Credit to RobinW who posted this article (https://www.recordnet.com/news/20200118/could-answers-be-coming-in-kristin-smarts-disappearance?rssfeed=true) on Twitter.

Normally I wouldn't give much credence to this, buy holy crap... it's coming from Kristin's mom who was contacted by the FBI.

It part, the article says:
Kristin’s mother, Denise Smart, said she recently has been contacted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and told to be ready for a development that might bring closure to her 23-year nightmare. Denise said she was told by authorities, “Be ready. This is really going to be something you don’t expect. We want to give you the support you need.”

The FBI also suggested she secure a family spokesperson and the family “might want to get away for a while.” What the FBI didn’t say is when this development might be announced.

“It’s like, ‘Can you give me the flight plan?’ ” Denise said. “When is this happening?”

The FBI’s preparation alert certainly has brought renewed optimism. Though answers finally might be coming, not knowing what to be prepared for or when news might break has been agonizing.

“I wish I knew when,” Denise said softly, “because it’s very anxiety-producing.”



WOW! :eek: I can't wrap my head around "this is really going to be something you don't expect." I hate to speculate but... Is she still alive? Is the killer not Paul Flores? WTH??? I can't imagine a scenario that doesn't involve Kristin being dead and Paul not at the center of it. I'm really intrigued now.

And here is another article (https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article239444448.html).

Oh man... I really hope she is alive, that would be amazing.

I can't imagine them telling the family to get a spokesperson and to "get away for awhile" unless it somehow implicated someone in the family?

This seems almost outrageous to me. Like the FBI is trying to garner a reaction from someone, perhaps Paul Flores, to take some sort of action. It seems like so publicly announcing that a breakthrough is coming is a calculated stunt to see how the suspect may react, etc. From all I know about this case, anything other than an arrest of Paul Flores would be totally shocking.

This seems almost outrageous to me. Like the FBI is trying to garner a reaction from someone, perhaps Paul Flores, to take some sort of action. It seems like so publicly announcing that a breakthrough is coming is a calculated stunt to see how the suspect may react, etc. From all I know about this case, anything other than an arrest of Paul Flores would be totally shocking.

You never know. Maybe they have been tracking Paul and are waiting for him to do something dumb like visit where her remains are. If they publicly say this is close to a resolution, maybe it's an attempt to force his hand. But I just can't believe that's the case here.

The only other thing I can think of, is if Paul Flores is about to make a full confession (that wouldn't be expected), and maybe give all the gory details about what happened. That would probably bother the Smart family enough that they wouldn't want to be barraged by reporters, and getting away might help them cope with the news.

But even if that is the case, why would the FBI say that stuff? Unless they already have a signed confession, it seems like they are putting the cart in front of the horse. In that case, it implies like an arrest is imminent, but then we're back to what does "something you don't expect" mean.

I was hoping the "Your Own Backyard" podcast would knock something loose in this case, and it seems like it may have. If you haven't listened to it yet, I highly recommend it. Very interesting and really well produced.

I would be absolutely shocked if Paul Flores ever confessed. He has no conscience whatsoever. He has assaulted, drugged and raped other girls before (and most likely after) Kristen with no punishment and no guilt. I don't think he is capable of feeling shame.

But I'm eager to hear about these possible new developments. I'll keep my fingers crossed that it's good news. Lock up Paul and throw away the key.

The only way this development will shock me is if Paul is not involved somehow...

I can't imagine them telling the family to get a spokesperson and to "get away for awhile" unless it somehow implicated someone in the family?

Could be a warning because it's gonna become a media circus for a few days. And that's the only way for the family to avoid having cameras shoved in their faces.

Could be a warning because it's gonna become a media circus for a few days. And that's the only way for the family to avoid having cameras shoved in their faces.

That's a good point but the line, "This is really going to be something you don’t expect." is what threw me off and makes me think this is something bigger.

That's a good point but the line, "This is really going to be something you don’t expect." is what threw me off and makes me think this is something bigger.

Saw some speculation that line is referring to her possibly being alive when Paul called his parents, and when his father arrived.

Saw some speculation that line is referring to her possibly being alive when Paul called his parents, and when his father arrived.

I've read a lot of comments on this article and this is both simultaneously the one that makes me think it could be true and it is also the most absolutely horrendous idea to imagine.

