30 Years Later: New Search Underway in Kristin Smart Case

Three decades after Kristin Smart vanished, investigators are still digging—literally. On Wednesday, authorities executed a search warrant at a property in Arroyo Grande, California, connected to Paul Flores, the man convicted of her 1996 murder. The search represents the latest chapter in one of California’s most haunting cold cases, one that refused to go away despite decades of uncertainty.

Smart was just 19 years old when she disappeared from a college party. For years, her case sat frustratingly unresolved, her body never recovered, until Flores was finally convicted in October 2022—26 years after she went missing. The conviction brought some closure to her family, but one crucial piece remained missing: Kristin herself.

That’s where Wednesday’s search comes in. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, working alongside San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow and his investigative team, executed the warrant at Susan Flores’s property—Paul Flores’s mother’s home. While authorities aren’t releasing specifics about what they’re looking for or what they’ve found, the message is clear: the commitment to bringing Kristin home hasn’t wavered.

Dan Dow emphasized in a statement that his office has been coordinating with law enforcement since Flores’s conviction, driven by a shared mission to locate Smart’s remains and provide her family the answers they deserve. He noted that anyone with knowledge of her whereabouts can come forward at any time, while authorities remain“firmly committed to using every lawful tool available to locate Kristin’s remains.”

It’s a reminder that even after a conviction, even after 30 years, some cases don’t get filed away. Kristin Smart’s family is still waiting to bring her home.