Kristin Smart search concludes at San Luis Obispo County home with no remains found

5 hours ago 9

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office successful Northern California has concluded its latest hunt connected to the disappearance of Kristin Smart astatine a spot successful Arroyo Grande, but officials said her remains were not recovered.

In a connection released Saturday, the sheriff's bureau said investigators completed their hunt astatine the location of Susan Flores connected East Branch Street.

"We did not retrieve Kristin Smart," the sheriff's bureau said successful the release.

Search crews had been utilizing ground-penetrating radar and ungraded investigating astatine the home, which is associated with the parent of Paul Flores, the antheral convicted of Smart's execution successful 2022. Detectives said they volition proceed evaluating immoderate grounds collected during the hunt to assistance with the ongoing investigation.

The hunt began earlier this week aft instrumentality enforcement officers served a hunt warrant astatine the Arroyo Grande property.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said investigators believed grounds suggested quality remains whitethorn person erstwhile been astatine the property.

"We judge that, based connected what we've been looking astatine – evidence-wise, technological grounds – that remains were determination astatine 1 time, oregon inactive there," Parkinson said during a Friday property league earlier the hunt concluded.

Smart, a Stockton autochthonal and pupil astatine California Polytechnic State University, disappeared successful 1996 aft attending an off-campus enactment adjacent the university.

Paul Flores was convicted of Smart's execution successful 2022 and sentenced to 25 years to beingness successful prison. He has maintained his innocence and is appealing his conviction.

The sheriff's bureau said it remains committed to uncovering Smart and bringing her location to her family. Officials added that nary further accusation volition beryllium released astatine this time, and nary further updates are planned.

Investigators antecedently served a hunt warrant at an Arroyo Grande location successful 2020 successful transportation with Smart's disappearance.

The Smart household released a connection Friday acknowledging the renewed hunt and thanking investigators and method experts progressive successful the case.

"We stay hopeful that this existent hunt volition beryllium palmy and look guardant to the outcome. Our household greatly appreciates the efforts, dedication, and committedness of Sheriff Ian Parkinson, Detective Clint Cole, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff's Department, and the method experts assisting with the execution of this search. Finally, we proceed to consciousness the tremendous enactment of the section assemblage and each the radical acold beyond the Central Coast who supply america with large spot to proceed this travel to bring Kristin home."

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