Investigators have discovered evidence suggesting that human remains may have once been at the home of Susan Flores in San Luis Obispo County, 30 years after the disappearance of 19-year-old college student Christine Smart.
This week, authorities examined the Arroyo Grande property owned by the mother of Paul Flores, the man convicted of Smart’s murder. They utilized soil testing and ground-penetrating radar in their search for indicators of human decomposition, according to reports.
San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson stated on Friday that the findings were encouraging.
“Based on the evidence we’re examining, the scientific conclusions suggest that human remains were indeed there at one point,” Parkinson mentioned. “While we can’t definitively attribute it to Christine, we have reason to believe human remains were present.”
The sheriff assured that the investigation would persist until all potential leads are thoroughly explored.
“Our search is ongoing, but the timeline is uncertain,” Parkinson remarked during a press briefing on Friday. “The warrants we secured require that those living at the residence vacate and not return, which is standard procedure.”
Investigators, along with experts in human decomposition, arrived at the site earlier this week.
Christine Smart, a student at California State University, went missing over Memorial Day weekend in 1996 after attending a party near campus. She was last seen walking back to her dorm with Paul Flores, who was also 19 at the time, after friends decided she was too intoxicated to get home on her own.
In 2022, Flores was convicted of her murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, while his father Ruben was acquitted of any involvement.
Although the case had long been unresolved, District Attorney Dan Dow reaffirmed on Wednesday that authorities are committed to locating Smart’s remains.
“Since the conviction of Paul Flores, the District Attorney’s Office has worked closely with the Sheriff’s Office to bring Christine home, honoring our promise to both the Smart family and the community,” he stated.
Flores had been a primary suspect throughout the case, being the last person known to see Smart alive as she returned from a party, reportedly under the influence of alcohol.
Prosecutors have claimed that he attempted to assault her on the night of May 25, 1996, possibly in her dorm room, as they both navigated their freshman year at the university.
