Kristin Smart: Missing since 1996

UPDATE – 2/6/20 -According to The Tribune, ABC7 and CBS2, Flores was detained by police then released. Authorities have searched Flores’ home in San Pedro and were seen leaving the home of Flores’ parents in Arroyo Grande. They were seen with a computer, a brown paper bag, a storage bin and other pieces of evidence

UPDATE – 1/21/20 Late Wednesday night, information came out that the FBI agent that spoke with Kristin Smart’s mother was actually retired. UPDATE 1/21/20 – Kristin’s mother Denise told the Stockton Record she was recently contacted by FBI agents.

The clarification came from a family spokesperson to the media.

A FBI spokesperson told the SF Chronicle that they were not aware of any announcements regarding the Kristin Smart on this open active case.

“Be ready,” the FBI reportedly told her. “This is really going to be something you don’t expect.”

Denise Smart also says she was advised to find a family spokesperson and potentially prepare to “get away for a while.” Smart told the Stockton Record she expected news “within a month.”

Back in 2016, the FBI joined the sheriff’s department and began excavating an area near the Cal Poly sign. In 2018, the FBI said evidence was found, but nothing has been released. Is it possible that the FBI is talking about the evidence they found during their excavating? Has test results come back that what they found is linked to Kristin?

This story is in three parts. The original story begins below with updates to the original story above that. Then continues with the other two parts with links at the bottom.

UPDATE 5/25/17 – As of May 2017 the sheriff’s department as released the following statement: “The Sheriff’s Office continues to assess and review the results of the search operation at Cal Poly and develop strategies for moving forward with the investigation. We ask that we all continue to support the Smart family and would encourage anybody with information related to the case to please share it through Crime Stoppers. This investigation remains active but there are no further updates at this time.”

UPDATE 9/6/16 – The FBI announced they will begin to excavate a site on the edge of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in hope of finding the remains of Kristin Smart. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said that the site is one of several identified by specially trained dogs last January.

UPDATE: From the California Register: “On Friday, Aug 1, 2014, the day before assembling at the Huasna Ranch, Buster was taken to the backyard of 523 E. Branch St., which is next door to 529 E. Branch St. (Flores property). Before, Buster was not allowed to search in this particular yard because it was the middle of the night. We wanted to avoid disturbing the neighbors so only soil samples were extracted. This time it was broad daylight. Once Buster entered the backyard area, he wasted no time zeroing in on the scent of human remains. He ran to the block wall separating the Flores property from the Papich property, spun around and plopped down on the dirt behind the citrus tree. Buster had detected volatile compound gases rising up from the soil signifying there was a decaying human body nearby.”

Original Story:

The following story began as a way to inform my readers of the disappearance of Kristin Smart, but this story has so much more to it, that it could not be told in one article. I have separated it in to 3 parts. I want to thank Denise Smart, Kristin’s mother and Dennis Mahon for talking to me.

Kristin Smart – The day before her disappearance

Kristin Smart was finishing up her freshman year at California Polytechnic State University (aka Cal Poly), where she was majoring in architecture. Kristin was a beautiful 19-year-old young woman, with long dark blonde hair and brown eyes. She was statuesque at 6’1″ and 145 pounds. On Memorial Day weekend, 1996, Kristin went to a party off campus on Crandall Way in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Witnesses at the party said that Kristin was acting drunk and was having trouble walking.

Around 2:00 a.m., most of the guests had left, Tim Davis found Kristin laying on the lawn of the house next door. Cheryl Anderson who had lost track of her friends, started talking with Davis and they decided to walk together back to the dorms, taking Kristin with them.

Anderson, Davis and Kristin began walking when Paul Flores joined them. Paul Flores had been seen at the party earlier that night. About 100 yards from the dorm, Davis who was heading in a different direction separated from the group. A little farther along, Anderson separated from Kristin and Flores as she needed to go in a different direction towards the Sierra Madre dorms. Anderson said she saw Flores walking Kristin up the street towards the Santa Lucia and Muir Hall dorms as she turned and walked towards her dorm.

There has been a difference of opinion on what happened that night. Kristin’s family believe that Anderson and Davis know more than what they are saying.

“Our family is concerned that they hold a secret, one that may not lead directly to our daughter, but would lead to a better understanding of the events of that night,” said Denise Smart, Kristin’s mother.

“Keeping that secret when they were 18-19 was one thing, but 15 years later, we would hope that they understand the cost to our family.”

Very early that morning, Kristin’s roommate contacted the police when she didn’t come back to her room at the dorm. At first the police thought she was probably off somewhere, because of the long school break, but after several days, they began the investigation into her whereabouts by calling Kristin’s parents.

No one knew where Kristin was. The Cal Poly police began their search for her.
Part Two: The investigation into the disappearance of Kristin