Saw some speculation that line is referring to her possibly being alive when Paul called his parents, and when his father arrived.

So is the implication that Flores and his parents all conspired together to murder her and dispose of evidence? I'm kind of confused about this.

So is the implication that Flores and his parents all conspired together to murder her and dispose of evidence? I'm kind of confused about this.

I get the impression he had hurt her bad, maybe to the point of knocking her out when she rejected his advances, or something along those lines.

Consider that the year prior, he drugged and raped a girl, then he and a buddy carried her body to her front porch, rang the doorbell and ran. When the girl and her parents later tried to press charges against him, he did what most rapists do and claimed the sex was consensual. So no charges were filed.

Now with Kristen, he most likely threw himself on her, she tried to fight him off and he hurt her in some way that drew blood (traces of blood was found in his dorm room). Now Paul knows that as soon as she regains consciousness, she could get him on rape charges as well as assault charges and he'd FINALLY get some prison time. So he calls up mom and dad and maybe they decide to go full Beverly Noe and kill her.

I know this is a very dark and disturbing theory but I wouldn't put it past that family. Putting a pretty college aged girl who is tipsy in front of Paul Flores is the equivalent of putting a little kid in a candy shop. This will not end well.

I get the impression he had hurt her bad, maybe to the point of knocking her out when she rejected his advances, or something along those lines.

Consider that the year prior, he drugged and raped a girl, then he and a buddy carried her body to her front porch, rang the doorbell and ran. When the girl and her parents later tried to press charges against him, he did what most rapists do and claimed the sex was consensual. So no charges were filed.

Now with Kristen, he most likely threw himself on her, she tried to fight him off and he hurt her in some way that drew blood (traces of blood was found in his dorm room). Now Paul knows that as soon as she regains consciousness, she could get him on rape charges as well as assault charges and he'd FINALLY get some prison time. So he calls up mom and dad and maybe they decide to go full Beverly Noe and kill her.

I know this is a very dark and disturbing theory but I wouldn't put it past that family. Putting a pretty college aged girl who is tipsy in front of Paul Flores is the equivalent of putting a little kid in a candy shop. This will not end well.

Ugh... If this (or something similar) is true, it makes this case even more horrible and disgusting. I didn't think that was possible. :(

After listening to the podcast, there is a lot of weirdness with Ruben Flores. It goes way beyond just covering for your kid who has been accused of a crime. To me, he is protecting Paul and himself. Ruben was very evasive especially when it came to his movements after Kristin went missing. They replay part of a deposition with Ruben and you just want to scream at him for playing dumb and being so unhelpful. It's clear to me he was very involved in this crime also.

All of this begs the question: what brought the big news to light? I'm assuming they either found her remains or now have a good idea where they are. What specific evidence got authorities to this point? As horrible as this case is and as horrible as the news may be, I am anxious for resolution to this and hopeful that it can start the healing process for the Smart family.

Even without this case, Paul is a total piece of trash for how he treated women. He is a total predator and very likely a murderer. He's been roaming free for way too long. Time to put this piece of trash behind bars where he should have been a long time ago.

USA Today has picked up the story... I really hope it's close to being solved, however I think that if Kristin was alive, they would have kept this quiet until they had her and she was safe. I hope I am wrong.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/22/kristin-smart-missing-cal-poly-student-mom-fbi-be-ready/4539971002/

USA Today has picked up the story... I really hope it's close to being solved, however I think that if Kristin was alive, they would have kept this quiet until they had her and she was safe. I hope I am wrong.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/01/22/kristin-smart-missing-cal-poly-student-mom-fbi-be-ready/4539971002/

That’s great this is getting more national attention now. Yeah, I was just brainstorming ideas that would be shocking. I highly doubt she is alive, sadly, for the reasons you stated. She would need to be safe, and then why keep it from her family?

I have the feeling this is about who did it, why they did it, how they did it, and/or where her remains are now.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, this may be false hope and a fake lead. Here is a new article (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/FBI-No-agent-spoke-to-Kristin-Smart-family-in-14996483.php) that casts doubt on the FBI’s involvement.

Aww, ****. I didn’t see that coming.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, this may be false hope and a fake lead. Here is a new article (https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/FBI-No-agent-spoke-to-Kristin-Smart-family-in-14996483.php) that casts doubt on the FBI’s involvement.

Aww, ****. I didn’t see that coming.

