Kristin Smart’s disappearance more than two decades ago has prompted repeated searches, and authorities were again working Wednesday and Thursday at a home connected to Paul Flores, the man convicted in the 1990s killing. Scientists specializing in human decomposition and soil took samples outside the Arroyo Grande residence tied to Flores, according to people on site and investigators.
The search centered on the home of Susan Flores, where the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office served a search warrant Wednesday. Authorities have not said publicly what led to the warrant or what they sought in the renewed effort to find Smart’s remains.
On Thursday, Tim Nelligan, an expert in soil vapor testing, confirmed by phone that he was at the premises gathering samples from the yards of Susan Flores and a neighbor. Nelligan said his team had “come up with a methodology to assess soil vapor” and its relation to “human cadaver decomposition,” but he said he could not discuss the specific work underway as part of the current investigation.
Soil vapor sampling is described as an evolving approach that collects underground gas samples to detect volatile organic compounds associated with human decomposition. Investigators used instruments placed into the ground and long tubing to gather the samples as part of the testing process.
Smart, a 19-year-old college student, went missing in May 1996 after returning from an off-campus party at California Polytechnic State University. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Paul Flores, a fellow student. Authorities declared Smart legally dead in 2002, and her body has never been found.
The case has drawn sustained public attention over the years, including through renewed investigative work sparked by a podcaster who helped bring forward additional witnesses. Chris Lambert, who hosts the “Your Own Backyard” podcast, first reported the search of the Susan Flores home in Arroyo Grande, roughly 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Lambert said he did not know much about the details of the search, but he told reporters Thursday he was optimistic investigators could locate Smart’s body. He said past searches of Susan Flores’ home had not been thorough and described the property as “overlooked for quite some time.”
The renewed activity comes against a legal backdrop involving Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores. Paul Flores and his father were arrested in 2021, and prosecutors alleged Smart’s remains were buried on Ruben Flores’ property and later moved. Paul Flores was acquitted of accessory charges tied to that allegation, and the property prosecutors described as Ruben Flores’ has been described in reporting as different from the one currently under search.
In March 2023, Paul Flores was sentenced to prison, where he has been physically attacked at least twice, according to the reporting. A judge in 2024 ruled that Paul Flores must pay just over $350,000 to Smart’s family for costs incurred after her death.
Smart’s family has said it would forgo restitution if Flores tells them where her body is. Flores’ attorney, Harold Mesick, said in 2024 that the defense did not know where Smart’s remains are, and Flores continues to maintain his innocence.
On Wednesday, the county district attorney’s office said it was assisting the sheriff’s office with the investigation. District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement that “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.”