Kristin Smart's convicted killer Paul Flores to be sentenced Friday
After a long and winding road, the Kristin Smart murder trial is finally coming to a close.
Watch CBS News
After a long and winding road, the Kristin Smart murder trial is finally coming to a close.
The guilty verdict in the Kristin Smart murder case is finally giving the Smart family a sense of justice, although the painful wait to locate her body continues. No one knows that pain better than the family of Christie Wilson, whose body was not discovered for 15 years after she was murdered in Placer County.
See the major events in the timeline spanning from when Smart was reported missing to the guilty verdict handed to Paul Flores and a not-guilty verdict for his father, Ruben Flores.
The family of Kristin Smart, who disappeared 26 years ago and has never been found, finally found justice after her convicted killer, Paul Flores, was convicted of murder. Paul will be sentenced in December.
During Tuesday's press conference about the Flores murder verdict, Kristin Smart's father thanked podcaster Chris Lambert for helping solve the case. Lambert grew up near where Kristin vanished and started looking into what happened the night of May 24, 1996.
Ruben Flores was asked how he felt knowing his son was found guilty. He said: "It's hard for me to describe it. All that stuff they say is evidence -- you look through it, and there is no evidence against anybody -- me or Paul," "Too much made-up stuff. That's all I can say."
The Paul Flores jury made their announcement first in court on Tuesday. Smart's former Cal Poly classmate was found guilty of first-degree murder. The deputy DA, who prosecuted the case, spoke about the trial.
"Today, Justice Delayed is not justice denied," said Sheriff Ian Parkinson.
Kristin Smart's father thanked many people, including podcaster Chris Lambert, who has "poured his heart and soul" into the Kristin Smart story. He’s credited with reigniting interest in this case and bringing witnesses forward after years of silence. The Paul Flores jury made their announcement first in court on Tuesday. Kristin Smart's former Cal Poly classmate was found guilty of first-degree murder in the commission or attempted commission of rape in her death. Kristin disappeared 26 years ago.
The trials were heard together for nearly three months, but Paul and Ruben were being tried separately.
Ruben Flores, the father of the man now convicted of killing Kristin Smart, has been found not guilty of being an accessory after the fact
Verdicts for both Paul and Ruben Flores are in and will be read in court, one after the other, at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
A verdict has now been reached in the trial of both Paul and Ruben Flores. It will be read at 1:30 p.m.
The juries deliberating in the trial of the murder of Kristin Smart have now reached a verdict for both Ruben and Paul Flores.
Two juries are in deliberation in the Kristin Smart murder trial and will decide if Smart's former Cal Poly classmate and his father are responsible for her disappearance.
Two juries are in deliberation in the Kristin Smart murder trial and will decide if Smart's former Cal Poly classmate and his father are responsible for her disappearance.
The jury deliberating in the Kristin Smart murder trial has reached a verdict for Ruben Flores.
A verdict in the murder of Kristin Smart could be just days away. The court is taking a scheduled break until Thursday. Paul Flores is accused of raping and killing Smart after an off-campus at Cal Poly back in 1996. His father, Ruben, is charged with hiding her body, which has never been found. The men were tried together with separate juries. Both juries have to reach a verdict before either is announced.
The men are being tried together, but with separate juries. Paul is accused of killing a Kristin Smart, a Stockton woman. Ruben, his father, is accused of helping dispose of the victim's body, which has never been found.
A verdict is closer for the trial of two men accused in connection with the disappearance of Kristin Smart. Paul Flores’ jury has the case and is deliberating after closing arguments Monday.
Prosecutors say they've laid out evidence that shows Paul Flores killed Smart and buried her body in his father, Ruben's, backyard.
The two are accused of killing and hiding the body of Kirstin Smart in San Luis Obispo.
The trial was delayed after a juror emergency. Paul Flores is accused of killing Smart after an off-campus party. His father is accused of helping him dispose of Smart's body.