I am not taking this to mean what you seem to think it means. As I indicated before, it would be unprecedented and extremely improbable that the FBI, who is not in charge of the investigation - S.L.O sheriffs sheriff's office is - to preempt an "imminent action" on a case they are not even in charge of by telling the mother of the victim and allowing this to then be made public? To officially tell a parent action is imminent would ALMOST ALWAYS be followed by a disclaimer of keeping your spokesman away from the media until the development actually happens. There are many logical reasons for this.

BUT if it was a RETIRED Agent that told Mrs. Smart in an UNOFFICIAL capacity because said agent may be privy to ongoing developments then in My opinion this actually makes a lot more sense to me. News very well may be coming. Imminent developments may be close. The point of this article TO ME was the FBI wanting to make it clear that whatever information Mrs. Smart received was unofficial.

I have kinda become obsessed with this case since Todd Mueller started this thread. I remember seeing the original segment when it first aired but never dove too deep into it. I have been to San Luis Obispo many times for work but unfortunately, I never had a chance to go visit some of the locations. The In Your Own Backyard podcast is extremely well done - I highly recommend it. Here is a good page with a lot of info, in case anyone is interested:

http://californiaregister.com/kristin-smart/

On a related note, I do recall hearing news that Paul Flores was working at an Outback Steakhouse near where I lived. Funny enough, I now live less than a mile from where that Outback was located (it closed a year or so ago).

This news comes as of two hours ago:

Four search warrants related to the disappearance of Kristin Smart were served on locations in California and Washington state, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday morning. Two locations searched were in San Luis Obispo County, one was in Los Angeles County and the fourth was in an undisclosed location in the state of Washington.

Few details about the search warrants have been released because they have been sealed by the court, but authorities say they are “limited in scope.”

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article239987853.html

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/search-warrants-issued-in-kristin-smart-case

This news comes as of two hours ago:

Four search warrants related to the disappearance of Kristin Smart were served on locations in California and Washington state, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday morning. Two locations searched were in San Luis Obispo County, one was in Los Angeles County and the fourth was in an undisclosed location in the state of Washington.

Few details about the search warrants have been released because they have been sealed by the court, but authorities say they are “limited in scope.”

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/crime/article239987853.html

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/search-warrants-issued-in-kristin-smart-case

Thanks for posting this! Very interesting... It doesn't sound like that dug up anything at Paul Flores's mother's house, but they took lots of evidence. I wonder what it is they were looking for and what it is they took? Seems odd that this many years later there would be any physical evidence left, unless it is electronic stuff. Then you have to ask if they are really dumb enough to record something incriminating. (With Paul Flores, I think the answer is yes.) They obviously must have had something on him/them in order to get the warrants in the first place. I'll also be curious if they can actually get any evidence off the vehicles they impounded.

They never did say what they found in the search of the hill on the CalPoly campus a few years back. Maybe they did find human remains and are trying to tie the DNA back to Paul somehow.

I just hope this momentum keeps going and we can finally get some justice for Kristin and some degree of closure for the Smart family.

Apparently Paul Fores was briefly detained yesterday and then released.

Authorities also searched Flores’ home in San Pedro and were seen leaving the home of Flores’ parents in Arroyo Grande with a computer, a brown paper bag, a storage bin and other pieces of evidence, The Tribune reported.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/paul-flores-kristin-smart-update.html

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/classmate-kristin-smart-briefly-detained-121945948.html

This makes me question why the news of a upcoming development was announced. To preempt the searches so the Flores family can sanitize all surfaces and continue to erase evidence of this brutal crime that Paul AND OTHERS are most CERTAINLY GUILTY OF?

I have seen many cases tried with far less evidence. Maybe they plan to proceed forward with prosecution due to the recent public outcry and are seeing if they can get additional evidence to bolster their case.

There is no way they could secure a guilty verdict with what they have had for years, and rightfully so. I really hope they find the smoking gun in these new searches, or something that leads them to the smoking gun... this news is very encouraging, though I wonder if the Flores family discarded anything as of late when Kristin's Mom spoke to the press a few weeks ago. Hopefully that is not the case. Fingers crossed!

There is no way they could secure a guilty verdict with what they have had for years, and rightfully so. I really hope they find the smoking gun in these new searches, or something that leads them to the smoking gun... this news is very encouraging, though I wonder if the Flores family discarded anything as of late when Kristin's Mom spoke to the press a few weeks ago. Hopefully that is not the case. Fingers crossed!

