LOS ANGELES — Paul Flores was sentenced Friday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of fellow Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Kristin Smart, who disappeared on Memorial Day weekend more than 25 years ago and whose body was never found.
After hearing from Smart’s loved ones, Monterey County Judge Jennifer O’Keefe sentenced Flores, 46, for Smart’s 1996 murder. Prosecutors believe he raped or attempted to rape Smart in his dorm before killing her and hiding her body.
O’Keefe delivered the sentence after rejecting a motion from Robert Sanger, Flores’ defense attorney, for a new trial because the prosecutor had erred during his closing argument by misstating the standard for reasonable doubt. She also rejected overturning the guilty verdict, saying the evidence supported the verdict.
