Reporting and case background
sanluisobispo.com
Reported coverage offers a concise introduction.
1996 · San Luis Obispo, California
Kristin Smart
The story behind Your Own Backyard
Nineteen-year-old college student Kristin Smart disappeared after a party in San Luis Obispo in 1996. Paul Flores, who had walked with her that night, remained central to the investigation for years. He was convicted of her murder in 2022, following renewed scrutiny of evidence and a long campaign by Kristin’s family.
EXPLORE THE CASE
The Story
When1996
WhereSan Luis Obispo, California
In this collection46 resources
Start here.
Choose a book, screen story or audio episode from this case’s collection.
The Disappearance of Kristin Smart
CBS / 48 Hours · episode
Explore this screen title and its source details before choosing a service.
Your Own Backyard
Chris Lambert · investigative podcast
An audio option for exploring this case while listening.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Where are they now?
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Nicknames & media names
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Blogs & Essays
Read our articles here and explore outside perspectives, credited to their writers and publications. See this case in the Journal →
From the journal
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
Blogs & essays
2 itemsAbout these sources
Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.
And Then They Were Gone · Blog / essay
Kristin Smart: Part 1 — And Then They Were Gone
An outside blog or essay discussing Kristin Smart. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Medium · True Crime With Elli Mac · Blog / essay
Murdered On Campus: Solving The Kristin Smart Case
An outside blog or essay discussing Kristin Smart. Read the author’s analysis alongside the dated reporting and court sources in this case guide. Some publishers require a subscription. Publisher access could not be checked directly; this article is indexed in search.
Outside CommentaryAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Books
CONTINUE YOUR READING
Search this case on Amazon · paid linkSearch results may include unrelated titles. Check the author, edition, and case connection before purchasing.
Explore Reading & Streaming Options · Our case guides are free.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
Books
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Movies & TV
Movies
No reviewed items have been added to this section yet.
TV & documentaries
7 itemsAbout these sources
Episodes, documentaries and title listings. Season and episode numbers follow the linked catalog and can differ by service. Air dates are separate from crime dates. Playback availability varies by service and region.
IMDb · TV episode
People Magazine Investigates — Where is Kristin Smart? (2024)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Kristin Smart case. Listed release: 2024. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
IMDb · TV episode
Dateline: Unforgettable — Justice for Kristin Smart (2025)
IMDb episode reference connected to the Kristin Smart case. Listed release: 2025. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
NBC · 2023 catalog, Episode 12 · Listed air date 2023-03-31
Dateline NBC — Justice for Kristin Smart
IMDb episode reference connected to the Kristin Smart case. Listed release: 2023. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate. Includes coverage of Kristin Smart.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
CBS · Season 33, Episode 11 · Listed air date 2020-11-28
48 Hours — The Disappearance of Kristin Smart
IMDb episode reference connected to the Kristin Smart case. Listed release: 2020. Cast, credits, and title information; viewing availability is separate. Includes coverage of Kristin Smart.
Screen TitleTitle Details · Not Playback
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
CBS / 48 Hours · episode
The Disappearance of Kristin Smart
Jonathan Vigliotti reports. Playback availability may vary.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkViewing options & episode details
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
NBC · 2021 catalog, Episode 36 · Listed air date 2021-10-29
Dateline NBC — The Vanishing of Kristin Smart / Murdaugh: Power, Privilege & Scandal
Includes coverage of Kristin Smart.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
Show 1 more tv & documentaries
ABC · 2023 catalog, Episode 22 · Listed air date 2023-06-23
20/20 — Never Made It Home
Includes coverage of Kristin Smart.
Screen TitleAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Search Amazon · paid linkEpisode details on TVmaze
Title search; Amazon availability is not confirmed. Check the edition, format, and viewing region.
