Investigators give bleak Kristin Smart update after new search at killer's mom's home sparked hope she'd be returned 30 years after disappearance

By WILKO MARTÍNEZ-CACHERO, US REPORTER Published: 01:25, 10 May 2026 | Updated: 01:29, 10 May 2026 The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office announced Saturday that it had not recovered Kristin Smart at the home of the mother of her killer. Authorities confirmed they had finished searching the home of Susan Flores, the mother of convicted killer Paul Flores, in the 500 block of East Branch Street in Arroyo Grande, California. 'We did not recover Kristin Smart,' the sheriff's office said. The statement added: ‘The Sheriff's Office remains fully committed to finding Kristin and bringing her home to her family.’ Detectives will now evaluate 'any evidence' recovered to continue the investigation. Flores' Arroyo Grande property was searched on Wednesday using ground-penetrating radar technology and specialized soil testing. Law enforcement said they would not provide any further information. San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson said Friday that Flores remained a person of interest in the decades-old case.  This is a breaking news story. More to come.  The human remains were found at the home of Susan Flores (pictured), the mother of Smart's killer Paul Flores. Susan has never faced criminal charges related to Smart's death  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.