I vehemently disagree. Many times the reason prosecution does not move forward is because of double jeopardy "if new smoking gun evidence arises then they can't retry if they fail." So they wait. Why RIGHTFULLY SO? Whose side are you on?

Prosecutors don't want to try cases unless they are positive they can WIN. If nothing new is found and nothing new could ever be found then move forward and let 12 jurors decide if an intelligent young college student went underground for 20 years never speaking with her parents who she was close to on the very night she was walking home drunk with a known criminal. Last person to see her alive. Motive (history of sexually related offenses) Means and Opportunity.

I vehemently disagree. Many times the reason prosecution does not move forward is because of double jeopardy "if new smoking gun evidence arises then they can't retry if they fail." So they wait. Why RIGHTFULLY SO? Whose side are you on?

Prosecutors don't want to try cases unless they are positive they can WIN. If nothing new is found and nothing new could ever be found then move forward and let 12 jurors decide if an intelligent young college student went underground for 20 years never speaking with her parents who she was close to on the very night she was walking home drunk with a known criminal. Last person to see her alive. Motive (history of sexually related offenses) Means and Opportunity.

There are some of the reasons we wind up with wrongfully convicted people.

If it's your opinion that the ends justify the means, and if an innocent person occasionally is sent to jail for life, then that's OK.. I do not share that opinion.

It is, unfortunately, better for 100 guilty people to go free than one single innocent person be locked up. Means, Motive and Opportunity do not necessarily equal guilt.

Double jeopardy, also, is something of a forgotten concept in today's world.. Where the feds and state can try someone on the exact same charges. or, one of my favorites. Like what they tried with John Hinckley.. Convicted him (by reason of insanity) and then when Jim Brady passed they considered trying him for murder.

I actually believe that what Fletch said is.. Exactly what you basically said. Believes they couldn't get a guilty with what they had because it wasn't strong enough and that they were right not to bring it to trial for that reason. At least, that's how I read it.. Fletch can weigh in if I'm reading it wrong, but you seem to vehemently disagree by agreeing there.

I’m not going to get into it with anyone here but believe me when I say I am well versed in how all of this works. My father is a 34 year veteran police lieutenant (retired) and my brother is a homicide detective whose work helped directly lead to a DNA match and arrest in a 45 year-old cold case homicide (Linda O’ Keefe). I’ve definitely heard my share of case stories over the years and have discussed this case with both of them many times, especially since it occurred just a few hours up the coast from us.

Building a case takes time and no D.A. worth his salt will move forward with an indictment unless they have things airtight. Paul Flores has always been the prime (not to mention the only) suspect in this case and until they have exactly the evidence they need to convict, they will hold off. The risk is simply too big to take at this point in time.

I finished listening to the podcast series, 'Your Own Backyard,' and I went away with feeling more disgust for Paul's parents, Ruben and Susan Flores. Major warning signs were there early for their son and they did nothing.

I found it interesting that while he was in middle school, Paul bullied a kid (who was half his size) relentlessly. When that kid finally stood up for himself, Paul beat him so bad that he was near death and had to be rushed to the hospital. Since this was 1991, and bullying in schools wasn't taken as seriously as it is today, he was only given a 3 day suspension from school. But counselors told the parents that their son needed to talk to professionals about getting anger management, and the Flores' angrily refused to do so. That right there tells me that even from childhood, any trouble Paul got in to was always someone else's fault in his parents eyes. So it's no wonder he would grow to become the pathetic mess he is today.

Paul's issues were visible by his peers early on. In high school, his nickname was 'Scary Paul.' At Cal Poly Tech, the girls who knew of him called him 'Chester the Molester.' Every girl who worked jobs with him or knew of him were in agreement that he did not know how to act around girls.

It's also interesting to hear that at the frat party just before she disappeared, Paul was glued to Kristin for a huge portion of it and at one point, fell on top of her in the middle of the room. Many believe he may have slipped the date rape drug into her drink, which he had already done to a multiple girls in high school by then. So it should be no coincidence that Paul just happened to be in the right place at the right time to "escort" Kristin back to her dorm. She was a sitting duck by then.

