The Kristin Smart Trial 2022

The Kristin Smart trial was a long and arduous process. A young woman disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in 1996, and her disappearance set off a county-wide search. But the investigation never revealed exactly what happened to Smart. Her body remains unidentified, and her family has been seeking answers for over two decades. This case has become an international scandal, and the ripple effects will likely last for years to come.

Two people were accused of the crime: Paul Flores and Ruben Flores. They were the last people seen with Kristin Smart. It was believed that they had murdered her and then buried her body in a secret spot under the deck of Ruben Flores’ house. However, both of them were found not guilty of murder and the accessory after the fact charges.

Both trials began on July 18 and were set to conclude on October 5 and 6. After more than a month of deliberations, they both reached verdicts. However, the Paul Flores verdict has not yet been announced. In fact, a new sentencing date has been set for March 10, 2023.

Although the jury for the Paul Flores case is still deliberating, prosecutors say there is no proof that Flores raped or killed Smart. Their theory is that Flores was pursuing a “hunt” for Smart. He was also accused of drugging two women after the incident.

The Smart family called police earlier, but investigators were slow to report their daughter missing. The university’s police department was also slow to investigate the case. But when the case was revived in 2021, both of the defendants were arrested. Paul Flores pleaded not guilty to murder and his father was acquitted of accessory after the fact.

Paul Flores appeared in court for the first time in more than a month on Wednesday. His attorney, Harold Mesick, said the jury needed to use their imaginations to determine whether he was guilty. According to Mesick, the prosecution used “so many lies” to mislead the jury. For example, Paul Flores was reported to have a black eye the morning of the murder, and the defense team said he had bumped his head while working on his car.

On October 5, the court heard a closing statement from prosecutor Christopher Peuvrelle, who urged the jury to find Paul Flores guilty of murder. He said that the prosecution’s main focus was on the role that Ruben Flores played in the crime, as a way to show how both defendants were targeted for negative media attention.

While the jury for Ruben Flores was deliberating, his mother, Susan Flores, was present. She testified that her son had been the one to tell her that he was the one who threw Smart’s body into the lake. Later, Flores changed his story to say that he had bumped his head while repairing his car.

In addition to the jury for the Paul Flores case, the jury for the Ruben Flores case will be present. However, due to restrictions in the courtroom, the verdicts are not live streamed.