California Cold Case Detectives Serve Search Warrant In Kenmore

KENMORE, WA — Detectives with the King County Major Crimes Unit assisted California authorities Wednesday morning, helping serve a search warrant in Kenmore related to the 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart. The 19-year-old college student vanished nearly 25 years ago while walking home from a party in San Luis Obispo. Investigators said she was last seen with a classmate named Paul Flores. He was never arrested or charged in connection with the case.

Authorities said four search warrants were served simultaneously Wednesday morning at properties linked to Flores in California and Washington.

"Due to the high-profile nature of the investigation into the disappearance and whereabouts of Kristin Smart and to avoid the dissemination of misinformation, the Sheriff's Office is announcing this morning it has served search warrants for specific items of evidence inside four separate locations in California and Washington," Tony Cipolla of the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.

A spokesman for the King County Sheriff's Office could not disclose details on the Kenmore operation, except to confirm a warrant was served in the city around 7 a.m. Wednesday. The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office also declined to provide details, citing sealed search warrants.

"As a result, we are precluded by law from disclosing any further details about them. This is an active and on-going investigation," Cipolla said. "The Sheriff's Office will not be commenting any further and no additional information will be released at this time, nor do we anticipate any additional news releases regarding this investigation."

In the years following her disappearance, the Smart case has been the subject of several podcasts and a relentless effort by her mother to get justice. According to the Sacramento Bee, investigators have served at least 18 search warrants, submitted dozens of items for DNA testing and interviewed almost 100 people in the case since 2011.