Kristin Smart: New Evidence Thirty Years Later // 608

Summary

Going West: True Crime // Episode 608 — Kristin Smart: New Evidence Thirty Years Later

Date: May 15, 2026
Hosts: Daphne Woolsoncroft & Heath Merryman

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Episode Overview

This episode of Going West dives deep into the disappearance and murder of college freshman Kristin Smart, who vanished in 1996 from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. With the 30-year mark approaching, Daphne and Heath present a comprehensive account interwoven with new evidence and updates from 2026. The conversation balances historical case details with present-day forensic developments, legal outcomes, and ongoing heartbreak for the Smart family.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance of Kristin Smart

• Background (06:14–10:44):

  • Kristin, a motivated 19-year-old, was enjoying her first year at Cal Poly, having previously traveled, worked as a camp counselor in Hawaii, and dreamed of studying abroad.
  • She was socially active, experimenting with a new identity and nickname ("Roxy"), and stood out due to her height and looks.

• Night She Vanished (11:17–15:36):

  • On May 24, 1996, Kristin attended an off-campus party, introducing herself as Roxy. Multiple people recalled meeting her, but she did not appear to know many attendees.
  • Reports indicated she became severely intoxicated very quickly and was later found passed out near the party.
  • At about 2 a.m., students Cheryl and Tim tried to help her back to her dorm, joined by Paul Flores, who had a reputation as a campus “creep.”
  • Paul promised to take her back but claimed she decided to return to her dorm alone after reaching his, which was only a short walk away.

• Delayed Reporting and Early Investigation Flaws (16:04–19:26):

  • Kristin’s absence was not immediately alarming due to the holiday weekend, leading to delayed reporting by her roommate and family.
  • Campus police were slow to take action and even discouraged filing a missing persons report at first.
  • Investigators quickly identified Paul Flores as the last person to see Kristin but failed to secure immediate evidence or a confession.

2. Paul Flores: Early Suspicions and Red Flags

• Suspicious Behavior (20:21–25:48):

  • Paul had a black eye during interviews and gave inconsistent, implausible explanations for how he received it.
    • Quote:

      "Why didn't you tell us that you got that black eye hitting the steering wheel?"
      —Investigator (24:02)

    • Paul’s response:

      “Because it doesn't sound like a very likely thing ... It didn't really matter.” (24:09)

  • Audio evidence from interrogation showcased his nervousness and evasive attitude.

• Paul’s “Theory” (26:16–27:58):

  • When asked what he thought happened to Kristin, Paul weakly posited that she “went off with someone” or was “abducted,” attempting to redirect suspicion.

3. Botched Early Evidence Recovery & Law Enforcement Shortfalls

• Cadaver Dogs and Missed Opportunities (28:10–29:55):
  • Multiple cadaver dogs independently alerted on Paul’s dorm room and the bed of his truck.
  • Investigators searched the home of Paul’s family but initially found no direct evidence.
• Parental Support and Civil Litigation (30:29–34:13):
  • Kristin’s family filed a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit in 1997 after the grand jury failed to indict Paul.
  • Paul and his parents remained uncooperative, often pleading the fifth and denying involvement.

4. New Leads Sparked by the Podcast ‘Your Own Backyard’

• Chris Lambert’s Contribution (36:07–37:56):
  • Years of stagnation changed when Chris Lambert started a podcast that renewed public and investigative interest.
  • A significant tip came from a former renter of Paul’s father, revealing odd restrictions about the property’s deck area—a focal point in later searches.

5. The 2021 Breakthrough and Forensic Revelations

• Search & Arrests (37:56–41:41):

  • In 2021, investigators found disturbed, blood-stained soil consistent with human decomposition beneath the deck at Paul’s father’s home.
  • Paul was arrested for firearm possession, then re-arrested for Kristin’s murder, and his father Reuben for helping to conceal the crime.

• Pattern of Predatory Behavior (41:41–49:05):

  • Paul was involved in multiple sexual assault investigations across California, with some victims testifying in court.
  • His computer contained videos of assaults and evidence of rape drugs, demonstrating a clear, ongoing pattern of sexual violence.

• Quote:

  “On his computer he had a file titled ‘Practice’ that included numerous videos of him having sex with, or I'll just say raping incapacitated women.”
  —Daphne (49:05)

6. The 2022 Trial and Conviction

• Courtroom Details (43:54–54:35):

  • The prosecution outlined how Paul inserted himself into the group walking Kristin home, lied about injuries, and maintained a history of predatory behavior.
  • Testimonies from other victims and digital evidence painted Paul as a serial predator.
  • The case relied heavily on circumstantial and forensic soil evidence due to the absence of Kristin’s body.
  • Paul was found guilty of first-degree murder; his father Reuben was acquitted. Paul received a sentence of 25 years to life.

• Memorable Quote:

  "It's been 1,370 Sundays since Stan and Denise Smart waited for the phone call. The phone call that would never come, but you knew where she was all along."
  —Prosecutor, closing arguments (52:17 approx.)

7. Recent Developments & the Search for Kristin

• 2026 Forensic Updates (54:35–58:21):

  • Recent search warrants were executed at Susan Flores’s (Paul’s mother) home, uncovering soil evidence indicating human remains had once been present.
    • Quote:

      “Sheriff Parkinson announced that forensic testing at Susan Flores’ property had produced evidence consistent with human remains having once been present there.”
      —Daphne (57:14)

  • This development suggested Kristin’s body may have been moved repeatedly between family properties over the years.

• Family’s Continued Denial (59:43–62:47):

  • Susan Flores, interviewed in 2021, maintained her family’s innocence despite the forensic findings and ongoing searches.
    • Quote:

      “It’s simple for me to say because I know the answer – it’s not here with me, not here with him, not here with anybody. It’s not here. I just… I don’t get it.”
      —Susan Flores (61:02–62:34)

  • Paul’s parents have never cooperated with the Smart family or law enforcement, mirroring notorious past cases of parental complicity.

• Ongoing Heartbreak and Hope

  • Even after the conviction, Kristin's body has not been found; new forensic findings represent “renewed hope and renewed heartbreak” for her family.
  • The Smart family continues to campaign for answers and closure, as authorities keep the investigation open.

