Authorities in California said they did not find Kristin Smart’s remains after investigators completed a search of a Central Coast home tied to her convicted killer. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement that it finished searching Susan Flores’ property in Arroyo Grande, more than 150 miles (240 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.
Officials said the search did not turn up Smart’s remains. The Sheriff’s Office did not provide additional details beyond its statement, but it said this week that evidence suggested human remains were present at the home. According to the Sheriff’s Office, scientists specializing in human decomposition and soil took samples from the ground as part of the effort.
The case dates to May 1996, when Smart, a 19-year-old college student, went missing after last being seen with Paul Flores. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape, and they said Flores was the last person she was seen with. Smart was declared legally dead in 2002.
Paul Flores was convicted of Smart’s murder in October 2022, and he was sentenced the following year to 25 years to life. Authorities have said for years that Smart’s body has never been found, leaving her disappearance unresolved in terms of a final accounting.
The latest search followed years of public attention that has continued to focus on new leads and investigative work in the decades-old case. The Associated Press reported that Chris Lambert, who runs the “Your Own Backyard” podcast, first reported the home that was later searched.