Emily Simpson

The defense repeatedly emphasizes that no one witnessed Kristen's death and that Ruben Flores' attorneys deny that he helped conceal a body or commit any crime.

On October 18th of 2022, the verdict comes out.

After decades of speculation and investigation, Paul Flores is finally found guilty of first-degree murder and Kristen Smart's death.

Ruben Flores, his father, is found not guilty of being an accessory after the fact.

Kristen's family releases emotional statements thanking investigators and supporters who never gave up on the case.

I don't like the sentencing though.

He's sentenced on March 10th of 2023.

Well, he's sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.

25 just doesn't feel like a lot to me.

Well, it's 25 to life, which means he's eligible for parole at 25.

Right.

Which I don't know.

I don't like it.

What if he's on good behavior and he does all the things he's supposed to do in prison for 25 years and then he gets out on parole in 25 years?

I don't feel like that's very long to spend.

No, I think if you murder someone, that's the end of it.

You should just go to jail forever.

I don't understand why this life and these circumstances are 17 years and these ones are, you know, two sentences of 12 years consecutive and this one's concurrent.

It's just.

A life for a life, man.