Kristin's life, dreams and future were stolen on May 25, 1996, when she was abducted by another student (suspect Paul Rueben Flores) on the Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo campus around 2 am. Campus Police failed to act appropriately and did not contact local law enforcement agencies in a timely manner. The Kristin Smart Campus Safety Act (1998) now requires ALL college campus police to contact and connect with local law enforcement agencies for any case of violence against a student. Paul Flores, the only suspect and last person to be seen with Kristin, continues to be uncooperative and is hiding behind the 5th Amendment.
There are not enough words in the dictionary to describe the pain of our loss and the heartache we face every day that we live without answers and without Kristin. Kristin deserved so much more than she received from initial law enforcement agencies. Fortunately, we now have active, engaged and committed law enforcement agencies working for Kristin. It is a demanding, frustrating and tireless task trying to reconstruct evidence from 24 years ago while investigating ongoing new leads. Another layer of pain and frustration is a civil lawsuit brought against our family by the suspect's mother and her boyfriend for THEIR emotional distress. The layer of burden and frustration is often beyond comprehension and too often overwhelming.
Twenty-four years is a long, long time to pray, battle, fight and cajole agencies to do whatever is necessary to bring our daughter home and remove her from the control of the perpetrator and his family. We live for the day when we can lay her to rest in the presence of our family and all who loved and fought for her. We have been praying for her return for longer than we were able to hold her in our arms. We have not given up, but find it important to find an inner peace, a positive focus, that helps us remember Kristin for the love, smiles and joy she brought to our family. Our hope is that her life, even though silenced, will continue to have meaning and purpose by helping other young women realize their ambitions.
The Justice for Kristin Smart Scholarship, a project of Justice for Kristin is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 2017 that aims to empower college-bound women with interests similar to Kristin's to achieve their educational goals. We also stand for improved campus safety. Please consider donating today or becoming sustaining donor. Thank you in advance for your support, it ensures that Kristin’s dreams live on.