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The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office in Northern California has concluded its latest search connected to the disappearance of Kristin Smart at a property in Arroyo Grande, but officials said her remains were not recovered.
In a statement released Saturday, the sheriff’s office said investigators completed their search at the home of Susan Flores on East Branch Street.
“We did not recover Kristin Smart,” the sheriff’s office said in the release.
Search crews had been using ground-penetrating radar and soil testing at the home, which is associated with the mother of Paul Flores, the man convicted of Smart’s murder in 2022. Detectives said they will continue evaluating any evidence collected during the search to assist with the ongoing investigation.
The search began earlier this week after law enforcement officers served a search warrant at the Arroyo Grande property.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said investigators believed evidence suggested human remains may have once been at the property.
“We believe that, based on what we’ve been looking at – evidence-wise, scientific evidence – that remains were there at one time, or still there,” Parkinson said during a Friday press conference before the search concluded.
Smart, a Stockton native and student at California Polytechnic State University, disappeared in 1996 after attending an off-campus party near the university.
Paul Flores was convicted of Smart’s murder in 2022 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He has maintained his innocence and is appealing his conviction.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office
The sheriff’s office said it remains committed to finding Smart and bringing her home to her family. Officials added that no further information will be released at this time, and no additional updates are planned.
Investigators previously served a search warrant at an Arroyo Grande home in 2020 in connection with Smart’s disappearance.
The Smart family released a statement Friday acknowledging the renewed search and thanking investigators and technical experts involved in the case.
“We remain hopeful that this current search will be successful and look forward to the outcome. Our family greatly appreciates the efforts, dedication, and commitment of Sheriff Ian Parkinson, Detective Clint Cole, the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Department, and the technical experts assisting with the execution of this search. Finally, we continue to feel the tremendous support of the local community and all the people far beyond the Central Coast who provide us with great strength to continue this journey to bring Kristin home.”
