The infamous Kristin Smart murder case has been progressing through preparations to go to trial, with the most recent development that the trial itself will be moved to Monterey County.
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Smart’s disappearance and presumed murder captivated not only the Bay Area but the whole country in the 1990s. In 1996, while attending California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo her freshman year, she disappeared after attending a party.
In the years since, the case went cold after her body was never recovered, until last year when a father and son were charged with her murder.
Paul Flores was attending the university at the same time as Smart and was one of the last people to see her alive. After police investigated his home and his father Ruben's home, items of interest were recovered and they were taken into custody in 2021.
Now, a judge has agreed to move the trial from San Luis Obispo County to Monterey County, according to reporting by The Associated Press, after it was determined that Flores wouldn’t get a fair trial otherwise.
Superior Court Judge Craig Ban Rooyen announced the decision on Wednesday, adding that two sites were considered as potential locations but Monterey was ultimately the final choice, said the outlet.
Flores is facing charges of murder, after he reportedly walked Smart back to her dorm room the last night she was seen alive, and his father, Ruben, is accused of helping his son get rid of the body, said the outlet.
Both are pleading not guilty, according to the outlet. Proceedings were scheduled to begin next week, but a new start date will be discussed instead.
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