A timeline of the Kristin Smart case—and Paul Flores' conviction for her 1996 murder

(This story previously aired on Oct. 22, 2022. It was updated on July 15, 2023.) "YOUR OWN BACKYARD" PODCAST:  EPISODE 1: It's a cold and cloudy winter afternoon in San Luis Obispo and I'm retracing missing Cal Poly student Kristin Smart's last known steps.  PODCAST | EPISODE 1: At least once a day I asked myself what are you doing? PODCAST EPISODE 1: I googled Kristin Smart's name every few years… PODCAST EPISODE 1: Kristin broke down begging her mother to let her drop out and go somewhere else. PODCAST EPISODE 2 [LAMBERT READING REPORT] Smart does not have any close friends at Cal Poly. Smart appeared to be under the influence of alcohol on Friday night. Smart was talking with and socializing with several different males at the party. PODCAST EPISODE 2: So, with Cheryl's account alone, we have an unsettling picture of Paul … PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1:  Well his nickname was "Scary Paul." PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #1:  I wasn't surprised, but there's also that shock value of kind of "oh my god, I knew it!" JAMES MURPHY: Would you state your full name for the record please. JAMES MURPHY: What is your present residence address? JAMES MURPHY: In May of 96 were you a student at Cal Poly? JAMES MURPHY: What is the name of your father? PODCAST EPISODE 3: Something shiny catches her eye next to the front driver side tire.  A single woman's earring.  PODCAST EPISODE 3 | MARY LASSITER: It was like a red thing and it was like a smudge-like fingerprinted look on the back, just red, like maroon, like old looking and the smudge that it was like half a fingerprint. PODCAST EPISODE 4: At 8 a.m. on June 19th, 2000, a team of sheriff's investigators knocks on the front door of Susan Flores's East Branch Street home.  With them is a group of FBI evidence response team members and a search warrant. JAMES MURPHY: Do you have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? JAMES MURPHY: Does your son have any information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? PODCAST EPISODE 4: So, I walk him up to his sister's apartment, and all of a sudden, he just like picked me up, carried me inside, turned around and shut the apartment door, and locked it. So, I said, "you better turn some lights on right now and let me out or I'm going to scream."  … so eventually he unlocked you know, the apartment door, and I left. PODCAST EPISODE 4: And he had like a butter knife and he like held it to my neck.  And I was screaming.  And my roommate actually kicked down the door to make him stop. PODCAST EPISODE 5:  If you were making a film about a new law enforcer who's coming to a small town to save the day, you'd probably cast Parkinson. D.A. DAN DOW [press conference]: The allegation against Ruben is that he helped to conceal Kristen's body after the murder was committed.  SHERIFF IAN PARKINSON [at press conference]: Forensic physical evidence was located. And yes, we believe it's linked to Kristin.  And yes, we did find physical evidence at, at least two homes. D.A. DAN DOW [press conference]: It is alleged that Mr. Flores caused the death of Kristen Smart while in the commission of or attempted rape. D.A. DAN DOW [press conference]: But the allegation that he was committing or attempting to commit a rape … when he killed her, is the basis for which we are able to file first-degree felony murder charges. D.A. DAN DOW [press conference]: We intend to use evidence of other sexual crimes in this prosecution to prove the facts necessary for the attempted rape in this case. D.A. DAN DOW [press conference]: We have evidence that we do believe there are other people that are not yet identified that have had some kind of a criminal act perpetrated on them by Mr. Flores.

Nineteen-year-old Kristin Smart disappeared Memorial Day weekend of 1996. For more than two decades, her family, friends, and supporters searched for answers and for justice. In October 2022, Paul Flores, the man long suspected in her disappearance, was found guilty of her murder. In March 2023, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. His father Ruben Flores — charged with being an accessory after the fact—was found not guilty. PODCAST EPISODE 2 | WOMAN #2:  You wouldn't want to be alone in a room with him. You wouldn't let any of your friends be drunk around him. Those were kind of unspoken things. PAUL FLORES: Paul Ruben Flores… PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney, I refuse to answer that question based on the fifth amendment of the United States Constitution. PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my attorney … PAUL FLORES: On the advice of my … SUSAN FLORES: [Long pause, grabs water bottle] Of course not. SUSAN FLORES: Nope. D.A. DAN DOW [press conference]: We don't have evidence sufficient to charge anyone else at this time. But … the investigation is ongoing.

"48 Hours" looks back to their arrests and how the saga began. JAMES MURPHY: Your husband have information as to where Kristin Smart's body is located? JAMES MURPHY: Has your son ever told you that he did not kill Kristin Smart?