The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office said investigators are testing soil and using ground penetrating radar at a residence searched in connection with the disappearance of Kristin Smart to determine whether her body had been buried there.

Authorities said Smart’s remains were still not found. Investigators believe the body was moved, though they do not know how many times.

Sheriff Ian Parkinson said during a Friday morning news conference that investigators are continuing to test the soil and surrounding area.

“Until we are done, we are done,” Parkinson said.

Wednesday Search

In a news release Wednesday, the Sheriff’s Office said investigative activity was taking place at a property in the 500 block of East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande.

The home searched belongs to Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, who was convicted in 2022 of murdering Kristin Smart.

Parkinson said they were there looking for Smart’s body in the early morning hours. They also noted that they have a search warrant for the neighboring house, saying the neighbor was very compliant.

The investigation stems from a search warrant signed by a Superior Court judge.

Officials said the work at the site is related to the Smart case but did not provide additional details about the search.

“The Sheriff’s Office remains committed to bringing Kristin home to her family,” the agency said.

Authorities declined to release further information and said no additional comment would be made about the investigation at this time.

About the Case

Smart, a 19-year-old freshman at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, disappeared in 1996.

Prosecutors said fellow student Paul Flores killed Smart during an attempted rape.

Flores was convicted of first-degree murder in 2022 and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

His father, Ruben Flores, was charged with helping conceal the crime but was acquitted.

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