Deceased/Not Found CA - Kristin Smart, 19, San Luis Obispo, 5/25/1996 *Guilty* #4
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Errors at lab used in Kristin Smart case not likely to impact Flores
By KAREN VELIE Hundreds of cases could be upended because of an error at the lab that conducted DNA and blood evidence tests in the Kristin Smart case. However, it is unlikely to factor into Paul F…
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Chilling clues that led to the arrest of Kristin Smart's killer
When Kristin Smart left an off-campus frat party on Memorial Day Weekend in 1996, it should've taken her less than 10 minutes to get back to her dorm - but the 19-year-old never made it.
Senior Daily Mail News Reporter, Luke Kenton, examines all the details in the Kristin Smart disappearance. After 25 years, an arrest was finally made in the disappearance of California college student, Kristin Smart, who was never seen again after leaving an off-campus frat party in 1996.
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Slow and inactive campus police.
Because, in their opinion, a lot of students fall out of contact with friends...
And sitting around complaining about student behavior seems more acceptable than making an effort to follow up.
Because, in their opinion, a lot of students fall out of contact with friends...
And sitting around complaining about student behavior seems more acceptable than making an effort to follow up.
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The case against Kristin Smart's killer went back before a judge Thursday, nearly three years since his first-degree murder conviction was handed down.
An appeal in his case was heard in Ventura County.
It argues Paul Flores did not receive a fair trial in Monterey County.
Court documents show he's asking that his first-degree murder conviction be overturned or reduced to second-degree murder.
The documents cite alleged errors during trial and "reversible misconduct."
After submitting 75 pages to the Court of Appeals, Flores’ court-appointed attorney, Solomon Wollack, appeared via Zoom Thursday, presenting three arguments as to why he believes the trial was marred back in 2022.
www.ksby.com
An appeal in his case was heard in Ventura County.
It argues Paul Flores did not receive a fair trial in Monterey County.
Court documents show he's asking that his first-degree murder conviction be overturned or reduced to second-degree murder.
The documents cite alleged errors during trial and "reversible misconduct."
After submitting 75 pages to the Court of Appeals, Flores’ court-appointed attorney, Solomon Wollack, appeared via Zoom Thursday, presenting three arguments as to why he believes the trial was marred back in 2022.
Paul Flores' appeal heard in Ventura County
Court documents show he's asking that his first-degree murder conviction be overturned or reduced to second-degree murder.
www.ksby.com
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And to keep my notes straight - I shall go ahead & post this.
Thursday, October 9th:
*Appeal Hearing (@ am PT) - CA - Kristin Denise Smart (19) (missing May 25, 1996 while walking back to her dorm from a off campus frat party at Cal Poly, reported missing on May 26, 1996, San Luis Obispo, still missing; legally declared dead on May 25, 2002) – *Paul Ruben Flores (19 @ time of crime/44/now 48) arrested (4/13/21), charged (4/14/21) & arraigned (10/20/21) with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. No bond. San Luis Obispo County
Trial began on 7/18/22 & ended 9/29/22. 10/4/22: Verdict: Total: ~27 hours of deliberations. Found guilty of 1st degree murder. Sentencing hearing on 3/10/23. Sentenced to 25 years to life with no probation. With time served & good behavior he’s eligible for a parole board hearing in about 15 years.
Case, attorney on case, jury deliberations & court info from 5/17/21 thru 7/19/22 & Trial Days 1-40 & closing & jury deliberations (7/18 to 10/14/22) & from 11/22/22 thru 4/10/24 reference post #860 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ca-kristin-smart-san-luis-obispo-arrests-4.635475/page-43
6/12/24 Update: During a restitution hearing Wednesday, members of Smart’s family testified about itemized lists they were asked to compile covering expenses they’ve endured since Smart was murdered in 1996. Five family members requested roughly $361,000 in restitution for expenses related to Kristin’s disappearance, but all said their amounts were conservative estimates. The actual total was likely much more substantial, Denise Smart said. No one told the family they would have to keep receipts when Kristin first went missing, so the documentation is limited. She said the defense declined the family’s offer to drop restitution in exchange for information leading to Kristin’s body. Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer O’Keefe said she will hear final arguments & make her ruling regarding restitution on Monday, 6/17/24 at 10am. According to records from CDCR, Flores is now serving his sentence at California State Prison Corcoran in Kings County. Corcoran is near Tulare, about halfway between Fresno & Bakersfield. He was moved from Coalinga after 2 attacks by other inmates.
