No one could have imagined that Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Kristin Smart would be gone without a trace on May 25, 1996, as detailed in NBC's 'Dateline: Justice For Kristin Smart,' but the case was finally resolved for the good in March 2023. It took Paul Flores's conviction and his father's acquittal to accomplish this.
Ruben Flores: who is he?
Ruben was arrested on the severe accessory charge following the fact on April 13, 2021, but the entire circumstantial evidence against them both was so compelling they simply had to be charged in the nearly 26-year-old cold case of Kristin.
According to reports, Kristin was among the last people to see her alive at roughly 2 am on the horrific day as she was passed out on a lawn after a party. He then allegedly walked her as far as his dormitory before allowing her to return to her own dormitory, only to be seen or heard from again — in fact, her body is still missing. Thus, the case went horribly cold until April 2020.
The authorities first executed a search warrant at Paul's San Pedro, California, just in time for it to lead to the execution of another at his father's house in March 2021. This time, though, cadaver dogs were used to discover biological evidence, resulting in more than a few suspicious aspects being discovered.
What Has Happened to Ruben Flores?
Due to the extensive work of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office, the case against Paul and Ruben proceeded. The former was apparently allowed to post a $50,000 bond shortly after his arrest due to his age, but he was denied bail and thus remained in custody until their trial in 2022, only to find Paul guilty as charged on October 18.
Ruben vehemently stated in a press conference following his acquittal: "Everything they say is evidence, and there is no evidence against anyone," or "Paul." "It's too bad that sometimes the system works on feelings rather than facts... and I think that's what happened with my son. They were carried away with feelings about the family and the girl missing."
Ruben went as far as to express his gratitude to the Smart family, saying, "I didn't do anything." While his defense lawyer stated, his client intends to return home and "rebuild a deck that was damaged in a search that was ultimately unsuccessful."
