Closing statements in Kristin Smart murder trial set for next week
SALINAS — Closing statements in the Kristin Smart murder trial are scheduled for Oct. 3-4.
Prosecutors say they've laid out evidence that Paul Flores killed Smart and buried her body in his father, Ruben's, backyard.
Paul is charged with her murder, while his father is charged with helping hide her body.
The Flores' attorneys, Robert Sanger, who represents Paul, and Harold Mesick, who represents Paul, say their clients do not know where Smart went after the off-campus party.
Sanger said during the trial, Paul walked Smart home and left her alive before he went back to his dorm. However, both attorneys have pointed out that Smart's body has never been found, including at the home of Ruben.
The two have had their cases heard together, but the court will try them separately.
Two juries have filed in and out of the Monterey County courtroom since July to hear testimony and evidence presented in a 26-year mystery for Smart's family, friends, and the greater San Luis Obispo community.
Smart was a freshman at Cal Poly in May 1996 when she was last seen leaving an off-campus party. The last person to see her alive, according to San Luis Obispo Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle, who has led the DA's Office case in court, was Paul.
Paul has long been considered a person of interest in her disappearance and was later arrested at his San Pedro home in April 2021 on suspicion of murder.
The case was moved to Monterey County over concerns that the Flores' would not be given a fair trial. Since jury selection began, in July, in Salinas, jurors were notified the case could last into October.
After more than a month, the prosecution rested their case last week, calling witnesses that included Smart's family and friends from Cal Poly, even some who saw her hours before she disappeared.
Judge Jennifer O'Keefe outlined the procedure for the verdict on Thursday.
The verdicts in each case will be read when both juries reach a verdict, and whichever jury reaches a verdict first will fill and seal verdict forms, sealing and dating the envelope at that time.
Judge O'Keefe told jurors that jury rules bind them until both verdicts are given, reminding them that research and shared information will not be allowed.
"Once both juries reach a verdict, you will be asked to return to court," said O'Keefe.
BREAKING: All evidence has been presented in the #KristinSmart trial.
Closing statements are set for Monday & Tuesday.
"You have now heard all of the evidence in this case," Judge Jennifer O'Keefe told jury. "The next step in this process is to hear the evidence of Council."
— Mustang News (@CPMustangNews) Sept. 29, 2022
Jurors will have 40 minutes to make their way back to court after verdicts are reached and ready to be read. When verdicts are given, only the jury for that case will be present. As in, jurors for Paul Flores' case will not be present when the verdict for Ruben Flores is read and vice versa.
Paul Flores' jury will hear closing statements on Monday at 8:30 a.m., and Ruben Flores' jury will hear closing statements Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.
They will be able to deliberate immediately following the conclusion of closing statements.
Nicolás Viñuela is a CBS contributor to this post and is a general assignment reporter for the Mustang Daily News.