6/17/24 Update: Monterey County Judge Jennifer O'Keefe ordered Flores to pay the Smart family $351,158.96 for restitution [legal & travel expenses]. [$347,041.81 plus interest dating back to 1996-grand total pending]. 50% of the money sent to Flores in Corcoran State Prison will now be forwarded to the Smart family.
10/21/24 Update: Flores filed an appellate brief in the California Court of Appeal on Monday, alleging his 14th Amendment due process rights were violated repeatedly during his lengthy trial for the murder of Kristin Smart. The appeal singled out one juror in particular — Juror 273 — alleging Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer O’Keefe did not remove her despite multiple signs the juror was biased. The appeal also argued the trial court improperly allowed two women to testify Flores raped them after Smart’s murder, a ball-gag photo to be shown at the end of the trial & an alleged eyewitness to describe “roofies.” It also alleged the court misstated the criminal definition of attempted rape. The appeal argued that while just one of these errors doesn’t rise to a violation of due process on its own, the accumulation of all the errors does & deprived Flores of a fair trial. It also accused O’Keefe of abusing her discretion as a judge for denying the defense’s second, third & fourth requests to remove the juror. The appeal also argued O’Keefe abused her discretion by allowing two women to testify that Flores raped them despite there being no evidence of Flores sexually assaulting Smart — another 14th Amendment due process violation. For more info see https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article294323619.html
10/9/25 Update: Appeal: Smart's case went back before a judge Thursday, nearly three years since his first-degree murder conviction was handed down. An appeal in Flores case was heard in Ventura County. It argues Flores did not receive a fair trial in Monterey County. Court documents show he's asking that his first-degree murder conviction be overturned or reduced to second-degree murder. The documents cite alleged errors during trial & "reversible misconduct." After submitting 75 pages to the Court of Appeals, Flores’ court-appointed attorney, Solomon Wollack, appeared via Zoom Thursday, presenting three arguments as to why he believes the trial was marred back in 2022.
The first referencing juror 273, who Wollack said was “completely unable to restrain herself.” He referenced multiple instances in which she became emotional, stating that should have resulted in her removal. “She's having essentially a meltdown,” he said. Deputy Attorney General Colleen McGurrin responded, arguing that emotional responses are normal responses to graphic testimony.
The second point was over the admissibility of two uncharged sexual offenses involving women who claimed to have had previous encounters with Flores. Wollack said, “It can’t get any more inflammatory than that,” arguing that the testimony was unrelated & shouldn’t have been allowed in court. Meanwhile, the People disagreed, arguing it was admissible & relevant.
Wollack’s third argument was that the jury had the easiest path to a felony murder conviction based on the charge, including the allegation of attempted rape with an intoxicated person. Wollack said the prosecution did not have to prove that Flores used “force or fear, that Smart was unconscious or that any sexual intercourse took place.”
Flores was not present for the hearing & remains in custody behind bars at Corcoran State Prison in the San Joaquin Valley. The judges who heard the appeal have a maximum of 90 days to issue an opinion on it. [January 2026].
*Ruben Ricardo Flores (55 @ time of crime/80/now 84) - Found not guilty of accessory after the fact on 10/14/22.
Thursday, October 9th:
*Appeal Hearing (@ am PT) - CA - Kristin Denise Smart (19) (missing May 25, 1996 while walking back to her dorm from a off campus frat party at Cal Poly, reported missing on May 26, 1996, San Luis Obispo, still missing; legally declared dead on May 25, 2002) – *Paul Ruben Flores (19 @ time of crime/44/now 48) arrested (4/13/21), charged (4/14/21) & arraigned (10/20/21) with 1st degree murder. Plead not guilty. No bond. San Luis Obispo County
Trial began on 7/18/22 & ended 9/29/22. 10/4/22: Verdict: Total: ~27 hours of deliberations. Found guilty of 1st degree murder. Sentencing hearing on 3/10/23. Sentenced to 25 years to life with no probation. With time served & good behavior he’s eligible for a parole board hearing in about 15 years.
