SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After a jury at the Monterey County Courthouse found Paul Flores guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder, the family of Kristin Smart gathered with San Luis Obispo law enforcement to share their thoughts.
"Without Kristin, there’s no joy or happiness in this verdict," said father Stan Smart. "After 26 years with today’s split verdicts, we learned that our quest for justice for Kristin will continue."
Ruben Flores, father of Paul Flores, was found not guilty of helping his son cover up a crime.
Stan Smart went on to say the past 26 years has been an agonizingly long journey with more downs than ups.
But he also said his family is grateful for the diligence and energy of the two juries to review the facts and come to their decision.
Echoing Stan Smart, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said the case is not over until Kristin Smart is found and brought home.
"I committed to them before, and I remain committed that, even though Paul (Flores) was convicted today, this case is not over," Parkinson said Tuesday. "I remain committed to that fact that we don’t take a breath, we do not put this aside, we continue to pursue this until we bring Kristin home to the family."
District Attorney Dan Dow said new witnesses and evidence in the case came to light because of a popular podcast series dedicated to Kristin Smart produced by Chris Lambert.
"(He) devoted countless hours in order to keep Kristin’s memory alive and the case at the forefront of the heart’s and minds of people in the community," Dow said.
