Kristin Smart: Man accused of murdering student in 1996 will be tried for her death



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Paul Flores, 44, faces a first degree murder charge for allegedly killing Smart in his Cal Poly San Luis Obispo dormitory. Prosecutors say Flores raped or attempted to rape Smart, who was in her first year in college at the time. His father, Ruben Flores, 80, is charged with aiding and abetting the murder, and prosecutors say he helped hide Smart’s body.

The preliminary hearing for the couple lasted for weeks and ended on Monday. The DA’s office tweeted Wednesday that a “judge determined that sufficient evidence has been presented for the two to stand trial.”

“We continue to support Kristin Smart’s family as we work for justice,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in the tweet.

CNN is seeking comments from lawyers for Paul and Ruben Flores. Both men pleaded not guilty.
Two suspects arrested in Kristin Smart disappearance, says San Luis Obispo County Sheriff
The pair were arrested in April after a 25-year search for Smart, who was last seen near his Cal Poly dorm on May 25, 1996, and then disappeared. She was never found and was pronounced dead in 2002.

Paul Flores has been the prime suspect in the missing persons case for decades. Officials said Flores, who was a 19-year-old freshman at the time, escorted Smart home and was the last person to see her that day.

In documents filed in the case, a sheriff’s office detective said investigators are “in possession of biological evidence which leads them to believe that the victim was buried under the accused’s bridge at some point.”

Prosecutors also accused Paul Flores of being a “serial rapist”.

“Dozens of women have recounted the sexual assaults and predatory behavior of Paul Flores which document his twenty-five years as a serial rapist,” Deputy Prosecutor Christopher Peuvrelle wrote in his report.

Smart’s family released a statement after their arrest in April, calling it a “bittersweet day.”

“It is impossible to express in words what this day means for our family; we pray that this is the first step in bringing our daughter home,” the family said. “While Kristin’s loving spirit will always live on in our hearts, our life without her hugs, laughs and smiles is a heartbreak that never falters.”



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