Jury deciding whether Paul Flores murdered Kristin Smart back in deliberations
The jury responsible for deciding whether Paul Flores murdered Cal Poly students Kristin Smart in 1996 did not reach a verdict on Friday, Monterey County Superior Court officials confirmed Monday.
Jurors were back in deliberations on Monday, Monterey County Superior Court Executive Officer Chris Ruhl wrote in an email.
Ruhl said he believed one of the jurors had a conflict Friday so deliberations were canceled for the day.
It is unclear why court officials would not clarify the reason for the break earlier.
Paul Flores’ jury is reviewing three months of evidence to decide whether he killed Smart after an off-campus party during Memorial Day weekend in 1996, while a separate jury decides whether his father, Ruben Flores, helped his son conceal the crime.
Paul Flores’ jury began deliberations at the end of the day on Oct. 4, while Ruben Flores’ jury began mid-day Oct. 5.
Jurors deciding the verdict for Ruben Flores had to restart deliberations Oct. 14 after swearing in a new juror to replace one who was excused for speaking about the Smart case with their priest.
In total, both juries are in approximately the fourth day of deliberations.
Verdicts for the Flores men will be read back-to-back. After the verdicts are read, jurors can talk about the case with friends and family, consume media about it and make public statements.
To stay up on the latest details in the Smart case and get notified of a verdict, sign up for our news alerts by clicking on the three lines in the upper left of the sanluisobispo.com homepage, selecting “Stay connected,” then “Newsletters,” and then checking the box for “News alerts.”
This story was originally published October 17, 2022 at 10:49 AM with the headline "Jury deciding whether Paul Flores murdered Kristin Smart back in deliberations."
