May 9 (UPI) -- California authorities working on a new lead in their quest for the remains of slain college student Kristin Smart announced Saturday that a search of a property connected with her killer came up empty.
The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's office said that despite deploying ground-penetrating radar at a home in Arroyo Grande, Calif., over the course of several days in the wake of a positive soil test for human remains, Smart's body was not found.
"We did not recover Kristin Smart," Sheriff's officials said in a statement. "Detectives will be evaluating any evidence we have recovered to aid in the investigation."
The searched property belongs to Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, who in 2022 was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the 1996 disappearance of the California Polytechnic State University freshman.
Smart was reported missing in May 1996. A 25-year investigation ensued, resulting in the 2021 arrest and prosecution of Paul Flores and his father Ruben Flores. At trial the jury heard testimony that Smart was last seen walking towards her dormitory with Paul Flores after leaving an off-campus party.
