Kristin Smart: Missing since 1996

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.

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