Kristin Smart Case: Authorities Monitor Two Locations In 1996 Case Of Missing Student

Four search warrants have been served in two different locations in the United States as part of the continuous probe into the disappearance of Kristin Smart, a California Polytechnic student who was never seen again after she attended a party in 1996.

According to NBC/CW+ affiliate KSBY, a press release from the sheriff’s office revealed that one of the locations is in Washington state while the other is in Los Angeles County.

The said search warrants include an order for the authorities to look for specific items that could be used as evidence in the investigations. FBI personnel and deputies from the sheriff’s office also went to the house of Susan Flores, whose son, Paul Flores, is the sole person-of-interest in the case.

Not much is known about the search warrants served Wednesday but FBI investigators were seen putting tape around Susan’s Arroyo Grande home. Furthermore, a neighbor said authorities were also spotted in the house of Ruben Flores, the primary suspect’s father.

Before news of the latest developments came out, the rumor mill has been rife regarding a supposed “break” in the case that has lain dormant for nearly 24 years. However, details about the recent warrants have been sealed, which means the sheriff’s office cannot unveil information than what they are allowed to.

CNN reported that since 2011, the local sheriff’s department has already invested around 7,500 hours of man-hunting and searching in relation to Smart’s case. The office also said it has already spent $72,000 on the investigations that followed as previous leads did not lead to a body or a big break.

At the time of her disappearance, Smart was 19, a freshman at the Cal Poly, and was on her way home from a party. Flores was said to have been one of the last people to see Smart that night.

In previous statements, Flores said he only dropped Smart off at her dorm during the night of the latter’s disappearance. She was never found and in 2002, a judge declared her dead.

Flores was detained on Wednesday during the search but he was later released, The Tribune reported. It was also reported that in the home of the suspect’s mother, some investigators were heard shouting “Dig her up.”

After the search, the FBI and sheriff personnel were seen leaving the house with multiple items that included a computer and a paper bag.