Kristin Smart murder case: Paul and Ruben Flores to appear in court for scheduling hearing
San Pedro resident Paul Flores, who is charged with murdering Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart, will appear in San Luis Obispo Superior Court on Monday, May 17, via Zoom.
His father, Ruben Flores, will also appear in court Monday. The Arroyo Grande resident is charged with being an accessory to the crime.
The live-streamed hearing will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday in Department 5.
The father-and-son co-defendants are in court for a pre-preliminary hearing, in which the parties are expected to discuss scheduling and other logistics prior to a similar hearing scheduled for June 21.
Ruben Flores, 80, who is accused of helping his son hide Smart’s remains, was released from San Luis Obispo County Jail on April 22, hours after Superior Court Judge Craig van Rooyen significantly lowered his bail because he is not a flight risk or a risk to public safety.
He remains out of custody but is not allowed to leave San Luis Obispo County.
His son, 44-year-old Paul Flores, is expected to appear in court Monday via Zoom conference call from the County Jail.
Paul and Ruben Flores were arrested April 13 in San Pedro and Arroyo Grande, respectively, and the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office announced the criminal charges against the pair the following day.
District Attorney Dan Dow said at a news conference that Paul Flores committed the murder during the commission of a rape or attempted rape of Smart.
Paul Flores was the last person seen with Smart, then 19, before her disappearance in 1996. Her body has never been found, although investigators believe it was buried at Ruben Flores’ Arroyo Grande home and “recently” moved, according to court documents.
Paul Flores faces a sentence of 25 years to life if convicted of first-degree murder.
Ruben Flores faces a maximum of three years if convicted of an accessory charge, though it is not clear if that sentence would be served in County Jail or state prison.
Flores and his father pleaded not guilty at their arraignment April 19, when van Rooyen ordered the younger Flores be held without bail.
Van Rooyen has issued a gag order preventing parties involved — including county Sheriff Ian Parkinson and Dow — from making any public statements regarding the proceedings outside the courtroom.
A preliminary hearing — which will feature testimony and evidence submitted in the case — is tentatively scheduled for July 6.
The preliminary hearing, during which van Rooyen will decide whether the prosecution has established probable cause to justify the charges in the case, is expected to take 12 full days of testimony, van Rooyen previously said.
This story was originally published May 17, 2021 at 9:48 AM with the headline "Kristin Smart murder case: Paul and Ruben Flores to appear in court for scheduling hearing."