Episode data: TVmaze · CC BY-SA 4.0
EXPLORE THE CASE
Audiobooks
An audiobook edition has not been confirmed for this case yet. You can check the audiobook catalog or explore the case’s podcasts.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Amazon buttons marked “paid link” may earn us a commission. Affiliate disclosure
EXPLORE THE CASE
Fiction Work
Fiction Work
Browse all →Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.
No verified fictional adaptation or inspiration has been identified in this collection. Nonfiction coverage is listed in the other media sections.
EXPLORE THE CASE
Podcasts
Podcasts
17 itemsAbout these sources
Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.
Chris Lambert · investigative podcast
Your Own Backyard
The family’s website links to this investigative podcast. Listen for the reporting and follow-up episodes, rather than treating early theories as final findings.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
yourownbackyard.libsyn.com
Your Own Backyard — A Face on a Billboard (Episode 1)
Direct episode page for this case or its screen adaptation. Open it for listening options and the publisher’s episode notes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Dateline NBC
Justice for Kristin Smart
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released April 4, 2023. About 83 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Murder With My Husband
249. The Haunting Murder of Kristin Smart
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released December 30, 2024. About 51 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Dateline NBC
Alex Murdaugh's murder convictions thrown out. A new search for Kristin Smart. Plus, AI and murder.
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released May 14, 2026. About 35 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
48 Hours
The Disappearance of Kristin Smart
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released November 29, 2020. About 42 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Show 11 more podcasts
Crime House 24/7
30 Years Later, a New Search in the Kristin Smart Case | True Crime News
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released May 8, 2026. About 25 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
True Crime with Kendall Rae
Kristin Smart: Arrests Made After Nearly 25 Years!
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released July 13, 2023. About 67 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
48 Hours
The Disappearance of Kristin Smart - Encore
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released October 30, 2022. About 43 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
The Casual Criminalist
How a Podcast Helped to Find Justice for Kristin Smart
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released January 26, 2024. About 89 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Your Own Backyard
Episode 01: A Face On A Billboard
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released September 30, 2019. About 81 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Your Own Backyard
Episode 02: The Only Suspect
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released October 7, 2019. About 56 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Your Own Backyard
Episode 03: Their Own Backyard
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released October 14, 2019. About 57 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Crime Scene
Where is Kristin Smart?
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released June 25, 2026. About 45 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Crime & Cookie Juice
A Murder Without A Body: The Kristin Smart Disappearance Featuring Crime Scene Investigator Alina Burroughs
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released May 7, 2025. About 52 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Going West: True Crime
Kristin Smart: New Evidence Thirty Years Later // 608
Podcast coverage of the Kristin Smart case. Released May 15, 2026. About 67 minutes.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Rotten Mango · Stephanie Soo
Rotten Mango — Kristin Smart (Episode 86)
Episode 86 discusses Kristin Smart. The official episode page identifies this case and provides the show’s listening options. Contains descriptions of violence; this is podcast commentary, not a court record.
PodcastAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Social Media
BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE
Where would you start?
Choose your reading route, then share a question with your community.
Your choice stays on this page. No vote is submitted or counted.
Talk about sources and storytelling with care for the people affected. A documentary, a book and a court record serve different purposes.
EXPLORE THE CASE
News & Reading
More Reading & Audio
0 sourcesExplore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.
No additional case-specific reading source was confirmed in this review. The reporting and original summaries elsewhere on this page remain available.
Reading Access Notes
Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.
A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.
News & reporting
1 itemssanluisobispo.com
Reporting and case background
Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.
JournalismAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Newspaper clippings
2 itemsFeatured newspaper clipping
Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.
The Tribune · 2022-10-20 · Page A4
Smart family attorney responds to the verdicts
The family’s attorney reflects on Paul Flores’s conviction and Ruben Flores’s acquittal.
The report distinguishes the separate verdicts.
Newspaper ReportingAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Read the original at Newspapers.com. Access and subscription requirements are set by the archive.
Open full clipping at Newspapers.comMore from the newspaper archive
Continue with these dated reports on Newspapers.com.
