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Paul Flores Guilty, Ruben Flores not guilty in Kristin Smart murder case

 Cal Poly student Kristin Smart who disappeared in 1996.
Photo courtesy of Denise Smart
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Cal Poly student Kristin Smart who disappeared in 1996.

Paul Flores has been found guilty of the first degree murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart who went missing in 1996. His father Ruben Flores has been found not guilty to accessory to murder after the fact.

(L to R) Paul and Ruben Flores, Paul Flores has been found guilty of first degree murder and Ruben Flores has been found not guilty of accessory to murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart who went missing in 1996.
SLO County Sheriff's Office
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Paul and Ruben Flores (L to R), Paul Flores has been found guilty of first degree murder and Ruben Flores has been found not guilty of accessory to murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart who went missing in 1996.

This marks the end of a three month trial and the conclusion of a 26 year long case.

Since the start of closing statements, the juries in both the Paul and Ruben Flores trials were kept entirely separate meaning they came to their respective verdicts independently of one another.

The jury for Ruben Flores turned in their verdict on Monday which was kept sealed until the jury for Paul Flores turned in their verdict Tuesday afternoon.

Ruben Flores was facing up to three years in county jail or state prison. Paul Flores is facing a prison sentence of 25 years to life.

Sentencing for Paul Flores is scheduled for December 9.

Kristin Smart went missing as a Cal Poly freshman in 1996 after walking home with Paul Flores from an off-campus party. Her body has never been found, but she was declared legally dead in 2002.

Throughout the trial the prosecution called more than 50 witnesses to the stand and the defense called four.

KCBX News will have more details on the decisions as we learn more.

Nico Viñuela began as a news intern at KCBX, and now you can hear him regularly hosting our weekend programs. He also substitutes hosting Morning Edition, middays and All Things Considered. Nico graduated from Cal Poly with a BS in Journalism in December 2022. During his time at Cal Poly, he worked as a news anchor and Assistant News Director for the campus radio station, KCPR. He was embedded in Salinas, California covering the Kristin Smart murder trial for Mustang News and KCBX. You can occasionally hear stories from Nico during KCBX newscasts. He enjoys swimming, writing, and hiking with friends.
Amanda Wernik is a reporter and substitute announcer at KCBX. She graduated from Cal Poly with a BS in Journalism. During her time at Cal Poly, she worked as a news anchor for KCPR Radio and as an intern for the CJ Silas Show on ESPN Radio. Amanda enjoys surfing, reading, playing with her dog, traveling, and fronting her own rock band, Kiwi Kannibal.
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