Investigators said testing showed signs consistent with human decomposition at a home tied to Paul Flores’ family.
ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. — Authorities ended a new search Saturday at the home of Kristin Smart’s killer’s mother without finding Smart’s remains, despite soil testing that officials said showed signs consistent with human decomposition.
The search marked another major turn in a case that has lasted nearly 30 years. Smart, a 19-year-old California Polytechnic State University student, disappeared in May 1996 after an off-campus party in San Luis Obispo. Paul Flores, the last person seen with her, was convicted of murder in 2022 and later sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s investigators served a search warrant May 6 at the Arroyo Grande home of Susan Flores, Paul Flores’ mother. Officials used soil testing, ground-penetrating radar and other search tools at the property. Sheriff Ian Parkinson said Friday that the results were positive for signs tied to human remains, but he also said investigators had not found Smart. “We have not discovered Kristin yet, but our search goes on,” Parkinson said.
The Sheriff’s Office said Saturday that the search had ended and that no body was recovered. Officials have not said whether the test results mean remains may still be on the property or were once there and later moved. Susan Flores has not been charged in Smart’s killing. Paul Flores has denied knowing where Smart’s body is. Investigators said the case remains active, and the search for Smart’s remains is not over.
Smart vanished during Memorial Day weekend in 1996. Prosecutors said Flores killed her during an attempted rape in his dorm room. Her body has never been found, and she was declared legally dead in 2002. At trial, prosecutors argued that Smart’s body had been buried under a deck at the home of Ruben Flores, Paul Flores’ father, before being moved. Ruben Flores was tried on an accessory charge and acquitted by a separate jury.
The latest search followed years of renewed attention on the case, including work by the podcast “Your Own Backyard,” which helped bring forward new witnesses and records. Investigators previously searched Flores family properties and other sites tied to the case. The Arroyo Grande search added a new layer because officials said the soil evidence was strong enough to support another warrant, even though the testing method has drawn careful review because of its use in a criminal investigation.
The Smart family has long said the case will not feel complete until Kristin is brought home. Denise Smart, Kristin’s mother, has said there is no finality while her daughter’s remains are still missing. District Attorney Dan Dow has also said his office remains committed to that goal. The latest search did not produce the answer the family has sought, but officials said it gave investigators another piece of information in the long-running case.
Paul Flores remains in prison after his murder conviction. His appeals have not changed the outcome of the case. Authorities have not announced new charges tied to the Arroyo Grande search, and they have not released a full report on the testing. The next steps are expected to include a review of the soil results, search data and any evidence collected from the property.
By Saturday, the search activity had stopped at the East Branch Street property, ending several days of renewed public focus on the quiet Arroyo Grande neighborhood. For investigators, the case remains open in one key way: Smart’s remains have still not been recovered.
Author note: Last updated May 10, 2026.