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Notable Quotes & Moments With Timestamps

• On Paul Flores’s Interrogation:

  • “Why didn't you tell us that you got that black eye hitting the steering wheel?” —Investigator (24:02)
  • “Because it doesn't sound like a very likely thing ... It didn't really matter.” —Paul Flores (24:09)

• Prosecutorial Rhetoric:

  • "It's been 1,370 Sundays since Stan and Denise Smart waited for the phone call. The phone call that would never come, but you knew where she was all along." —Prosecutor (52:17)

• On Evidence at Susan Flores’s Property:

  • “Sheriff Parkinson announced that forensic testing at Susan Flores’ property had produced evidence consistent with human remains having once been present there.” —Daphne (57:14)

• From Susan Flores (Paul’s Mother):

  • “It’s simple for me to say because I know the answer – it’s not here with me, not here with him, not here with anybody. It’s not here. I just… I don’t get it.” —Susan Flores (61:02–62:34)

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Timestamps for Main Segments

• Episode Opening & Case Introduction: 00:14–03:46
• Rapid Fire True Crime News: 01:53–06:14
• About Kristin Smart and Life at Cal Poly: 06:14–11:06
• Timeline of Disappearance: 11:17–17:00
• Early Investigation & Paul Flores: 19:26–29:55
• Post-Disappearance Case Developments: 30:29–36:07
• Revival Through Podcast and New Tips: 36:07–37:56
• 2021–2022: New Evidence and Arrests: 37:56–54:35
• Trial, Conviction, and Aftermath: 54:35–62:47
• Recent Forensics & Ongoing Search: 54:35–62:56

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Tone & Approach

Throughout, Daphne and Heath maintain a tone of deep empathy for the Smart family, righteous anger at law enforcement’s early missteps, and horror at the repeated predatory behavior of Paul Flores. The language remains urgent, honest, conversational, and occasionally darkly incredulous (“Oh my God, what a disgusting fuck.” —Heath, 49:05). Personal opinions and emotional reactions are woven into the factual narrative, making listeners feel both the tragedy and the hope that still exists for closure.

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Final Thoughts

Thirty years after Kristin Smart’s disappearance, the combination of renewed forensic evidence, relentless investigative work, and increased public advocacy has brought long-awaited justice in the form of Paul Flores’s conviction. However, with each new search and the Smart family’s unwavering fight for answers, the underlying question remains heartbreakingly unresolved: Where is Kristin? As the anniversary approaches, Going West reminds listeners that the pursuit of closure—and the demand for accountability—never truly ends.

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Transcript

[Interviewer]

Foreign.

[Heath]

What is going on, true crime fans? I'm your host Teeth.

[Daphne]

And I'm your host Daphne.

[Heath]

And you're listening to Going West.

[Daphne]

Hello everybody. Today's case has been recommended so many times over the years. So it just so happened that we already had it ready to go for this month because it's a May case as these new updates are coming out, as I'm sure many of you have seen on the news. So this is a fully up to date episode with all the new findings. But big thank you to those who have sent this one in since like 2021.

[Heath]

Yes, there's been a lot of you guys. Big shout out to Jessica, Isidro, Haley, Jennifer, Daisy, Allison, Devin, Anna, Brittany and Isaac for sending this one in today. And we're so sorry that it took us so long to get to this one.

[Daphne]

Seriously, it's fun. I consider Kristen Smart story to be a bigger, more well known story and I was kind of surprised to see that there's not a ton of podcast coverage on it. And I think that's because there is a podcast called your own Backyard fully dedicated to this story. And I think everyone's like, I'm not going to touch that. I'm going to let them do it. But yeah, we really wanted to kind of try our hand in it and perfect that there are some new information anyway, so we have a lot to get into today.

[Heath]

Alright guys, without further ado, this is episode 608 of Going West. So let's get into it.

[Daphne]

Before we dive into this case. As you guys know, Heath and I love doing Happening now stories so that we can discuss the cases that we're all invested in and hearing about on the news. And because we're so in tune with true crime news, we thought that it would be fun to add a segment to our Friday episodes called Rapid Fire where we basically discuss a few stories in the news so that we can all stay up to date on what's going on in the world. And you know what you may even hear coming up on Going West. So it's just a quick little segment and for our first ever Rapid Fire, we actually have a little update on a case we covered all the way back in 2022. The murder of Maya Miliete.

[Heath]

Five years after 39 year old Maya Miliete vanished from her Chula Vista home, jury selection is finally underway in the murder trial of her husband Larry Miliete. Maya's body has never been found, making this one of the country's biggest no body murder prosecutions and of course, many of us have been waiting years for this. Prosecutors say that Larry became enraged when Maya wanted a divorce. And they plan to use digital evidence, including disturbing searches, messages and alleged spellcaster communications to build their case.

[Daphne]

The spellcaster thing was such a crazy part of this story because there is evidence that Larry reached out to like a witch essentially, and wrote please punish May. He called her May and, and incapacitate her enough so she can't leave the house. Like what?

[Heath]

I mean, that is desperate.

[Daphne]

So that is what, that's part of what they're going to present in this trial.

[Heath]

Well, most recently, 90 potential jurors have been screened in San Diego county and the trial is expected to last nearly three months. So once that trial's over, we'll definitely be doing an episode on the entire story as a whole next.

[Daphne]

Actually, there's a lot of updates this week, it seems, in Going west episodes because we have an update for Cory Richins. The sentencing for Cory Richens also happened this week, which of course, we recently covered on Going West. And some shocking statements were made. The Utah mother who wrote a children's book about grief after her husband's death was sentenced this week to life in prison without parole for poisoning her husband, Eric Richins, with fentanyl. Eric's family delivered emotional victim impact statements, but the most devastating statements came from Corey's own children through Eric's sisters. Their three sons wrote that they were afraid of their mother and feared that she would hurt them if she was ever released. One son said if she got out, I would be so scared. Another wrote that she locked them in the basement after Eric died and that she got drunk daily. The judge ultimately called Corey, quote, too dangerous to ever be free before sentencing her to life without parole.

[Heath]

I didn't think it could get any worse, but it did. And finally, new in true crime TV shows is Should I Marry a Murderer on Netflix, which Daffney and I binged just the other day because it centers around the strange disappearance of Tony Parsons back in 2017. He was captured on surveillance footage riding his bicycle in Scotland and seemingly vanished without a trace. And actually this particular documentary centers around the fiance of Tony's killer because back in 2020, her fiance told her what he had done to Tony. So we hear her account of learning this story, grappling with what to do with that information and eventually going to the police with it to solve his case. It is wild to say the least.

[Daphne]

In May of 1996, a 19 year old college freshman vanished from her San Luis Obispo University in the middle of the night, when she never returned to her dorm room. What began as a missing person case quickly gripped California and spurred sparked decades of questions, rumors and nationwide attention. With recent arrests in the case, investigators would uncover a slew of evidence. From stained soil to horrific video footage taken by the main suspect. This is the murder of Kristen Smart. Kristen Denise Smart was born on February 20, 1977 in Bavaria, Germany to Denise and Stan Smart. And although they were from the U.S. they were both teachers to children of American military personnel in Germany, hence why Kristen was born there. But while she was still young, her parents moved her, as well as her brother and sister back to the states, settling in Stockton, California, which is a city just about 50 minutes south of Sacramento. There she attended Lincoln High school, graduating in 1995. And as a teenager, though she could be described as a bit shy socially, in high school, she was very motivated and loved going on trips and adventures with her family, which is what brought her to Hawaii for her final summer, where she excitedly worked as a lifeguard and camp counselor at Camp Makulea, which her family says was her dream job.

[Heath]

That would be my dream job.

