Paul Flores’ second appeal to his conviction for the first-degree murder of Kristin Smart was denied by the California Supreme Court, San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow announced Wednesday in a press release.
Flores filed the petition to the California Court of Appeals for review in July 2025, attempting to reverse his charge or reduce it to second-degree murder. Flores repeated claims from his initial appeal to the Second District Court of Appeal, stating violation of his 14th Amendment due process rights during the trial for Smart’s murder.
READ MORE: Paul Flores files appeal seeking reduction in sentence for Kristin Smart murder
A panel of judges certified there was no misconduct or error in judicial proceedings. Following the appeal denial, Flores’ 25-year-to-life sentence remains unchanged.
Smart was a freshman at Cal Poly when she was last seen walking with Flores in 1996. After a 25-year investigation, Flores was arrested in 2021 and convicted in 2022 by Monterey County jury.
READ MORE: Kristin Smart’s family sues Cal Poly, accusing university of negligence, wrongful death
The California Supreme Court’s denial of Flores’ petition once again solidifies his sentence nearly three decades after her disappearance.