They say time can heal all wounds but when one's left with a hanging case that altered a life's course, there's no peace of mind possible until answers creep in. After 20 years, the FBI decided to renew search for any traces of a California Polytechnic State University student who had gone missing on May 25, 1996.
In 1996, Kristin Smart was a freshman at California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly). It was the start of that year's Memorial day celebrations and like any other student, Smart went out to party.
According to People, Smart called her parents on May 24, 1996 and informed them she was going to party with friends. After a night of partying, she was too intoxicated to go back to her dorm alone as to why her friends, Cheryl Anderson and Paul Flores volunteered to walk her back. Anderson went home first and Flores was the last person seen with Smart.
The following day, Smart's friend contacted campus police when the Cal Poly freshman did not show up for lunch. Even then, the police only began investigation on Tuesday when classes had already started.
Accusations were hurled against Flores and he was questioned by authorities. Still, he was never indicted with any charges because no concrete evidence had been established against him.
Twenty years after and the Kristin Smart case was breathed new life into when the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office and FBI began excavating last Wednesday an area of the Cal Poly campus. They searched through three sites and found 'items of interest' on the location closest to Smart's dormitory, via NBC News.
Th search was timed to avoid students who will be back in school on Sept. 22. Police are still unsure where the recovered items may lead them, but they are hopeful that in the end, they will find "Kristin or evidence of Kristin."
As per The Washington Post, 25 FBI agents and around 15 members of the sheriff's office would search through 20,000 cubic feet of Cal Poly's campus hillside area. The excavation was instigated by a development of a lead that Smart's remains may be buried near or at the said sites.
This is not the first time that investigators have searched for remains or clues of Kristin Smart. As early as June 29-30, 1996, 400 people had volunteered for a massive campus search. Trained dogs were sent to different sites to smell the scent of Smart's remains.
From that time to 2007, authorities have already conducted searches at Paul Flores' dormitory, Flores' parents home in Arroyo Grande, a Huasna area, and Cal Poly's Student Academic Services Building. All searches led to no evidence of Smart that may have moved the case forward.
Although Kristin Smart was already pronounced dead in 2002, her family has remained hopeful for answers. They are constantly praying that a person of interest may emerge as responsible for their daughter's disappearance.
It has already been 20 years and the Kristin Smart case remains unsolved. What do you think are the investigators doing wrong? Sound off your thoughts in the comments section and follow Parent Herald for more news and updates.