The Tribune · 2022-09-22 · Page A1
Prosecution rests in the Smart trial
Court reporting covers defense motions after prosecutors finished presenting evidence.
Pre-verdict reporting of competing legal arguments.
Read this article on Newspapers.comKeep following the newspaper trail.
Search original reporting, follow the trial, and compare how newspapers covered the case over time.
Explore more on Newspapers.comNewspapers.com controls access to its archive. A subscription may be required; existing subscribers can sign in.
Internet Archive
3 itemsAbout these sources
Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
KTVU FOX 2 News at 6 : KTVU : March 15, 2021 6:00pm-7:00pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Kristin Smart. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
KTVU FOX 2 News at Noon : KTVU : March 16, 2021 12:00pm-12:59pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Kristin Smart. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Internet Archive · TV News Archive
KTVU FOX 2 News at 5 : KTVU : September 22, 2021 5:00pm-6:00pm PDT
The archive indexes this broadcast under Kristin Smart. It may contain several stories; use any available captions or previews to locate the relevant segment. Full playback may be restricted.
Archive ResourceAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Court & Files
Court records & documents
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.
Court opinionGovernment repository
People v. Flores — Kristin Smart conviction affirmed
The appellate court affirms Paul Ruben Flores’s conviction for Kristin Smart’s murder. This is the actual unpublished opinion, preserved by the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney.
- Court / agency
- California Court of Appeal, Second District, Division Six
- Document date
- October 24, 2025
- Case / citation
- B329873 · trial 22CR003712
- Hosted by
- San Luis Obispo County District Attorney
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
EXPLORE THE CASE
Positive Outcome
Positive Outcome
1 itemsAbout these sources
Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.
Enacted law · California · 1998
Kristin Smart Campus Safety Act of 1998
Cal Poly identifies Kristin Smart’s disappearance as the impetus for the named campus-safety law. California Education Code section 67381 addresses agreements between campus and local law enforcement for serious-crime investigations. The campus source also explains the development of its Safer program in the context of several students’ deaths.
Laws & ChangeAccess Varies · Check Source
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Social Media
12 itemsAbout these sources
Case-specific posts, videos and communities. Community opinions are separate from verified reporting. Platforms may require sign-in.
48 Hours
The Disappearance of Kristin Smart | Full Episode
Full episode or film as labeled by the publisher from 48 Hours covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 43:24.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
NewsNation
How a podcaster helped police in the cold case killing of Kristin Smart
Video from NewsNation covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 5:55.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Crime Weekly
Crime Weekly News: Kristin Smart's Killer Sentenced
Video from Crime Weekly covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 27:42.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
KSBY News
Witness breaks down on stand during Kristin Smart murder trial
Video from KSBY News covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 3:15.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Dateline NBC
Kristin Smart: 25 Years Later | Dateline NBC
Video from Dateline NBC covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 6:30.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
COURT TV
Kristin Smart Murder Trial: Day 12
Video from COURT TV covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 10:05.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Show 6 more social media
ABC10
What we know so far in the Kristin Smart case
Video from ABC10 covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 3:14.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
KSBY News
Juror breaks down during testimony in Kristin Smart murder trial
Video from KSBY News covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 3:03.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
KSBY News
Attorney for Kristin Smart’s family reflects on case after killer’s sentencing
Video from KSBY News covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 4:37.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
COURT TV
Murder Charges for 'Prime Suspect' Paul Flores in 1996 Kristin Smart Disappearance | COURT TV
Video from COURT TV covering the Kristin Smart case. Length: 11:17.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
Reddit · r/UnsolvedMysteries
Discussion: Watch the new Kristin Smart 48 hours case episode
Public community discussion connected to Kristin Smart. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)
TikTok · Creator channel
Crime Scene — TikTok channel
Linked by this creator in the episode notes for “Where is Kristin Smart?.” This creator channel covers multiple cases. The matching case episode is linked below. The platform may ask you to sign in.
Link Check PendingReport a Link (Email)