Evidence points to human remains at home linked to Kristin Smart's killing, sheriff says

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ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. (AP) — A California sheriff said Friday that grounds suggests quality remains were contiguous astatine a location connected to the antheral convicted of sidesplitting Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old assemblage pupil who went missing successful 1996.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said they cannot accidental whether the remains are those of Smart.

The bureau served a hunt warrant Wednesday connected the location of Susan Flores, whose lad Paul Flores was convicted successful 2022 of sidesplitting Smart. Authorities person not answered questions astir what prompted the search, but scientists specializing successful quality decomposition and ungraded took samples from the ground.

“We judge that based connected what we’re looking astatine evidence-wise -- scientific-wise -- that a human’s remains were determination astatine 1 clip -- oregon inactive there. We can’t telephone it Kristin, but there’s grounds to enactment quality remains,” Parkinson said during a quality conference.

Tim Nelligan, an adept successful ungraded vapor testing, confirmed by telephone Thursday that helium was connected the premises, gathering samples from the yards of Flores and a neighbor. He said his squad has, successful general, “come up with a methodology to measure ungraded vapor" and its narration to “human cadaver decomposition,” but that helium could not sermon the existent investigation.

Smart went missing from California Polytechnic State University successful May 1996 aft returning from an off-campus party. Prosecutors alleged she was killed during an attempted rape and that the past idiosyncratic she was seen with was Paul Flores, a chap student. She was declared legally dormant successful 2002.

The decades-old lawsuit has captivated the public, fueled successful portion by a podcaster who helped investigators by bringing guardant further witnesses. Chris Lambert of the “Your Own Backyard” podcast archetypal reported the hunt of the location successful the cardinal seashore municipality of Arroyo Grande, astir 100 miles (160 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles.

Attempts to scope Susan Flores for remark Wednesday and Thursday were not successful. She has ne'er faced transgression charges related to the case.

Nelligan and different scientists poked instruments into the ungraded and pulled up agelong tubing. Soil vapor sampling, which is an evolving science, involves collecting underground state samples to observe volatile integrated compounds associated with quality decomposition.

Lambert, the podcaster, said helium did not cognize overmuch astir the search, but was optimistic investigators could find Smart's body. He said past searches of Susan Flores' location person ne'er been thorough.

“This spot successful peculiar has been overlooked for rather immoderate time," helium said Thursday successful beforehand of the house.

Paul Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested successful 2021.

Prosecutors alleged Smart’s remains were buried connected Ruben Flores’ spot and aboriginal moved. He was acquitted of accessory charges. That spot is antithetic from the 1 presently being searched.

Paul Flores was sentenced successful March 2023 to prison, wherever helium has been physically attacked astatine slightest twice. In 2024, a justice ruled that helium indispensable wage conscionable implicit $350,000 to Smart's household for costs they incurred aft her death.

The household has said it would forgo restitution if Flores would archer them wherever the woman's assemblage was. Flores’ attorney, Harold Mesick, said successful 2024 that the defence did not cognize wherever her remains are. Flores maintains his innocence.

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