Kristin Smart murder trial: Paul Flores found guilty 26 years after disappearance

Smart, a 19-year-old college student, disappeared in 1996.

ByMeredith Deliso and Dea Athon
Last Updated: October 19, 2022, 7:58 AM EDT

A California jury has found Paul Flores guilty in the murder of 19-year-old college student Kristin Smart in 1996.

His sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 9. He faces 25 years to life in prison.

His father, Ruben Flores, was found not guilty of accessory to murder in connection with the crime.

Paul Flores, a former classmate of Smart, was charged with murder, while his father was charged with being an accessory to the crime. Prosecutors say he helped hide Smart's body on his property in Arroyo Grande before moving it in 2020.

Smart went missing walking home from a party at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Her body has never been found, but authorities arrested Paul and Ruben Flores in April 2021 and found alleged evidence related to Smart's murder in their homes.

Paul and Ruben Flores were tried at the same time, but with separate juries hearing the case together. A verdict was reached in Ruben Flores' case on Monday; that decision was sealed until Paul Flores' jury reached its verdict Tuesday and they could be announced simultaneously.

Latest headlines:

Here's how the news developed. All times Eastern.
Oct 18, 2022, 3:11 PM EDT

Juror dismissed after giving confession to priest

A juror in a trial connected to the disappearance of California college student Kristin Smart was excused Oct. 13 after the judge learned he had discussed the case with his priest.

Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer O'Keefe excused the male juror from the trial of Ruben Flores Thursday afternoon after he had disclosed to another juror that he discussed his difficulties with making a decision during confession. The other juror then informed the judge in a note through the bailiff.

Paul Flores listens during the closing arguments as Judge Jennifer O'Keefe presides in the Kristin Smart murder trial on Monday, Oct. 3, 2022 in Salinas, Calif.
Laura Dickinson/The Tribune (of San Luis Obispo) via AP, Pool

Juror #262 told the judge he had to "cleanse my body, that's all," and that he "did not discuss the facts of the case."

After being replaced with an alternate, the jury began deliberations from the start.

For more on the surprising turn in the trial, click here.