Kristin's parents have completely given up on ever trying to get through to Paul's parents. Her father said that Ruben and Susan came to the conclusion that Kristin's life didn't matter and never did matter, since they have gone through THIS much trouble to protect Paul. At least the public around them knows. And Susan's paranoia over every single person who walks by the house has got to eat at her at some point. She could have moved long ago to escape the "harrasment" of vigilante. But if Kristin really is buried in the backyard, she's stuck there. That's the closest thing we're going to get to justice until that family is actually apprehended.

The authorities found some items of interest in Paul home. After conducting a search warrant Wednesday.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/us/kristin-smart-search-warrant-paul-flores/index.html

I finished listening to the podcast series, 'Your Own Backyard,' and I went away with feeling more disgust for Paul's parents, Ruben and Susan Flores. Major warning signs were there early for their son and they did nothing.

I found it interesting that while he was in middle school, Paul bullied a kid (who was half his size) relentlessly. When that kid finally stood up for himself, Paul beat him so bad that he was near death and had to be rushed to the hospital. Since this was 1991, and bullying in schools wasn't taken as seriously as it is today, he was only given a 3 day suspension from school. But counselors told the parents that their son needed to talk to professionals about getting anger management, and the Flores' angrily refused to do so. That right there tells me that even from childhood, any trouble Paul got in to was always someone else's fault in his parents eyes. So it's no wonder he would grow to become the pathetic mess he is today.

Paul's issues were visible by his peers early on. In high school, his nickname was 'Scary Paul.' At Cal Poly Tech, the girls who knew of him called him 'Chester the Molester.' Every girl who worked jobs with him or knew of him were in agreement that he did not know how to act around girls.

It's also interesting to hear that at the frat party just before she disappeared, Paul was glued to Kristin for a huge portion of it and at one point, fell on top of her in the middle of the room. Many believe he may have slipped the date rape drug into her drink, which he had already done to a multiple girls in high school by then. So it should be no coincidence that Paul just happened to be in the right place at the right time to "escort" Kristin back to her dorm. She was a sitting duck by then.

Kristin's parents have completely given up on ever trying to get through to Paul's parents. Her father said that Ruben and Susan came to the conclusion that Kristin's life didn't matter and never did matter, since they have gone through THIS much trouble to protect Paul. At least the public around them knows. And Susan's paranoia over every single person who walks by the house has got to eat at her at some point. She could have moved long ago to escape the "harrasment" of vigilante. But if Kristin really is buried in the backyard, she's stuck there. That's the closest thing we're going to get to justice until that family is actually apprehended.

Circumstantially, I think it's pretty much a slam dunk at this point (as to whether Paul did it or not).

With his parents, I don't think they automatically thought Kristin's life didn't matter, I think they were shell-shocked or in denial about how Paul turned out - protecting him as they have would be second nature at that point.

I hope whatever the authorities found is enough to seal the deal though.

#PaulDidIt

Let's get that trending, y'all...

The police searched Paul Flores' home again yesterday, April 22, 2020.

This is in addition to the search they made at his home two months ago (as well as three other searches elsewhere in February.) I didn't know that the police in January had seized two trucks that were owned by the Flores family in 1996.

I don't know what they expect to find that hasn't already been discarded in the last 24 years but I love the dedication the police are taking with this. Keeping the heat on Paul and angering his parents are very good things.

https://news.yahoo.com/home-person-interest-searched-kristin-134239464.html

I remember hearing about the KS case over the years, but didn't really know many of the details.

So, I just watched the recent 48 hours episode devoted to this; this was centered around the podcast "In Your Own Backyard". Very well-done episode, and very sad case.

This was obviously bungled from the beginning. If the authorities hadn't been so sloppy/inept in the early days of the case, they would probably have had enough evidence to convict the right person.

Currently, it's obvious that there is a lot of circumstantial evidence against PF - but that's about it.

One of the most unsettling things mentioned was a very strange event that occurred not long after KS's disappearance: In the back of PF's parents' rental house, the couple renting the place heard a beeping (that sounded like a watch alarm) at around 4:20am/4:30am every morning, which would regularly wake them up. They were never able to locate the source of the beeping, and eventually it stopped (almost certainly because the battery died). As it turned out, KS had set her alarm to wake her up @ around that same time every morning due to her lifeguarding job. Creepy as hell.

Also very suspicious was the earring found on the rental property, with what looked like dried blood on the surface.

