Investigators Find Evidence of Human Remains in Kristin Smart Disappearance
Kristin Smart Disappearance Evidence of Human Remains Found at Convicted Killer's Mom's House
Investigators looking into the 1996 disappearance of California college student Kristin Smart say they've found evidence of human remains on a property linked to her convicted killer.
This is a potentially huge deal ... because Kristin's body was never found.
She was declared legally dead in 2002, and Paul Flores -- who went to school with her and was the last person to see her alive -- was found guilty of first-degree murder 20 years later.
Investigators have been running soil tests on the home of Paul's mom, Susan Flores, for the past couple days ... and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson told reporters they found compounds related to a human, decomposing body.
Parkinson said it's "safe to say" they haven't found Kristin "yet" ... but they're keeping at it.
Archaeologists had previously searched the home of Ruben Flores -- Paul's dad -- where they found blood and a casket-sized disturbance in the soil ... but the blood was too degraded for DNA testing.
Ruben was charged with accessory after the fact ... but was ultimately acquitted in 2022.
It's unclear what sparked the new investigation into Susan's home -- or how long it will last -- but Parkinson said she won't be able to come back until they're done. They say she's a person of interest.