ARROYO GRANDE, Calif. β Authorities did not find the remains of Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old college student who went missing in 1996, officials said Saturday after finishing a search of a home tied to the man convicted of killing her.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announced on May 9, 2026, that a multi-day search of a property in Arroyo Grande, belonging to the mother of Paul Flores, had concluded without locating Smart's remains. Flores was convicted in 2022 of murdering Smart, who vanished from California Polytechnic State University in 1996.
The search, which began on May 5, 2026, involved cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar. Investigators focused on the home after receiving a tip, but Sheriff Ian Parkinson stated that no evidence of human remains was found. The property had been previously searched in 2021, but new information prompted the renewed effort.
Smart's family has been notified of the results. The case remains open, and authorities continue to seek any information that could lead to the discovery of her remains.