The eighth week of testimony began Monday as jurors heard from a witness who said Paul Flores admitted to killing Stockton teen and Cal Poly freshman Kristin Smart in 1996.
A witness took jurors back to 1996, after Cal Poly freshman and Stockton native Kristin Smart disappeared, to a social gathering where she met Paul Flores, who, she said, admitted to Smart's killing.
The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. near the 1700 block of Arden Way, police said.
The disclosure comes at a time of heightened concern over AI agents acting outside of human control.
The City of Stockton published its response to a scathing San Joaquin County civil grand jury report on Friday, promising a "governance reset."
President Trump moved to cancel almost $1 billion in spending that was approved by Congress, marking the second time his administration has employed a rarely used tactic that some lawmakers in both parties have called illegal.
Some popular recreation sites around Lake Tahoe could soon come with new fees as the U.S. Forest Service looks to address rising visitation and the cost of maintaining public lands.
The day has been recognized by California since 1998, but it has not been a regular paid holiday for most state workers.
City officials say the name reflects the plaza's history as a gathering place tied to labor, civic life and public events.
Two years after the death of their son Colby Tevis from Sacramento to a random act of gun violence, the grief is just as raw. His Mom asks people to light a virtual candle online in memory of her son.
The shooting happened around 3:30 p.m. near the 1700 block of Arden Way, police said.
New express lane signs are going up along the freeway, offering drivers a preview of a major change coming to the Yolo Causeway.
Two years after the death of their son Colby Tevis from Sacramento to a random act of gun violence, the grief is just as raw. His Mom asks people to light a virtual candle online in memory of her son.
Women's Empowerment is a Sacramento-area nonprofit celebrating 25 years of helping women and their children move out of homelessness and toward stability.
Mortgage rates have climbed above 7% for the first time in nearly two years, adding another hurdle for California homebuyers already facing high housing costs.
After nearly two decades, Azul Mexican Food and Tequila Bar announced this week that it will close its Midtown Sacramento location due to impacts from rising costs and declining business over the last two years.
City leaders recently approved more than $1 million in spending tied to the centennial celebration, which will include public events, a rock 'n' roll exhibition and a projection light show on the historic building.
The day has been recognized by California since 1998, but it has not been a regular paid holiday for most state workers.
The couple says their French bulldog, Cassie, was fatally injured after getting between one of them and the bear.
A California bill that would expand organized sports programs in state prisons is now on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk after receiving unanimous support from lawmakers.
A California Assembly bill that compels homeowners associations to set aside more money for future repairs could also sharply increase monthly HOA fees.
California Republican legislators are demanding an investigation into payments by state's high-speed rail project to consultants that a state watchdog last week called "wasteful and unallowable."
The NFL fined San Francisco 49ers All-Pro fullback Kyle Juszczyk for what it deemed an "offensive" celebration similar to one he had been doing for several years with no issues.
Bob Pettit was an All-American at LSU before going on to the NBA, where he was an All-Star for each of his 11 seasons, all with the Hawks. He led them to the 1958 championship over the mighty Boston Celtics, the Hawks' lone title.
Golden State (32-11) secured the No. 2 seed in the WNBA playoffs and will face seventh-seeded Dallas in a first-round series beginning on Sunday.
Donovan Walton hit a three-run homer and rookie Henry Bolte had his first four-hit game to help the Athletics beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 on Wednesday night.
Carla Leite made the tiebreaking basket with 1:57 left in overtime and then converted a three-point play with 26.5 seconds to play as the Portland Fire ended the season with a 90-82 victory over the Golden State Valkyries on Tuesday night.
President Trump moved to cancel almost $1 billion in spending that was approved by Congress, marking the second time his administration has employed a rarely used tactic that some lawmakers in both parties have called illegal.
The day has been recognized by California since 1998, but it has not been a regular paid holiday for most state workers.
With an unprecedented budget, ICE spent billions in a rush to expand its detention network, wasting millions in the process, the Government Accountability Office found.
Some units would "possibly [be] needed in 90-120 days," according to an internal Army message reviewed by CBS News.
