Paul Flores Convicted of Murdering Kristin Smart in 1996

Paul Flores and Ruben Flores were charged with the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart. Paul Flores was in Smart’s freshman class at Cal Poly. Paul Flores was known as “Chester the Molesters”, and the prosecution laid out a theory of why Smart was murdered.

As a suspect in Smart’s death, Flores changed his story. He claimed that he had got a black eye while fixing his car, and that he didn’t know how he got it. But when the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, they found a black eye on Flores’ face. The FBI also excavated the area near Smart’s body, and found items of interest.

Paul Flores’ defense attorneys argued that prosecutors never proved that Kristin was murdered. The defense attorneys also argued that she was engaged in risky behavior. The defense attorneys said that Smart was not a “perfect angel” and that she could still be alive.

The prosecution presented two female witnesses who testified against Flores. Sarah Doe and Rhonda Doe claimed Flores had sexually assaulted them in 2008 and 2011. Both said they met Flores in a nightclub and offered him rides home afterward. But both women said they were raped repeatedly and drugged at Flores’ home. The prosecution even showed an image of a gagged woman on Flores’ computer.

The jury also found Flores guilty of murder in the first degree. His father, Ruben Flores, was found not guilty of accessory to the crime. Paul Flores will be sentenced at a later date.