Man convicted of killing California student Kristin Smart sentenced to 25 years in jail
Paul Flores and Kristin
Paul Flores, the man convicted of killing 19-year-old California student Kristin Smart in 1996 has been sentenced to 25 years in prison. Flores has been given the maximum sentence possible under California's current penal system.
Judge Jennifer O'Keefe while pronouncing the sentence said Flores 'deserved' to be in prison for the rest of his life.
"You deserve to spend every day you have left behind bars," O'Keefe was quoted as saying by Reuters. She also said that Flores had continued to drug and assault women in 'predatory behavior' that 'has spanned your adult life'.
Read more: Man found guilty of killing California student Kristin Smart who went missing in 1996
Meanwhile, representing the prosecution side, Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle called Flores a 'true psychopath', adding that the defendant continues to lie to this day.
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The sentencing brings a culmination to over a quarter-century case that surprised the investigators as well as the common folks alike.
Both Smart and Flores were students at California Polytechnic State University when she went missing in May 1996. Flores was the last person seen with Smart, accompanying her on the 10-minute walk back to her dormitory from a party that night.
During the trial, prosecutors said Paul Flores had stalked Smart for months and might have even drugged her drink at the party.
For several years, Flores remained the prime suspect in the case. However, the absence of evidence meant that he was not tried. That changed in 2019 when freelance journalist Chris Lambert in his documentary podcast titled 'Your Own Backyard', helped investigators crack the case.
WATCH |WION Dispatch: Delhi police solve six-month-old murder case
Flores was convicted of first-degree murder by a jury at Monterey County Superior Court last year in October. His fatherRuben Flores, accused of hiding the body was acquitted by the jury.
The body of 19-year-old Smart has never been found, even though the authorities have searched 18 locations. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson has vowed that the case file will not be closed until Smart's remains are found.
(With inputs from agencies)
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