Vanished Without a Trace: The Mysterious Disappearance of Kristin Smart

In May 1996, Kristin Smart, a 19-year-old freshman at California Polytechnic University, vanished without a trace after a night out with friends. What began as a casual evening at an off-campus party turned into a chilling mystery when Smart was last seen walking home with Paul Flores, a fellow student. 

Despite initial efforts by friends and campus police, Smart’s disappearance remained unsolved for years, sparking a decades-long investigation. In the upcoming People Magazine Investigates episode, “Where Is Kristin Smart?” airing on November 18, authorities delve into the details of the case, revisiting the critical moments and suspects that could hold the key to solving this heartbreaking mystery.

Kristin Smart’s Last Night: A Trail of Unanswered Questions

Spring quarter just began, and with it an off-campus party took an unsettling turn for freshman Kristin Smart, who vanished the following morning. 

Around 2 a.m., someone discovered Kristin on a neighbor’s lawn unconscious. She was helped up by two male students, and Paul Flores, another freshman, offered to walk her to her dorm room; she was never seen again.

Although a friend of Kristin’s, Margarita Campos, had lent her dorm key earlier that night, Kristin’s belongings lay undisturbed in her room. Kristin’s nonappearance had thrown the classroom into an uproar, but campus police waited to begin the investigation until after Memorial Day weekend passed by, which delayed the inquiry and lost those precious days.

Investigation: In the Wake of the Last Witness

The last person seen with Kristin was Paul Flores. The police immediately noted him as a person of interest. 

Though questioned to the fullest extent by the authorities, critical evidence to connect him with her disappearance did not come out in the open. His conflicting statements indicated suspicion, but legal challenges stalled the case.

As years went by, Kristin’s family and advocates kept clamoring for answers. Later, investigators reopened the case using state-of-the-art technology that would yield possible leads. Nonetheless, Kristin’s ultimate mystery continues to be a rekindled public interest and clamor for justice.

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