Did Paul Flores attack more women after Kristin Smart? Uncover the evidence
It’s been decades since college student Kristin Smart disappeared back in 1996. Since then, her case has largely and tragically remained cold, despite eyes remaining on the number one suspect, Paul Flores. Yes, there are ways for the case to be solved: DNA, witnesses coming forward, or maybe a guilty conscience. While we’re not holding our breaths on the guilty conscience, Paul Flores is under scrutiny.
Mainly because being linked to one case is, well, not great. But two? More? That’s a pattern, a suspect one which makes people think that maybe you’re more involved, then you want them to believe. That’s the case with the prime suspect in the disappearance of Kristin Smart, Paul Flores, who has been implicated in a 2007 rape case. Here’s everything you need to know about this latest turn in the Smart case.
Disappearance of Kristin Smart
Kristin Smart was a college student who disappeared at the end of her freshman year of college in 1996 at California Polytechnic State University. On May 25, 1996, Kristin Smart was found passed out on the lawn while attending the birthday party of a friend. At two in the morning, two fellow students were able to get Smart awake and walk back to her dorm. The group was joined by Paul Flores.
The two of the students departed the group early on, leaving Paul Flores as the last person seen with Kristin Smart while she was alive. According to Flores, he said that he walked Kristin Smart back to his dorm, which was as far as he wanted to go. Kristin Smart left Paul Flores and headed to her dorm. And then she disappeared. At the time of her disappearance, Smart did not have any money or credit cards on her.
As with many missing persons cases, especially college students, campus police believed that Kristin Smart left of her own volition. Around Memorial Day, when Smart disappeared, students took trips all the time. Eventually, however, she was officially listed as a missing person. Her family, however, believes Kristin Smart to be dead, declaring as such in 2002. Paul Flores remains a suspect.
The latest claims
In 2007, a young woman woke up in a stranger’s bed, naked, and with no memory of what had happened. She feared that she had been raped. The woman was examined, which confirmed her fears that she had sex with a man during the missing time in her memory. Thus, she was not able to consent to the action. The DNA of her rapist was taken and a profile uploaded to a database. It was matched to Paul Flores.
Redondo police, who had jurisdiction, opened a case against Paul Flores. Police 200 miles away investigating the Kristin Smart case saw this attack as another strike against Flores. Unfortunately, the rape case against Flores lacked evidence so they were unable to proceed forward with it to trial. But, still, the case against him along with other brushes with the law have the true crime community certain that Flores did something to Smart.
Unfortunately, at this time, Paul Flores has not been charged with Smart’s disappearance. So far, he’s only had a felony DUI conviction and a weapons charge laid against him. The more serious charges, such as his alleged involvement in Kristin Smart’s disappearance or the rape of the unnamed woman, he has unfortunately had some luck in escaping a court date.
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What do you think about these latest claims against Paul Flores? Does it make you more suspicious about what, if anything, he had to (allegedly) do with Kristin Smart’s unsolved disappearance? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.
