Authorities ended a search at Susan Flores' home on Saturday without recovering Kristin Smart’s body after soil testing at the Arroyo Grande property turned up signs of human remains. The search centered on the 500 block of East Branch Street and began Wednesday with sheriff’s deputies, soil scientists and ground radar experts.
San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies said, "We did not recover Kristin Smart," and added, "Detectives will be evaluating any evidence we have recovered to aid in the investigation." Sheriff Ian Parkinson said Friday that soil tests were positive for remains and that there was evidence human remains had been there at one time.
East Branch Street Search
Parkinson said, "We believe that, based on what we’re looking at, evidence, wise scientific evidence, that human remains were there at one time," and added, "So we can’t call it Kristin, but you know, we think there’s, there’s evidence to support human remains there." The sheriff’s office also said Saturday, "The Sheriff’s Office remains fully committed to finding Kristin and bringing her home to her family. No further information is available."
The search was another step in a case that has led investigators back to properties tied to the Flores family more than once. Smart has been missing since 1996, and Paul Flores was the last person seen with her as they walked toward her dormitory at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo after a Memorial Day weekend party.
Paul Flores Case
Paul Flores was arrested in 2021 after a renewed investigation into the killing and later sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after a lengthy trial. A month after sheriff’s deputies searched Ruben Flores’ property in 2021 with ground-penetrating radar and cadaver dogs and found no remains, Ruben Flores and Paul Flores were arrested and charged in connection with Smart’s murder.
Three years ago, scientists working in a neighbor’s backyard detected volatile organic compounds that they said may be associated with decomposing human remains. Tim Neiligan, a soil engineer and former FBI chemist, said this week, "We’re rooting around for answers," and, "We all want to bring [parents] Denise and Stan Smart some peace after all these years."
Smart Investigation
The latest search leaves investigators with evidence to analyze, not a recovery. For Kristin Smart’s family, the remaining step is the same one that has framed the case for nearly 30 years: whether the material collected at Susan Flores’ home can move the search closer to finding where she was taken.