[Daphne]

I know, it sounds so fun. And there. This is actually more of a reflection on how fun it was for her. She wrote this in her diary. Quote, I face into the wind. It purrs and whistles its secrets in my ear. Under the sun, floating upon the salty waters. I cringe with excitement to be in such a heavenly place. Now, the following summer, she was actually hoping to become fluent in Spanish and then move to Venezuela as an exchange student. But devastatingly, she'd never get that chance. In the fall of 1995, 18 year old Kristen Smart headed south to California's central coast for college, to Cal Poly in beautiful San Luis Obispo to study communication, though she planned to study architecture eventually.

[Heath]

Isn't that where your, your brother attended there? Right.

[Daphne]

Yeah. I asked him if he had heard of this case when he lived there, and he said he never heard anybody talking about it. And I was like, what dorm did you live in? Like, I was trying to make.

[Heath]

Yeah, well, it was before his time.

[Daphne]

Yeah, it was, but I mean, San Luis Obispo is so, so beautiful. Cal Poly has like a ton of trees. You're like right in the California mountains. So this is such a, a great school, gorgeous area. Now, Kristin lived at the dorms in Muir hall, which is one of the red brick dorm buildings surrounded by tall pines. And she made many friends on campus. With her roommate. Later describing her life on campus as socially active. And she also physically stood out a bit because Kristen was this beautiful six foot one blonde. And although she was enjoying her college experience, she really wanted to travel and explore. And actually Cal Poly wasn't her first choice. She wanted to go to school in the Virgin Islands originally. I know he thought is very appealing to you as well.

[Heath]

Definitely.

[Daphne]

But it just kind of felt too far from home. But you know, she was still giving it her best shot. She was making friends and even trying new things, like going by the nickname Roxy. She would introduce herself as Roxy at parties sometimes, and friends say that it was almost like an alter ego for her. And she had even dyed her blonde hair brown. So she was sort of experimenting with her identity during her freshman year.

[Heath]

Yeah, I feel like a lot of kids do that when they get out of high school. They're, they're starting at a new place. They can kind of, sure, they can kind of reinvent themselves totally.

[Daphne]

But the problem here is like this nickname comes into play because the night that she vanished, Kristen attended an off campus party and she was introducing herself as Roxy to some of the people there, which would kind of muddy things up later when police came questioning people asking if they had seen or met Kristen.

[Heath]

Yeah, because people are like, well, I met a Roxy.

[Daphne]

Yeah, if they're even gonna offer that up on their own, you know, so it's, it's gonna complicate things a little bit here.

[Heath]

It was Friday, May 24, 1996, so it was Memorial Day weekend, meaning that there wouldn't be school that coming Monday and many students were off campus for the holiday that evening. Kristen was hanging out with one of her closest friends, Margarita Campos, who lived in the dorm right next to Kristen. And they were figuring out what their night was going to look like when some of the girls on their floor invited them to an off campus party. And so the girls said yes, though neither of them had a car. So they got into a truck with these girls and headed to this party in the early evening. When they were all done at the party, the girls dropped Kristen and Margarita off on the corner of Foothill Boulevard and California Boulevard, which was only about a 5 minute drive or a 15 minute walk from their dorm building because they just weren't quite ready to go back yet. You know, they wanted to stay out because it was only about 10.30pm but after a short while, when it became clear that they didn't have a destination, Margarita decided to go back to the dorms because she needed to go to the bathroom and was just feeling tired. So Kristen, who had not been drinking that night, was asking her to just stay out for a little bit longer. But when that didn't work, Kristen and Margarita went their separate ways. With Margarita watching as Kristen walked towards Crandall Way. Now, According to reports, 19 year old Kristen headed to a fraternity party hosted at an off campus house in the area. And this was for one of her friends birthday parties. And this house was actually on Crandall Way, which is considered a prime residential street and it's right next to Cal Poly. So she really didn't have to go that far. And again, it was just around a 15 minute walk from her dorm room. But it didn't appear that she knew anyone else there and instead began attempting to make friends and connections, introducing herself to those that she met as Roxy.

[Daphne]

Now, multiple people recall meeting her that night, including a young man who claims that Kristen walked up to him and started a friendly conversation with him. Being a little bit surprised considering how beautiful she was. He said she introduced herself as Roxy and that after speaking for a bit, she excused herself to go to the bathroom. When she went into the bathroom, a young man came up to him and asked him what he'd been talking to her about. Like giving this guy the impression that he was her boyfriend or he and Roxy were dating. Though spoiler alert, he wasn't. He wasn't. And actually this guy had a terrible reputation around campus for being creepy and someone that girls and women avoided at parties because of his like unsolicited touching or his aggressive, unwanted pursuing of intoxicated women, et cetera. Like unfortunately, most of us have been around that guy before. It's just a horrific red flag. And that is exactly what Paul Flores was, a red flag. And by the young age of 19 at that, just like Kristen was. So again, Paul Flores is the guy who's asking this other guy, hey, what were you talking to her about? Now, many witnesses later reported seeing Kristen severely intoxicated at this party. She struggled to walk, she was slurring her words, and had seemingly become this intoxicated rather quickly. Concerningly quickly. Then at 2am so about three hours after she arrived, two students, Cheryl and Tim, found Kristin passed out on the neighbor's front lawn and they decided to take her back to her dorm. But she never made it there. At first, alarm bells weren't rung. When Kristen didn't make it home the next day, Saturday, May 25, 1996, her roommate Jennifer noticed that she hadn't come home and that her things were still in her room, but she figured that she was just still out. And I say that her things were still in her room because to Jennifer, it wasn't like, oh, she must have gone away for the weekend. Like, she knew that she hadn't. Her stuff was still there.

[Heath]

Right.

[Daphne]

She. She knows. She knows that she didn't leave for the weekend. And actually, even her family wasn't even worried because Kristen actually only really spoke with her parents on Sundays, but she had called them the day she went missing from Friday and left them a voicemail since they had been out when she called. So when the phone call that, you know, the typical Sunday phone call didn't come in on Sunday, they were kind of like, oh, I wonder why she didn't call. But they were also.

[Heath]

They were also like, well, she did kind of. She did call us on Fridays, so at least she checked in.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And they were like, bummed because, of course, they weren't home when she called. So it was like, oh, but we didn't even get to talk to her. So they were looking forward to that Sunday call, But it wasn't like, wait a second, why didn't she call us? You know, it wasn't like that at first. So it wasn't until the next day, Monday, May 27, Memorial Day, that her roommate Jennifer, decided to call the campus police and report her missing. But because she was 19 and allowed to be absent and it was a holiday weekend, the campus police requested that Jennifer wait another day to report her missing, despite, of course, it having been three days since Jennifer had seen her, because they had assumed that she had just gone off on, like, a sudden vacation or something. This is really what they thought because she's a college student. So they're like, oh, she's probably fine. She's probably just out on a little trip, right?