A California bill that would expand organized sports programs in state prisons is now on Gov. Gavin Newsom's desk after receiving unanimous support from lawmakers.
Placer County has reported its first human case of West Nile virus this season as mosquito activity continues across the region and cases statewide have climbed to more than three times the number reported at this point last year.
The CDPH said an unvaccinated passenger who later was hospitalized with measles traveled around the country by train and bus, eventually moving through at least six California counties before heading to Denver, Colorado.
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, the largest affiliate in the country, launched a new lineup of services more than six months ago in Sacramento that they say is helping fill a critical funding gap: aesthetics.
Nearly half of Americans with medical debt owe at least $2,000, forcing them to make tough choices, new research shows.
For children facing cancer and other serious medical conditions, a hospital stay can be especially difficult. But at hospitals across Northern California, one familiar superhero is helping bring some joy to kids who need it most.
During the program's first year, it will be offered at about 65 to 75 hospitals that handle about a quarter of births in the state and largely serve low-income patients, Newsom's office said.
Fresh off their undefeated season and conference championship win, the women on the team are speaking out for the first time.
Finding the perfect dress isn't easy, but now, selling them could become a lot more challenging.
This weekend, Placer County is hosting its annual Sip Into Spring event, offering free or discounted tastings at more than 20 wineries along what's known as the Placer Wine Trail.
From fruits and veggies to car parts, economists project that businesses will pass along the cost of the tariffs to customers.
President Trump and Gov. Gavin Newsom have made several different claims about California gas prices. Here's what we found.
This year-long investigation provides an unprecedented look at California's one-party supermajority legislature through the eyes of grieving parents who discover how California lawmakers kill popular bills by not voting.
This year-long investigation by CBS News California investigative correspondent Julie Watts examines the many components of California's new tougher-on-crime law.
A Natomas mother demanded that her daughter be exhumed and cremated after a Sacramento cemetery moved her grave without telling the family.
The California Highway Patrol captain accused of workers' compensation fraud was the commander in charge of the fatal Mahaney Park shootout in Roseville, three officers who worked under him at the time of the shootout said.
CBS13 and the Call Kurtis consumer investigative team devised an idea on how to lower what consumers owe on their credit cards -- and it begins with a simple phone call.
No one wants to think about death. However, it's important to plan on what happens to your digital assets after you die.
After spending $18,000 on waterproof laminate floors, a Natomas couple spotted damage after the first cleaning.
More than a year after Hai Pham canceled the trial membership, he kept getting charged every month for it.
A Natomas mother demanded that her daughter be exhumed and cremated after a Sacramento cemetery moved her grave without telling the family.
The Dome Fire in California's Yosemite National Park has rapidly grown as firefighters work to slow the flames burning in steep terrain in Mariposa County.
The Lucas Fire burning in the Potter Valley area of Mendocino County, right at the Lake County border, has prompted an evacuation order.
Two firefighters were injured while battling a wildfire in California's Mariposa County that prompted evacuation orders and road closures.
An evacuation order for the Ross Fire in Calaveras County was downgraded as crews stopped the forward progress.
The evacuation order and warning were lifted for the Clover Fire in the Alta Sierra area in Nevada County on Friday afternoon.
Their message is simple: keep showing up, keep moving and keep your heart open, because sometimes, the person who changes your life is living right across the street.
A Sacramento County dog picked up thousands of miles from home after he went missing five years ago was reunited with his family on Wednesday.
What started as a suspicious circumstances call for Rancho Cordova police ended with a newborn surprise.
A once-empty lot behind Church of the Cross in north Modesto now hosts a thriving community garden with more than 140 plots and growers from across the globe.
A Sacramento-area middle school history and English teacher is in the running to win big as America's Favorite Teacher, a title her students think she is more than worthy of being awarded.
Carmela Karcher reports.
Here are the best plays from week 5 of Friday Gameday.
Sutter wins 19-7.
Antelope wins 25-13.
Manteca wins 19-0.