawn next door, apparently passed out. He roused her. She was in no condition to walk home alone. Davis and Cheryl Anderson were going to walk her home when Flores, a 19-year-old from the nearby town of Arroyo Grande, volunteered to help.