[Heath]

Yeah. I mean, it's hard to be that alarmed when you really don't have any context or really any information leading them one way or the other. Well, the next day, Tuesday, May 28, Jennifer called the San Luis Obispo police instead to report Kristen missing. And this time, a report was filed. But unfortunately, they didn't want to handle the case since Kristen was a student. So they took her report, but then asked her to call the Cal Poly University police and report it to them. Now, when she called the campus police for a second time, who are really not equipped to handle a case of this magnitude, they took her missing persons report. And this is when Kristen's parents were alerted that their daughter hadn't been seen since Friday night. And although they were not equipped for this type of case, and although they seemed to practically blame Kristen for her own disappearance, because, you know, they knew she was drinking alcohol that night and even asked what she had been wearing and deemed her promiscuous. Even later, telling her parents this, they did question Paul Flores that day. And they uncovered that on the night that Kristin went missing, when she was found passed out on the front lawn of the party thrower's neighbor's house at about 2:00am, that Cheryl and Tim decided to take her home. But they were not alone, because of course, quick to join them in helping Kristen back to her dorm, was Paul Flores, the young man who had noticed her at the party. So they all got Kristen up and standing, and right afterwards, Tim left in his car because he lived off campus. And after the trio again, this is Cheryl. Kristen and Paul arrived on campus. Cheryl left Paul with Kristen to go to her own dorm, which was Sierra Madre hall, just a five minute walk from Kristen's, because Paul had promised her that he would take Kristen home. He's kind of like, yeah, you know, Cheryl's like, hey, you got this, I'm gonna go to my dorm. And Paul's like, yeah, yeah, I'll take care of it. But he didn't do that. And Paul actually told police that instead of walking her home, that Kristen told him that she could get there herself. So when they reached his dorm, which was Santa Lucia hall, only a two minute walk from Kristen's building, he said that he left her to walk alone and then she vanished without any money or credit cards or phone.

[Daphne]

Two days later, the search for Kristen had really heightened as it was clear that something had happened to her. So as formal searches were underway, campus investigators interviewed Paul Flores at their office to ensure that they had the full picture. So this is a second interview because of course, Paul was the last known person to have seen Kristen, and it was clear that she never returned to her dorm. As Heath just mentioned, his dorm was only a two minute walk away. So if he really did part ways with Kristin that night, someone else likely would have been lurking on that quiet, dark street in the middle of the night when Kristin walked alone. But something about 19 year old Paul could not be ignored. He had a black eye during both interviews.

[Heath]

Oh yeah, that is very suspicious.

[Daphne]

And when asked how he had gotten it, he said that he had gotten it on Monday. So Memorial Day, two days, or I guess technically three days after Kristen went missing while playing basketball. Days later, in early June of 1996. Cal Poly Police finally searched Kristin's room, confirming that it didn't appear at all that she had returned the night that she vanished. And they took some evidence with them. Now I want to say it was around this same time in early June that Cal Poly was officially done with the spring semester and students were clearing the campus, which you can imagine made the investigation that much harder for the university police because key witnesses were now scattered across the country and beyond, including Paul Flores. But luckily he was actually very local. He went home to Arroyo Grande, which is actually just like 20 minutes from campus.

[Heath]

So at least, you know, he stays in the area. But unfortunately there's, there's other people that they want to talk to, but they're going to have to do some work to be able to track these people down.

[Daphne]

Right. So on June 10, just over two weeks after Kristen went missing, they conducted a search of Paul's dorm. You know, now that it's empty. But they didn't find anything of use until about a week later on June 19, when they interviewed Paul again. Now this time, investigators confronted him with an interesting take. His roommate told them that he had the black eye earlier on in the weekend. So faced with his own lie, because they're like, hey, by the way, like a couple weeks ago you told us you got your black eye on Memorial Day playing basketball.

[Heath]

And we know that that's not true. Ye.

[Daphne]

Your roommate told a different story and said you had it over the weekend. So before Memorial Day. So Paul came clean and explained that he told them a fake story. He's like, yeah, I did lie. He said that he hadn't gotten the black eye on Monday from playing basketball after all. And here's what he said last time

[Interviewer]

we talked to you. He had a black eye.

[Paul Flores]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Remember that?

[Paul Flores]

Yeah.

[Interviewer]

Okay. And what did you tell us?

[Paul Flores]

I told you I got it playing basketball.

[Interviewer]

That's right. Where did you get it?

[Paul Flores]

In my car. What car? My Ranger.

[Interviewer]

Ranger. And when did it happen?

[Paul Flores]

On. On Memorial Day or, or Labor Day, whatever. It was Monday. Yeah. Having about two o' clock in the morning.

[Interviewer]

Why two in the morning?

[Paul Flores]

Cuz I was uninstalling my radio cuz I'm selling my truck.

[Interviewer]

And where were you working on your car?

[Paul Flores]

In my garage. Garage.

[Interviewer]

And how'd you get the black eye?

[Paul Flores]

I hit the steering wheel. That's about it. But, but like how often do people hit their high end steering wheel? So

[Interviewer]

I don't know.

[Paul Flores]

See, it was, it was like right here. So then I went like. That popped up.

[Interviewer]

Let me ask you this. Why didn't you tell us that?

[Paul Flores]

Because it doesn't sound like a very likely thing.

[Interviewer]

That's exactly my point. You see my point now when I'm getting them out on all this other stuff that happened. When you tell us something like that and it doesn't make sense, see how bad it looks?

[Paul Flores]

Yeah, but that was days later anyway, so.

[Susan Flores]

Oh, no.

[Interviewer]

Why was it so hard for you to tell us that you got that black eye hitting the steering wheel?

[Paul Flores]

It didn't really matter. What do you mean it didn't matter? It was days later. So if it didn't matter, then why

[Interviewer]

did you lie about it?

[Paul Flores]

Well. Well, it doesn't matter if I leave out little details. Doesn't. Why does it matter who I was even with that day, though? I mean, like. Like the Labor Day weekend or Memorial Day weekend? See, I don't even figure that out.

[Interviewer]

Why does it matter? Yeah, because that's how we found out you didn't get the black guy playing basketball.

[Paul Flores]

But I don't think that was any big deal, so why would you lie about that?

[Interviewer]

So you got it on two o' clock in the morning on a Sunday, right.

[Paul Flores]

Taken what was actually Monday then, and woke up in the morning is like. It's like I didn't think I hit it very hard, but then I woke up in the morning with it.

[Interviewer]

What were you doing at 2 o'

[Heath]

clock in the morning in your garage?

[Paul Flores]

I was uninstalling my radio. It's like, I thought it was only going to take about half an hour or something, but the way I installed it, I had to take out my seats, I had to pull up my carpet, I had to pull apart my dash. Then I had to pull off my door panels and I had to pull off the denim in the back behind my seats.

[Interviewer]

So explain to me exactly how you hit your eyes and got that.

[Paul Flores]

It's like I was just, like, working. It's like I. I let the seats out. It's like I was grabbing the wires and I remember I just, like, popped up. I don't remember exactly.

[Interviewer]

Which eye did you hear?

[Paul Flores]

I think it was this one this time. I don't remember this one.

