The California Supreme Court has refused to hear a petition for review of a murder conviction in an infamous Central Coast murder case.
Paul Flores was convicted of killing Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Kristen Smart. The two were classmates. She was last seen being walked home by Flores following an off-campus party.
Investigators considered Flores a suspect for decades, but felt they didn't have enough evidence to arrest and convict him until 2021. Prosecutors say he killed her during an attempted sexual assault in his dorm room. Her body was never found.
In 2022, Flores was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in state prison. In the appeal, the man's attorneys claimed there were several issues ranging from a lack of evidence to prosecutorial misconduct. The Court of Appeal rejected the arguments, and the state's highest court refused to review the decision, allowing the conviction to stand.