Case, attorney on case, jury deliberations & court info from 5/17/21 thru 7/19/22 & Trial Days 1-40 & closing & jury deliberations (7/18 to 10/14/22) & from 11/22/22 thru 4/10/24 reference post #860 here:
https://www.websleuths.com/forums/threads/ca-kristin-smart-san-luis-obispo-arrests-4.635475/page-43
6/12/24 Update: During a restitution hearing Wednesday, members of Smart’s family testified about itemized lists they were asked to compile covering expenses they’ve endured since Smart was murdered in 1996. Five family members requested roughly $361,000 in restitution for expenses related to Kristin’s disappearance, but all said their amounts were conservative estimates. The actual total was likely much more substantial, Denise Smart said. No one told the family they would have to keep receipts when Kristin first went missing, so the documentation is limited. She said the defense declined the family’s offer to drop restitution in exchange for information leading to Kristin’s body. Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer O’Keefe said she will hear final arguments & make her ruling regarding restitution on Monday, 6/17/24 at 10am. According to records from CDCR, Flores is now serving his sentence at California State Prison Corcoran in Kings County. Corcoran is near Tulare, about halfway between Fresno & Bakersfield. He was moved from Coalinga after 2 attacks by other inmates.
6/17/24 Update: Monterey County Judge Jennifer O'Keefe ordered Flores to pay the Smart family $351,158.96 for restitution [legal & travel expenses]. [$347,041.81 plus interest dating back to 1996-grand total pending]. 50% of the money sent to Flores in Corcoran State Prison will now be forwarded to the Smart family.
10/21/24 Update: Flores filed an appellate brief in the California Court of Appeal on Monday, alleging his 14th Amendment due process rights were violated repeatedly during his lengthy trial for the murder of Kristin Smart. The appeal singled out one juror in particular — Juror 273 — alleging Monterey County Superior Court Judge Jennifer O’Keefe did not remove her despite multiple signs the juror was biased. The appeal also argued the trial court improperly allowed two women to testify Flores raped them after Smart’s murder, a ball-gag photo to be shown at the end of the trial & an alleged eyewitness to describe “roofies.” It also alleged the court misstated the criminal definition of attempted rape. The appeal argued that while just one of these errors doesn’t rise to a violation of due process on its own, the accumulation of all the errors does & deprived Flores of a fair trial. It also accused O’Keefe of abusing her discretion as a judge for denying the defense’s second, third & fourth requests to remove the juror. The appeal also argued O’Keefe abused her discretion by allowing two women to testify that Flores raped them despite there being no evidence of Flores sexually assaulting Smart — another 14th Amendment due process violation. For more info see https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article294323619.html
10/9/25 Update: Appeal: Smart's case went back before a judge Thursday, nearly three years since his first-degree murder conviction was handed down. An appeal in Flores case was heard in Ventura County. It argues Flores did not receive a fair trial in Monterey County. Court documents show he's asking that his first-degree murder conviction be overturned or reduced to second-degree murder. The documents cite alleged errors during trial & "reversible misconduct." After submitting 75 pages to the Court of Appeals, Flores’ court-appointed attorney, Solomon Wollack, appeared via Zoom Thursday, presenting three arguments as to why he believes the trial was marred back in 2022.
The first referencing juror 273, who Wollack said was “completely unable to restrain herself.” He referenced multiple instances in which she became emotional, stating that should have resulted in her removal. “She's having essentially a meltdown,” he said. Deputy Attorney General Colleen McGurrin responded, arguing that emotional responses are normal responses to graphic testimony.
The second point was over the admissibility of two uncharged sexual offenses involving women who claimed to have had previous encounters with Flores. Wollack said, “It can’t get any more inflammatory than that,” arguing that the testimony was unrelated & shouldn’t have been allowed in court. Meanwhile, the People disagreed, arguing it was admissible & relevant.
Wollack’s third argument was that the jury had the easiest path to a felony murder conviction based on the charge, including the allegation of attempted rape with an intoxicated person. Wollack said the prosecution did not have to prove that Flores used “force or fear, that Smart was unconscious or that any sexual intercourse took place.”
Flores was not present for the hearing & remains in custody behind bars at Corcoran State Prison in the San Joaquin Valley. The judges who heard the appeal have a maximum of 90 days to issue an opinion on it. [January 2026].
*Ruben Ricardo Flores (55 @ time of crime/80/now 84) - Found not guilty of accessory after the fact on 10/14/22.
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