Watch now: SLO County DA, Sheriff’s Office respond to Kristin Smart verdicts
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Kristin Smart murder trial
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Update, 5 p.m.:
The press conference has resumed. It can be viewed at the link below:
Update, 4:30 p.m.:
The press conference was briefly paused due to a commotion in the audience. The livestream is expected to begin again shortly.
Original story:
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s and Sheriff’s offices will hold a press conference on Tuesday evening reacting to the Kristin Smart murder trial verdicts announced earlier in the day.
Tuesday afternoon, a jury found Paul Flores guilty of murdering Smart in 1996 while a separate jury found his father, Ruben Flores, not guilty of helping his son conceal the crime.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office has been investigating Kristin Smart’s disappearance for 26 years.
The press conference will be held at the Monterey County courthouse, but is expected to be broadcast live on the District Attorney’s Office Facebook page at 4 p.m.
You can also watch the livestream below once it begins:
“The impact that Kristin’s disappearance and its investigation have had on the Smart family and our community, spanning a quarter century, is profound,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in a statement released before the press conference. “We thank them for the tremendous trust and patience they have placed in the investigation and prosecution of this terrible crime. This verdict provides some sense of justice for Kristin, the Smarts and our community. Today, justice delayed is not justice denied.”
The District Attorney’s Office said the conviction is “the result of a tremendous collaborative effort of more than a dozen local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies over the span of 25 years, but most importantly, the perseverance of the Smart family.”
Prosecutor Christopher Peuvrelle thanked the Smart family and witnesses who came forward to help the case.
“Many endured years of guilt, frustration, and anger, yet maintained their dignity and focus on the truth,” Peuvrelle said in the release. “Lastly, we want victims everywhere to know their voices will be heard and that there are people in the justice system who will never stop fighting for them.”
In the release, the District Attorney’s Office also recognized the “the tireless efforts of Chris Lambert in persistently and compassionately keeping the memory of Kristin alive,” through his podcast “Your Own Backyard.”
According to the release, Paul Flores faces 25-years-to-life in prison; he is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 9.
This story was originally published October 18, 2022 at 3:39 PM.