[Daphne]

God, he sounds so nervous. In a lot of this interview, he's, like, rubbing his arms and, like, just touching his shirt. Like.

[Heath]

Yeah, he's just kind of, like, fidgeting a bit.

[Daphne]

Fidgety, stuttery, anxious.

[Heath]

But then he also kind of gets a little bit combative and cagey towards the end where he's like, well, I don't really know why that's a big deal.

[Daphne]

Yeah, why do you need to know that anyway? Yeah, but it's because he's like, he doesn't want to. I don't know. It's very suspicious. It's like if you weren't hiding something, you would imagine you would just be like, yeah, ask me anything. Also interesting that he says he's trying to sell his truck.

[Heath]

Yeah. Well, I do want to play another clip for you guys of him talking about what he thinks actually happened to

[Interviewer]

Kristen based on everything you know and the people you talk to, which I'm sure you've talked to some people about.

[Paul Flores]

What about the recording, about her.

[Interviewer]

What do you think happened to Roxy? What's your best. Your best guess as to what happened?

[Paul Flores]

My best guess is maybe she know because her dorm is by the parking lot over there. So then I would figure my best guess guess is she went off with someone. I don't know, she decided, you know,

[Interviewer]

okay, a stranger or what?

[Paul Flores]

It could have been just someone she knows. You know, someone might have gone, you know, hey, hey, let's go to Taco Bell or something because Huckabel's out there not long.

[Interviewer]

Okay, let's suppose that something bad happened to her and she's not alive anymore. What would be your best guess or your opinion as to what happened to her? If she's not alive anymore, what do you think happened?

[Paul Flores]

I would say like someone who she hitchhiked with or something. Abducted or something. You know, some put her in the car and took her someplace.

[Interviewer]

I don't know. Okay, was somebody didn't have a car

[Paul Flores]

to put her in.

[Interviewer]

What happened to her?

[Paul Flores]

I have no idea.

[Interviewer]

What would be your best guess?

[Paul Flores]

I don't have any guess. Just like, ask someone to borrow the car.

[Interviewer]

You think she. She got put into a car somewhere and taken somewhere? Yeah, that'd be your best.

[Paul Flores]

Yeah, but. But I don't think anything happened to her on campus. I think, you know, she probably wouldn't.

[Interviewer]

Why do you think somebody would want to kill her?

[Paul Flores]

I don't think anyone. It's like you don't even know, you know, it's like people. It's like, I don't know why people do drive bys either or anything, you know, but people do that, right?

[Heath]

And by the way, this interview had been going on for nearly 40 minutes by the time Paul told them that he had lied about his black eye. And it went on for another 15 or so minutes before he abruptly got up and then just left the interview, telling the investigators that he was done answering their questions. So, anyway, it was so apparent to Kristen's family that something had happened to her, and they were worried that the campus police weren't experienced enough to handle the case, obviously. And disturbingly, they had some personal issues with them due to their victim blaming. So on June 26, the investigation was finally handed off to the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's office. And within days, the investigation became much bigger, with over 400 volunteers coming together to search the campus, while the sheriff's office conducted a search at the local landfill of Paul's white 1992 Nissan pickup truck, as well as Paul Flores dorm room, this time bringing cadaver dogs. And guess what? Four different cadaver dogs independently reacted to the same spots of Paul's empty apartment, including his bare mattress, indicating the presence of human remains at one point. And the same thing for the bed of his truck, which is absolutely insane that you've got cadaver dogs now hidden in his dorm room, as well as the bed of his truck.

[Daphne]

The truck that he wants to sell.

[Heath]

Exactly. But the trouble was that this wasn't enough to prove that the potential human remains had been there recently, nor that they had belonged to Kristen. So although this felt kind of like it was the most likely conclusion, just wasn't solid enough.

[Daphne]

Yeah. What other deceased person was in.

[Heath]

I mean, right.

[Daphne]

You know, it's like that's. What's. That's like you're saying the trouble with this case and many like it is in our heads. We're like, well, obviously. And it's like, yeah, but we don't know for sure.

[Heath]

Yeah.

[Daphne]

Even though we do know, right?

[Heath]

Even though we do know. But in mid July, the sheriff's office had enough to garner a search warrant for the family home of Paul Flores in neighboring Arroyo Grande. But sadly, nothing relating to Kristen Smart was found there either, at least for the time being.

[Daphne]

Now, we're gonna be talking about a lot of searches today, so it's important to note that at this time, Paul's parents, Reuben and Susan, were separated, and they both lived in the city of Arroyo Grande, but at different houses. So the first search that Heath is talking about was at their larger family home that they owned on White Court. This is where his dad, Reuben, lived, and then Susan, his mom, was living at their rental house on East Branch Street. These are only actually about three minutes away from each other. So they both live in the same neighborhood. Now, Paul Ruben Flores. Let's talk about him for a second. He was born in October of 1976 to Susan and Ruben Flores in California. And during the time the investigation was taking place, he had just finished his freshman year at Cal Poly and was staying at his dad's house in Arroyo Grande. Now, this house, this is Ruben's house again. This is actually where he still lives, is a nice four bedroom, four bathroom house nestled in a suburban neighborhood in the canyon, surrounded by like white picket fences and sprawling views of the mountains. Very affluent street. Now, like we said earlier, Paul didn't ever have a great reputation. He was considered socially awkward and strange. Some even called him Scary Paul. And actually, as is mentioned in the Fuller interrogation that we just played a clip from, at the party that Kristen was last seen at, Paul had essentially apparently tackled a random woman to the floor, kissing her. And this was a young woman that he didn't know. She had apparently asked him for gum, and instead of giving her some, he kissed her against her will. And she was very disturbed by the whole situation. She had never met or seen him before. But of course, he denied this ever happening. So that's something that was mentioned in the interrogation that I wanted to mention that gives you a better idea of what people thought of Paul due to his own actions. So Kristen's family knew that he was a weird guy, and they felt strongly that he knew more than he was letting on about what happened to Kristen. So they hoped that the Sheriff's department could do a lot more for the case than the campus police were able to. But when they couldn't secure an arrest or get anything else out of Paul, the case fizzled out a bit. Until a few months later in October of 1996, when prosecutors subpoenaed some people to testify in front of a San Luis Obispo county grand jury, including Paul and his parents. Weeks after this, Denise and Stan Smart filed a $40 million wrongful death lawsuit against then 20 year old Paul Flores, alleging that he was responsible for killing their daughter. As part of the case against Paul, In March of 1997, the Smart's attorney initiated another search of the Flores Arroyo Grande home. But nothing came of that search either. Though shortly after this, the sheriff admitted that Paul was the only suspect in the case. So it seems like everyone knew Paul was responsible, but no matter what they did, they couldn't bag him for it. And he continued to stay silent on the matter, even repeatedly pleading the fifth in court when he was asked questions about the night Kristen vanished.