I hope the renewed attention the case is getting will result in this getting resolved. KS's family needs closure, and those responsible for KS's disappearance & almost certain death need to be severely punished.

Paul Fores was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm...

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/central-coast-attorney-explains-paul-flores-arrest

The attorney for the Smart family says this arrest could help the civil case against him...

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/kristin-smart-family-attorney-says-paul-flores-arrest-is-good-thing-for-civil-case

Paul Fores was arrested last Thursday on suspicion of being a felon in possession of a firearm...

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/central-coast-attorney-explains-paul-flores-arrest

The attorney for the Smart family says this arrest could help the civil case against him...

https://www.ksby.com/news/local-news/kristin-smart-family-attorney-says-paul-flores-arrest-is-good-thing-for-civil-case

Wow, judging by where Flores' home is and where he was caught, it's very possible we have driven right by one another at some point or another, on a creepy side note. In any case, I do hope this helps the civil case and at some point, the guy talks. 25 year anniversary is coming up...

To anyone who has even a passing interest in this case, listen to the Chris Lambert podcast in it's entirety - if you haven't done so already. The podcast is superb, and Chris definitely does an extremely thorough investigation on this; he tracks down a lot of people associated with the case & interviews them, pieces a lot of facts together, etc. I'm amazed at the attention to detail here.

What happened to KS seems obvious, and it's unfortunate that they don't have enough to arrest the prime suspect for the crime. I completely understand innocent until proven guilty & do know there's no real physical evidence here - unfortunately.

Kudos to KS's parents for continuing to pursue this case. Hopefully KS will get justice at some point; it's been a long time coming.

Breaking news - the Flores family home is being searched as of this moment after Paul Flores was officially declared the prime suspect in Kristin's disappearance/Murder:

https://www.foxla.com/news/kristin-smart-paul-flores-named-prime-suspect-in-disappearance

They are authorized to use cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar this time around so hopefully they find some concrete evidence.

Breaking news - the Flores family home is being searched as of this moment after Paul Flores was officially declared the prime suspect in Kristin's disappearance/Murder:

https://www.foxla.com/news/kristin-smart-paul-flores-named-prime-suspect-in-disappearance

They are authorized to use cadaver dogs and ground-penetrating radar this time around so hopefully they find some concrete evidence.

Wonderful! Fingers crossed that they finally find her. Then throw Paul and both of his parents in prison.

This is awesome news! I have to imagine that LE has more evidence to pin this on Paul and his parents and allow this search. I really hope they find something, and I'll also be curious what they have come up with lately to get the warrant for this.

The more that comes out on this (especially from the podcast) it is so obvious that Paul did this, very likely had a lot of help from his parents, and he was a major creeper back in his SLO days and after. If even half the stuff about this guy is true, he should already be in jail.

I've been following this case for a while, and unfortunately - I'm not sure how much this latest "development" actually means. We'll see.

That all being said, I completely agree that PF's past heinous actions (even before the KS case) should have been enough to have landed him in prison a long time ago.

One of the most disturbing incidents was when he almost killed that kid that he was bullying in middle school, back in the early '90's. There was a section that focused on this in the excellent Chris Lambert podcast.

I've been following this case for a while, and unfortunately - I'm not sure how much this latest "development" actually means. We'll see.

Yeah, I should really temper expectations. The search has concluded but Sheriff's officials say they will not comment on whether any evidence was found, nor do they plan on releasing additional information about the search at this time.

Whatever happens with Paul Flores and his parents, I feel it's going to continue to happen at a snail's pace. It took 25 years for the police to do this but yesterday, Paul Flores' "title" was officially changed from 'person of interest' to 'prime suspect.'

Yes, unfortunately I don't see any charges brought up against PF and/or his family - unless the authorities found anything incriminating....which I suspect they didn't.

The problem here is that the investigation was botched from Day 1. If the college & the authorities had worked together to solve the crime when KS first disappeared back in 1996, the chances of a satisfactory resolution for KS's family would have been far greater.

However, as it now stands - it's been almost 25 years since this crime occurred. So, any evidence out there has probably been disposed of/discarded long ago.

The time to have done this search would have been at the beginning - not many years later.

Paul Flores's mother gave her first interview ever last week:

https://www.recordnet.com/story/news/local/2021/03/20/a-slap-face-suspects-mother-breaks-silence-smart-case/4782398001/