Kristin Smart killer Paul Flores moved to a new prison after being attacked by inmates
Paul Flores, the man convicted of murdering Cal Poly student Kristin Smart, has been transferred to a new prison after he was attacked by inmates twice in the span of about eight months.
On two separate occasions since August, Flores was stabbed while incarcerated at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga, where he was serving a sentence of 25 years to life after he was convicted of first-degree murder for the death of Smart, who was last seen alive with Flores on Memorial Day weekend 1996.
Weeks after he arrived in Coalinga on Aug. 23, Flores was stabbed and transported to the hospital with serious injuries to his neck. The suspect in that case is Jason Budrow, an inmate serving two life sentences for the murder of his girlfriend and the prison murder of the “I-5 strangler.”
Then, on April 10, another inmate stabbed Flores. That suspect’s name has not been released by California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, but two inmate-manufactured weapons were found at the scene.
According to records from CDCR, Flores is now serving his sentence at California State Prison Corcoran in Kings County. Corcoran is near Tulare, about halfway between Fresno and Bakersfield.
Harold Mesick, Flores’ attorney, told The Tribune his client was moved on June 6. He said he is unsure if Flores is in protective custody and hasn’t had a chance to speak with Flores since the move.
Alia Cruz, spokesperson for CDCR, previously told The Tribune that Flores was being reviewed for placement in a protective housing unit.
California prison regulations define protective housing units as housing for inmates “whose safety would be endangered by general population inmates and provides secure housing and care for inmates with safety concerns of such magnitude, that no other viable housing options are available.”
This story was originally published June 11, 2024 at 1:18 PM.
