‘A Pretty Solid Case’: Judge Orders Paul and Ruben Flores To Trial In Kristin Smart Murder

SAN LUIS OBISPO (CBS13) — More than 2 decades aft Kristin Smart’s disappearance, the main fishy successful the lawsuit is present acceptable to spell to trial.

After a astir two-month-long preliminary hearing, a justice ordered Paul Flores to proceedings for the execution of the Stockton native. Prosecutors accidental helium killed Smart during an attempted rape astatine Cal Poly successful 1996.

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His father, Ruben Flores, volition besides spell to proceedings arsenic he’s accused of helping his lad fell Smart’s body.

Sacramento lawyer Alana Mathews told CBS13 the unrecorded preliminary proceeding already demonstrated a beardown lawsuit by revealing much than 2 twelve witnesses, including a person of Smart’s who says Flores told her helium “took attraction of Smart.”

Some different bombshells that came retired successful the proceeding included grounds that Smart’s assemblage was erstwhile buried nether a platform shielded by lattice down Ruben Flores’s home. Prosecutors accidental the assemblage was moved but ne'er located. Prosecutors besides presented grounds that 4 cadaver dogs erstwhile stopped astatine Paul Flores’ dorm country and alerted authorities to the scent of decease adjacent his bed.

“So that was benignant of a trial tally of the credibility and the spot of the mentation and the communicative and the lawsuit that they’re putting together. And seeing that the justice had nary problems uncovering that determination was capable grounds to spell guardant with trial, they’re going to determination guardant with a beauteous coagulated case,” said Mathews.

We besides talked with section lawyer Mike Wise pursuing the judge’s determination to nonstop the lawsuit to trial. Considering Smart’s assemblage was ne'er found, prosecutors volition person to trust connected circumstantial evidence.

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“They person to beryllium this lawsuit beyond a tenable uncertainty and they person to person each 12 jurors, truthful it’s going to beryllium a battle. It’s going to beryllium pugnacious for them to accomplish,” said Wise.

“They’ve had a batch of clip to beryllium and deliberation and his father, that’s wherefore he’s being charged arsenic well. But I deliberation that 1 happening astir making up a prevarication is you’ve got to person different prevarication to screen different lie,” said Mathews.

The household of Kristin Smart released a connection connected Thursday astir the developments:

“Yesterday was a precise bully time and we privation to instrumentality this accidental to convey each of Kristin’s supporters successful San Luis Obispo and beyond.  So galore radical person played specified important roles implicit the past 25 years, and we humbled by the astonishing enactment and generosity we person received.  We privation to particularly convey the District Attorney’s Office for their relentless efforts.

Our household has ever known that this was going to beryllium a long, difficult, and affectional journey. We are present 1 measurement person to justness for Kristin.  She – and each who person worked truthful hard toward this time – merit thing less.”

CBS13 Staff