Journalism senior Nico Viñuela spent three months in Monterey County covering the Kristin Smart murder trial, with support from Mustang News and KCPR teams back in San Luis Obispo. KCPR sat down with him to talk about his experience. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. KCPR: What was your experience like? What […]
Category: Crime and Courts
Posted inCrime and Courts
Watch: SLO County officials, Smart Family hold press conference post-verdict
Editor’s note: Mustang News has covered the People v. Flores murder trial every day from the courthouse. Follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Read previous articles about the trial here. The family of Kristin Smart, reporters and county officials gathered in a Monterey County press room on Tuesday after what Kristin’s father described as an “agonizingly long” wait […]
Posted inCrime and Courts
‘We are here for you’: Cal Poly president addresses community reaction to Kristin Smart trial verdicts
On Tuesday, the jury reached a verdict on the 1996 Kristin Smart case – Paul Flores was found guilty of the murder of Smart, a 19-year-old Cal Poly student at the time, and his father, Ruben Flores, was found not guilty as an accessory to the murder. Cal Poly President Jeffrey Armstrong sent out a […]
Posted inCrime and Courts
Paul Flores found guilty in Kristin Smart murder trial, Ruben Flores found not guilty
Editor’s note: The People v. Flores murder trial has been covered each day by Mustang News. Follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Read previous articles about the trial here. Paul Flores was found guilty on Tuesday of the 1996 murder of Kristin Smart. His father, Ruben Flores — accused of helping his son hide and bury Smart’s body — […]
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Kristin Smart murder trial: Paul and Ruben Flores’ verdicts to be read Tuesday afternoon
Editor’s note: The People v. Flores murder trial is covered each day by Mustang News. Follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Read previous articles about the trial here. The verdicts for Paul and Ruben Flores will be announced Tuesday afternoon in connection to the 1996 disappearance of Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart. The two separate verdicts will be read […]
Posted inCrime and Courts
Ruben Flores’ jury reaches verdict in Kristin Smart murder trial
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is updated as more information becomes available. Ruben Flores’ jury reached a verdict Monday morning, marking the end of jury deliberations for the People v. Ruben Flores case. Paul Flores’ jury has yet to reach a verdict. After they do, both verdicts will be read back-to-back outside […]
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Ruben Flores verdict deliberations to restart after juror excused for violation
Editor’s note: The People v. Flores murder trial is covered each day by Mustang News. Follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Read previous articles about the trial here. A male juror in Ruben Flores’ jury was excused from the Kristin Smart murder trial on Thursday after seeking “spiritual guidance” from his priest — forcing the jury to restart their […]
Posted inCrime and Courts
Kristin Smart murder trial nears its end, impact still seen on Cal Poly campus
Content warning: This article mentions sexual assault. After experiencing half of her first year at college from home, history junior Michelle Mueller received her housing assignment in December 2020. It was then that Mueller found out she would be living in Santa Lucia Hall, the same hall that housed Paul Flores 26 years ago. As […]
Posted inCrime and Courts
Kristin Smart murder case now awaiting verdicts 26 years later
Editor’s note: The People v. Flores murder trial is covered each day by Mustang News. Follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Read previous articles about the trial here. Closing statements for the trial of Ruben Flores took place on Wednesday — marking the last time that either jury will be in the courtroom before the verdicts in the Kristin […]
Posted inCrime and Courts
Kristin Smart murder trial: Jury deliberations begin for Paul Flores’ verdict
Editor’s note: The People v. Flores murder trial is covered each day by Mustang News. Follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Read previous articles about the trial here. Paul Flores’ jury is now in verdict deliberations after closing arguments concluded Tuesday afternoon. Closing statements will be presented to Ruben Flores’ jury on Wednesday. Paul Flores’ jury was dismissed from […]
Posted inCrime and Courts
Kristin Smart murder trial: Closing statements begin on behalf of Paul Flores and the prosecution
Editor’s note: The People v. Flores murder trial is covered each day by Mustang News. Follow @CPMustangNews on Twitter and Instagram for more updates. Read previous articles about the trial here. Closing statements for the Kristin Smart murder trial began on Monday, following the conclusion of the presentation of evidence last week. Prosecutor Christopher Peuvrelle gave his statement to Paul Flores’ jury […]