Sheriff's Office Searches Home of Paul Flores' Mother in Kristin Smart Case

Investigators in California carried out a search warrant at a home linked to Paul Flores, the man convicted of killing Kristin Smart, officials said.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announced in a Facebook post that deputies executed the warrant Wednesday at a property in the 500 block of East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande. The site connects to Smart's 1996 disappearance and her convicted killer, Paul Flores. Public records and the "Your Own Backyard" podcast indicate that his mother, Susan Flores, lives there.

"The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office is conducting an additional investigation into the property in the 500 block of East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande," the post stated. "This investigation is related to the Kristin Smart disappearance. This activity is the result of a search warrant signed by a Superior Court judge. The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Kristin home to her family."

Paul Flores, 49, was convicted of murdering the 19-year-old Cal Poly student and sentenced to 25 years to life after a three-month trial in October 2022. Prosecutors said Flores killed Smart during an attempted rape in his dorm room. Her body remains at an unknown location, and searches continue. She disappeared in May 1996.

San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow said his office shares the commitment to finding Smart's remains.

"While those responsible for Kristin’s death — and those with knowledge of her whereabouts — could provide answers at any time, we remain firmly committed to using every lawful tool available to locate Kristin’s remains and to support her family until she is brought home," Dow said in a statement.

In 2024, a judge ordered Paul Flores to pay more than $350,000 to Smart's family for expenses after their daughter's death. The family said it would halt pursuit of the restitution if Flores disclosed the body's location, but his attorney said the convict does not know where the remains are.

Susan Flores could not be reached for comment.