[Heath]

Yeah, because a grand jury got to hear evidence like how cadaver dogs had alerted around his dorm room and that Paul was caught lying about different things. They got to listen to witnesses and investigators, as well as the police's belief that Paul had taken Kristen back to his dorm room that night, sexually assaulted her, and then killed her right there in his room. But in early 1997, the process ended without charges, and no indictment was returned against Paul. So years passed with no progress in the case, no progress in the wrongful death lawsuit, and no signs of Kristen's body or a murder weapon. But then a very interesting and disturbing angle came about after December of 2002, when 27 year old Lacey Peterson went missing in Modesto, California. Because the prime suspect in her disappearance and eventual murder was, of course, her husband, Scott Peterson. And Scott Peterson attended Cal Poly at the very same time as Kristen Smart.

[Daphne]

Sam.

[Heath]

Scott Peterson, who was eventually convicted for the murder of his pregnant wife. Lacey, graduated cal Poly in 1998. So about two years after, Kristen Smart went missing, making him a year older than she was. So for a time, a connection between them was investigated as it seemed like there was someone else on campus at the time who was capable of killing women.

[Daphne]

So crazy that once they found out about him and made that connection that he was a Cal Poly alumni, that they're like, wait a second.

[Heath]

Yeah, they started doing these investigations, but no evidence was found that they had ever met nor came into contact on her final evening. Well, on May 25th of 2002, Kristen Smart was legally declared dead, and her case was once again cold, leaving her family to be the only ones who were fighting for justice for Kristen. That was until 2019, when a man named Chris Lambert, who grew up on California's Central coast near San Luis Obispo, you know, seeing her billboard since he was a kid, launched a podcast dedicated to investigating her disappearance. The podcast is called you'd Own Backyard, and it's credited with regenerating interest in her case on a massive scale. With, of course, the blessing from Kristen's family as he interviewed people that were very close to the case. And he actually helped generate new tips in this case, including one from Ruben Flores, previous tenant. So Chris of youf Own Backyard received a tip from a man who claimed to have rented a room from Rubin for the last decade and said Rubin essentially had one rule, that he couldn't go under the deck for any reason at all. And remember this strange detail for what Daphne's about to go into.

[Daphne]

So, after the success of the podcast, investigators conducted new searches, including another search of one of the Flores Arroyo Grande homes and a home in Washington state, which were both Done with the help of the FBI. And then came a major development that everybody had been waiting over two decades for. On February 11, 2021, 44 year old Paul Flores was arrested in Los Angeles, more specifically, San Pedro, where he was living, but not for Kristen's murder. Instead, he was first arrested on suspicion of having a firearm while he was a fan felon because he already had multiple DUIs, the first of which he received back in February of 1996. So he wasn't allowed to own a firearm. Yet. They had found multiple in the Flores home that belonged to him during their most recent search. So because of this, they were able to secure another warrant to search the Flores's home in March of 2021, along with of course, Paul's current San Pedro home. But this time they had the use of cadaver dogs and ground penetrating radar. And here's what they found. At his father Reuben's house, investigators uncovered a large area of disturbed soil beneath the deck at Ruben Flores Arroyo Grande home. This is the same house that they searched the first time back in 1996. And they find this large spot of disturbed soil that they hadn't noticed before. This was under the deck of the house, like I just said. And this space of disturbed soil was 6ft by 4ft wide, like a grave, as if something had previously been buried there. Now, the soil was also stained. And this was so immediately suspicious to investigators that they were convinced that as they began to dig, they were about to find Kristen's body. But they didn't. What they did find, though, as forensic experts later testified, was consistent with a clandestine, AKA illegal grave site. Cadaver dogs alerted in the area and soil analysis revealed staining and biological evidence associated with human decomposition and human blood. So for it to have detected these things, investigators have put it like there was a body there, a human person was buried under Ruben Flores deck like this. The human decomposition, the human blood. There's no other way for these things to really get there. You know, this was a sign that a human's body had previously been buried there. So they're like, in their minds, of course, like we were just saying, Heath, they're thinking, well, then it has to be Kristen, because if it wasn't Kristen, then who else did you kill and bury? But unfortunately, it seemed as though they moved the remains because there were no human remains found there. Although no body or definitive DNA was recovered in that soil, the findings were significant enough that less than a month later, authorities arrested Paul Flores for Kristin's murder. And his father, Reuben Flores, for allegedly helping conceal the crime.

[Heath]

In the weeks after the arrests of Paul and Ruben Flores, the Kristen Smart case exploded back into national headlines for the first time in decades. But as the case moved forward, even more disturbing information about Paul Flores began to emerge. Investigators continued executing search warrants throughout the spring of 2021, combing through homes, vehicles, electronic devices, and property connected to the Flores family. Prosecutors then publicly alleged that Kristen had been killed during an attempted rape after Paul Flores walked her back from the Crandleway party in the early morning hours of May 25, 1996. Which, of course, we already knew. But then, on April 27 of 2021, the LA Times published a report that dramatically widened public understanding of just who Paul Flores was outside of the Kristen Smart investigation. According to the report, Paul had an extensive criminal history and had been the subject of multiple sexual assault investigations over the years. The article revealed that at the time of his arrest in the Kristen Smart case, Paul was already the subject of two active sexual assault investigations being handled by the Los Angeles Police Department. Even more alarming was the disclosure that Paul had reportedly been linked through DNA evidence to an alleged 2008 rape investigated by the Redondo Beach Police Department, which is just south of la. But prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges in that case due to insufficient evidence to move forward criminally. But of course, this didn't continue to paint Paul in a very good light and only strengthened everyone's idea of him being a predator. Especially when women began coming forward publicly with stories about encounters with Paul Flores. Some alleged that he drugged or sexually assaulted them in incidents spanning years after Kristin disappeared. And during later court proceedings, several women would testify about these experiences.

[Daphne]

Yeah, well, before we get into that, throughout the summer and fall of 2021, prosecutors steadily built their case against Paul so that forensic evidence that was discovered beneath the Flores deck became central to the prosecution's theory that Kristin's body had once been buried there before she was moved somewhere else. Authorities also pointed to cadaver dog alerts, soil anomalies, fiber evidence, electronic surveillance, as well as inconsistencies in Paul's statements over the years. Well, then, In September of 2021, after a lengthy preliminary hearing, a judge ruled that there was enough evidence for Paul and his father, Reuben, to stand trial, which would occur the following year in 2022, when the murder trial of Paul Flores finally began. More than 26 years had passed since Kristen Smart disappeared after that party near Cal Poly. During the trial, though, by the way, of course, Paul was pleading not guilty. Prosecutors laid out the Clearest and most detailed reconstruction yet of what they believed happened to Kristen Smart in the early morning hours of May 25, 1996. So piece by piece, the jury heard testimony that prosecutors argued pointed to One conclusion, that 19 year old Paul Flores killed 19 year old Kristen Smart in his dorm during an attempted rape, then concealed her body and later enlisted help from his family to hide the crime. One of the most important parts of the trial focused on the final moments that Kristen was known to be alive. So jurors, of course, heard testimony from Cheryl Anderson and Tim Davis, of course, the two students who helped Kristen leave that Crandall Way party after she had passed out on the neighbor's lawn, describing Kristen as barely able to walk. They explained how Paul Flores inserted himself into the group and offered to help walk Kristen back toward the dorms around 2am Right.

