Kristin Smart case yields ‘positive results’ in new search for Stockton student

 Clint Cole, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department, and the technical experts assisting with the execution of this search. Finally, we continue to feel the tremendous support of the local community and all the people far beyond the Central Coast who provide us with great strength to continue this journey to bring Kristin home.”

More: New search at home of Paul Flores’ mother in 1996 Kristin Smart disappearance

Why are investigators searching again for Kristin Smart now?

The renewed search — nearly 30 years after Smart vanished — was prompted by newly developed evidence that met the legal standard for a fresh warrant, officials said.

“The detectives obtained a search warrant based on investigative leads and evidence to return to the Branch Street address of Susan Flores,” Parkinson said.

The search has included ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and soil analysis designed to detect chemical compounds associated with human decomposition.

Parkinson emphasized how far forensic tools have advanced.

“The GPR from 30 years ago is not the GPR today,” he said. “Like everything else, the technology has advanced.”

Investigators have identified new underground anomalies during the search.

“Yes,” Parkinson said when asked if anomalies were detected. “We’re focused on those and identifying what they are.”

This marks one of the first times investigators have excavated parts of the backyard at the property, which has long been scrutinized in the case.

‘It’s hard to dismiss Kristin Smart’: Stockton teen’s story still captivates Cal Poly

What happened to Kristin Smart in 1996

Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old California Polytechnic State University freshman from Stockton, disappeared on May 25, 1996, after attending an off-campus party near campus.

She was last seen walking back toward her dorm with fellow student Paul Flores.

Flores was later convicted of first-degree murder in 2022, with prosecutors arguing he killed Smart during an attempted rape in his dorm room. Her body has never been found.

Flores is currently serving a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

His father, Ruben Flores, was charged with helping conceal Smart’s body but was acquitted at trial.

During the search Friday, Flores drove by at 2:28 p.m. and stopped in the street to watch; Susan was not with him, according to “Your Own Backyard” podcaster Chris Lambert, who was instrumental in bringing new attention to her case years before the Floreses were arrested and ultimately helping solve it.

Friday afternoon, Lambert said investigators had backed a truck into the driveway, unloaded three shovels and carried them into Susan Flores’ backyard, which was covered by green cloth tarps.

Kristin Smart timeline: 24 years from the Cal Poly student’s disappearance to a suspect’s arrest

The unanswered question: Where is Kristin Smart?

Despite the conviction, the central mystery in the case remains unresolved: Where is Kristin Smart?

During trial proceedings, prosecutors presented evidence suggesting her body had been buried under a deck at Ruben Flores’ Arroyo Grande home before being moved.

Soil samples collected there previously tested positive for human blood, and cadaver dogs had alerted to Paul Flores’ dorm room shortly after Smart disappeared.

Investigators now believe Smart’s remains may have been moved multiple times.

“Kristin has been moved, and we don’t know how many times,” Parkinson said.

Longstanding clues resurface as Kristin Smart search intensifies

The latest search has also renewed attention on earlier claims tied to Susan Flores’ property.

A former tenant reported finding a turquoise earring in the yard months after Smart vanished — an item believed to belong to Smart but never formally logged as evidence.

The tenant also described hearing a digital watch alarm sounding daily around 4:20 a.m. from a backyard planter area.

That detail later took on new relevance when Smart’s mother said her daughter routinely set a watch alarm for that time for early morning lifeguard shifts. No watch has ever been recovered.

What happens next in Kristin Smart case

Investigators say the search could continue for days, depending on what evidence is uncovered.

“The evidence takes us to tomorrow, the next day and the next day,” Parkinson said. “We’re prepared for that.”

Authorities are still urging anyone with information about the case or the location of Kristin Smart’s remains to come forward.

She was last seen walking back toward her dorm with fellow student Paul Flores.

Flores was later convicted of first-degree murder in 2022, with prosecutors arguing he killed Smart during an attempted rape in his dorm room. Her body has never been found.

Flores is currently serving a sentence of 25 years to life in prison.

His father, Ruben Flores, was charged with helping conceal Smart’s body but was acquitted at trial.

During the search Friday, Flores drove by at 2:28 p.m. and stopped in the street to watch; Susan was not with him, according to “Your Own Backyard” podcaster Chris Lambert, who was instrumental in bringing new attention to her case years before the Floreses were arrested and ultimately helping solve it.

Friday afternoon, Lambert said investigators had backed a truck into the driveway, unloaded three shovels and carried them into Susan Flores’ backyard, which was covered by green cloth tarps.

Kristin Smart timeline: 24 years from the Cal Poly student’s disappearance to a suspect’s arrest

The unanswered question: Where is Kristin Smart?

Despite the conviction, the central mystery in the case remains unresolved: Where is Kristin Smart?

During trial proceedings, prosecutors presented evidence suggesting her body had been buried under a deck at Ruben Flores’ Arroyo Grande home before being moved.

Soil samples collected there previously tested positive for human blood, and cadaver dogs had alerted to Paul Flores’ dorm room shortly after Smart disappeared.

Investigators now believe Smart’s remains may have been moved multiple times.

“Kristin has been moved, and we don’t know how many times,” Parkinson said.

Longstanding clues resurface as Kristin Smart search intensifies

The latest search has also renewed attention on earlier claims tied to Susan Flores’ property.

A former tenant reported finding a turquoise earring in the yard months after Smart vanished — an item believed to belong to Smart but never formally logged as evidence.

The tenant also described hearing a digital watch alarm sounding daily around 4:20 a.m. from a backyard planter area.

That detail later took on new relevance when Smart’s mother said her daughter routinely set a watch alarm for that time for early morning lifeguard shifts. No watch has ever been recovered.

What happens next in Kristin Smart case

Investigators say the search could continue for days, depending on what evidence is uncovered.

“The evidence takes us to tomorrow, the next day and the next day,” Parkinson said. “We’re prepared for that.”

Authorities are still urging anyone with information about the case or the location of Kristin Smart’s remains to come forward.