California authorities say Kristin Smart’s remains weren’t found at search of home

This undated photo released by the FBI shows Kristin Smart, the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo student who disappeared in 1996. (FBI via AP)

ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (AP) -- Authorities in California said Saturday they didn’t find the remains of Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old college student who went missing in 1996, after finishing their search of a home tied to the man convicted of killing her.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said they completed a search of Susan Flores’ property in the central coast town of Arroyo Grande more than 150 miles (240 kilometres) northwest of Los Angeles. Her son, Paul Flores, was convicted in 2022 of killing Smart, whose body has never been found.

Authorities declined to provide additional information Saturday. This week, authorities said evidence suggested human remains were present at the home and scientists specializing in human decomposition and soil took samples from the ground.

“The Sheriff’s Office remains fully committed to finding Kristin and bringing her home to her family,” the sheriff’s office said in a press release.

Smart went missing from California Polytechnic State University in May 1996. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the last person she was seen with was Paul Flores, a fellow student. She was declared legally dead in 2002.

Flores was convicted in October 2022 of Smart’s murder and sentenced the following year to 25 years to life in prison.

The decades-old case has captivated the public, fueled in part by a podcaster who helped investigators by bringing forward additional witnesses. Chris Lambert of the “Your Own Backyard” podcast first reported the search of the home.