[Heath]

Because, you know, he's an opportunist and he was waiting for that opportunity to, you know, insert himself.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And of course, this was so devastating for Cheryl because now knowing what had happened, being a witness testifying at Paul's trial, knowing that she was the second to last person to see Kristen, she was like, oh, if only I knew, like, I never would have let him take her back. I just genuinely thought he was gonna do it.

[Heath]

Right. And it just sucks because Cheryl really didn't know the intentions of Paul. You know, she's not thinking in her mind, oh, yeah, Paul's gonna, you know, rape this girl and kill her.

[Daphne]

Yeah. Cause she didn't know Paul. And you know, this is very similar guilt that Kristen's friend Margarita had, that she's like, I shouldn't have let her go by herself. But, you know, hide and seek, 2020.

[Heath]

It's just, it was just a very unfortunate thing that happened.

[Daphne]

Yeah. And I think honestly, as time goes on and we hear more stories like this, we've talked about this before, like, never leave your friends alone at a bar. But at the time, like, they're not thinking of all these horrible stories. They, they think she's gonna be okay.

[Heath]

Yeah, they just had a fun night out, partying, and they're trying to go their separate ways.

[Daphne]

So they again said Paul inserted himself. He promised that he was going to take Kristen back home. Then the jury heard about the black eye and the lies. They also heard from the Redondo beach woman that Heath was talking about, who testified that Paul had raped her in 2008 after they met at a bar. They heard from another woman who claims that Paul raped her in 2011 after they met at a bar, Both of which were very emotional testimonies that even made some jurors cry. They also heard everything else that we have discussed in this episode thus far.

[Heath]

But there is more because of course there is.

[Daphne]

And it's actually some of the most disturbing details thus far, because evidence was found on Paul's computer when they conducted the search of his San Pedro house that, by the way, he owned. So at the time of Paul's arrest in 2021, he worked in a warehouse for a meal preparation delivery service as well as for a moving company. He also worked for Coca Cola for five years. As I just said, he was accused of multiple rapes in the area over the years. And on his computer he had a file titled Practice that included numerous videos of him having sex with, or I'll just say raping incapacitated women.

[Heath]

Oh, my God, what a disgusting fuck.

[Daphne]

And what an idiot. Videos that he took of himself raping women.

[Heath]

Yeah, and this dude, like you were already the center of. Of a murder investigation way back in the day, and this is 2021, and now they're finding a file on your computer. Like, are you really that stupid?

[Daphne]

Yes, he is. But not only that, not only these videos, this practice file, which is so horrific, but there was saved pornography on his computer depicting the rapes of unconscious college girls. Like rape fetish porn, you know, and in his home were substances described as date rape drugs, including Flexeril and tramadol.

[Heath]

Because. Yeah, again, of course there is. Because in order for Paul to have any chance with any of these women, he probably has to drug them.

[Daphne]

You know, but horrifically, it seems like this was also his preference that he may have had a fetish or has a fetish of raping women.

[Heath]

I think part of it was also the fact that he was kind of trying to relive his past crimes. You know, it's like, right. He got stuck on what he had done in the past and that became his fetish.

[Daphne]

Well, and of course, it's posited that Kristen Smart had been drugged at the party or roofied.

[Heath]

Yeah, I think. I think we all were kind of thinking that, right.

[Daphne]

Because of how quickly she became intoxicated and she passed out on the neighbor's lawn. And this is clearly a trend for Paul.

[Heath]

So going back a little bit. So on the morning after Kristen vanished at 9:47am Paul used a payphone near his dorm to call his father, Reuben. Now, of course, we don't know what the conversation was that took place, but prosecutors presented the theory that he had panicked after killing Kristen and reached out to his parents for help. Prosecutors also presented secretly recorded conversations of the Flores family as they had tapped their phone for a while. And in one recording from 2020, Susan told Paul, the other thing I need you to do is to start listening to the podcast, referring to your own backyard. I need you to listen to everything that they say. So we could punch holes in it wherever we can punch holes. Maybe we can't. You're the one that can tell me.

[Daphne]

Which is really suspicious, like, damn. Because it's almost like she's saying, hey, so you killed Kristen. So listen to this and tell me what isn't accurate so that we can go against it. Because you would know because you did know it.

[Heath]

Oh my God, that's so, so unhinged. While other recordings indicated their concerns of investigators possibly finding evidence on their property, though nothing was recorded. That was like explicitly a slam dunk confession. In the closing arguments, the prosecutor described Paul as, quote, guilty as sin, alleging that Paul hunted Kristen around campus for months. Because, get this, a friend of Kristen's explained remembering seeing Paul staring at Kristen at a previous party and that Kristen was just too nice to tell him that she wasn't interested. So when he saw her at that Crandall Way party, he finally saw his chance. He went on to say, it's been 1,370 Sundays since Stan and Denise Smart waited for the phone call. The phone call that would never come. But you knew where she was all along. For crimes that happen in a bedroom, there are no witnesses. But ground penetrating radar, a forensic archaeologist and a lab supervisor tell us what Kristen could not. We don't have a full intact body in this case, but we have her blood.

[Daphne]

So of course here he is referring to the human blood found in the soil under the Flores deck. But this is just part of his rhetorical argument because he, many others, including Heath and I, believe that the human blood was Kristen's. But by the way, it wasn't possible to pull DNA from it because the sample was too degraded.

[Heath]

So in his opinion, it's Kristen's blood.

[Daphne]

Right?

[Heath]

But still, on October 18th of 2022, based on everything that was presented, the jury reached their verdict and Paul Flores was found guilty of the first degree murder of Kristen Smart. His father Reuben, on the other hand, was acquitted of the accessory charges as it couldn't be proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he was involved, especially without Kristin's body. On March 10th of 2023, 46 year old Paul Flores was sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison for her murder. Well, then, months later, while in the Pleasant Valley State Prison, Paul was attacked by a fellow inmate who was actually serving time for murdering his girlfriend. And he actually stabbed Paul in the neck. And he was transferred to a hospital, initially in serious condition, but he did heal from this. Since his conviction, Paul Flores has filed two major appeals, and both have thankfully been denied.

[Daphne]

Yup. Well, as many of you know, there are some recent updates in the case against Paul as we approach 30 years this month since Kristen Smart went missing, with investigators still actively searching for her remains. And just a couple weeks ago, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office executed a new search warrant of the Flores's Arroyo Grande home. Yes, another one. But this one was Susan's house, the one that she is still living in and has been for many years. And of course, if you're not listening to this right away, a couple weeks ago is early May of 2026. So authorities once again brought in ground penetrating radar now to Susan's house, as well as forensic soil specialists, cadaver detection resources, and experts trained in identifying chemical signs of human decomposition. Because they were like, if we found something at Ruben's house, maybe there's something. Maybe she's now at Susan's house, Right? Or maybe she was also one set. Susan's like, they're like, we gotta check. Reporters observed investigators concentrating on areas of the backyard, narrow strips of soil, concrete surfaces, and sections near the property line. Though still, officials have not publicly disclosed the exact tip or lead that prompted this search. You know, I think, in my opinion, they're like, well, we gotta check. But I'm like, they would have needed something concrete to be able to get the search warrant. So I. I'm not sure exactly what that is yet. But Sheriff Ian Parkinson indicated that it stemmed from newly developed investigative information and ongoing forensic review. He emphasized that although Paul Flores has already been convicted, the investigation itself has never been considered closed because Kristen's body has still never been found. The sheriff told reporters that investigators continue revisiting locations because even previously searched properties may contain overlooked evidence, Explaining that investigators could have missed something, quote, 10ft away from an earlier search area, underscoring how determined authorities remain to find her. But then came another significant revelation on May 8, 2026, which was literally just

[Heath]

a few days ago, literally, like a

[Daphne]

week ago, Sheriff Parkinson announced that forensic testing at Susan Flores property had produced evidence consistent with human remains having once been present there. Which probably sounds really familiar because, remember, the evidence found under the Flores's deck was at Reuben's Arroyo Grande home.

[Heath]

So now they're finding some evidence at Susan's Arroyo home.

[Daphne]

Yeah. Like the exact same evidence in the soil, which would lead us to believe that at one point, Kristen was at both Reuben's house and then at Susan's house three minutes apart.

[Heath]

Yes. They were transferring the body.

[Daphne]

Yeah. Which is like, oh, my God. So authorities have stressed that no body was recovered on Susan's property because, of course, they wouldn't have left her body there. And also, no skeletal remains were publicly identified, and no DNA evidence has conclusively linked the findings to Kristen Smart specifically, much like what was found under the deck. But, like, come on.

[Heath]

It's just crazy to think that over the years, you know, they knew how close police were getting to them, so they had to keep, like, shifting Kristen's body and moving it, you know? And now we just have no idea where she is, allegedly.

[Daphne]

Right. Sheriff Parkinson carefully stated that investigators could not definitively say that it belonged to Kristen, but that there was, quote, evidence to support human remains there at one time. And I'm sure a lot of you guys who don't know this case very well are wondering, what are Paul's parents saying all these years? You know, obviously, Reuben was arrested, and their homes are constantly being searched. Are they standing by and supporting their son? Are they speaking out against him? Well, they have. I mean, by the way, first of all, they support Paul. Very much so. And they've really taken themselves out of the case conversation. They don't even refer to Kristen by name. They have ignored pleas since the beginning from Kristin's parents to help them find the truth. Like, at one point, Kristen's mom wrote Susan a letter and said, hey, mom to mom, parent to parent, do you know something? And she just wrote a letter back, essentially being like, no. And it wasn't even, like, a nice letter either.

[Heath]

This is like the same type of shit that happened with the Gabby Petito case.

[Daphne]

Yep.

[Heath]

You know what I'm saying?

[Daphne]

They are just like Brian Laundrie's parents.

[Heath]

Yep, exactly. They just don't want to. They just want to act like nothing happened at all.

[Daphne]

That's actually a really great comparison because, of course, many believe that Brian's parents were culpable as well. At least accessories after the fact.

[Heath]

Right.

[Daphne]

Same exact thing here. And just like them as well, Paul's parents very much act like they're victims, even though many of us believe that they know what happened. So I want to play a clip from a 2021 interview of Susan, that was recorded outside of the white courthouse. That was Reuben's house after they searched it before Paul's arrest. What has that been like for you guys as a family to be under a magnifying glass?

[Susan Flores]

It's a good way of putting a magnifying glass and with a lot of people asking there, watching. And of course, sentiment is, of course, our sentiment too. You know, everybody wants a resolution, so they just want to focus where they want to focus on.

[Daphne]

But pertaining to you, how do you feel with all of this or how have you.

[Susan Flores]

Well, we. We have been harassed. We've had a restraining order. We had Mr. And Mrs. Smart's henchmen put in jail for harassing us, stalking us. And when I say us, I mean Reuben and I, I mean Mike, my daughter, her husband, my son. We were all on the restraining order, protected. He violated the restraining order, he went to jail. And like I said, he was their henchman. I mean, do you think that the

[Daphne]

investigation over the last nearly 25 years has been fair?

[Susan Flores]

No. Oh, no. There's a lot of things I could say but I won't get into because I'm sure we're gonna. I don't know if we'll wind up in a court of law. It's okay with me, you know, because I would like to see the family have their answers. If it was my daughter, I'd want the answers. But they don't seem to get it. They keep trying to find the answers with us and they keep failing because the answers aren't here. It's very simple. It's simple for me to say because I know the answers. Not here with me, not here with him, not here with anybody. It's not here. It's just. I don't get it.

[Daphne]

In other words, are you saying that you are innocent? Ruben is innocent.

[Susan Flores]

We have no responsibility in her disappearance or what happened to that young woman? No.

[Heath]

Well, the 2026 search has reignited speculation that Kristen's body may have been moved multiple times among the Flores family properties.

[Interviewer]

Her murder.

[Heath]

But investigators have not publicly accused Susan Flores of participating in concealment, and she has never been criminally charged. Still, the discovery of decomposition evidence at yet another Flores associated property has intensified public belief that more members of the family may have known where Kristen's remains were hidden. As of 2026, 49 year old Paul Flores remains in prison serving a sentence of 25 years to life after his conviction for first degree murder. But the central unresolved question in the case remains the same. Where is Kristen Smart? Authorities continue to insist that they are actively pursuing every lead and have made clear that additional searches remain possible. But for the Smart family, the latest forensic findings represent both renewed hope and renewed heartbreak. Because even after decades of investigation, media attention, and a murder conviction, Kristen herself has still not been brought home.

[Daphne]

Thank you so much, everybody, for listening to this episode of Going West.

[Heath]

Yes, thank you guys so much for listening to this episode. Thank you to everybody who has recommended this case.

[Daphne]

Yes, thank you guys so much. And make sure that you're following us on socials. Check out our posts associated with this case if you want to see photos of Kristen and the houses that were searched. And Paul. Yeah, and Paul. And the videos that are associated that we took for this episode.

[Heath]

Yeah. We're on Instagram at Going west podcast. We're also on Facebook as well as TikTok.

[Daphne]

Yes. And let us know what you think about our little rapid fire in the beginning of this episode. Because as a lot of, you know, we do video and post updates for a lot of cases that we cover. But we. We know that a lot of you guys who don't, you know, you might not always see those videos. And this is a way to learn. Hey, this is the latest with Maya Miliette and Corey Richards and other cases that we haven't even covered. So thank you guys so much for being with us. And we'll see you on Tuesday.

[Heath]

All right, guys. So for everybody out there in the

[Daphne]

world, don't be a stranger.

[Paul Flores]

Sam. Sa.