A California judge approved a motion Friday to delay the Dec. 9 sentencing for Paul Flores, who was convicted in October of killing college student Kristin Smart in 1996, according to reports.
San Luis Obispo County Judge Jennifer O’Keefe granted the defense motion in a Monterey Bay courtroom. The new March 10, 2023, sentencing date came after defense lawyers requested the change in an effort to review transcripts of the trial for preparations to file a future motion for a new trial, KEYT.com reported.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office but has not heard back.
Prosecutor Chris Puervelle puts a slide on a projection screen as defense attorney Paul Sanger, left, and defendant Paul Flores look on in Monterey County Superior Court during the Kristin Smart murder trial. The Dec. 9 sentencing date for Flores has been pushed back until 2023.
(Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
In October, a jury found Flores guilty of killing Smart, who was a 19-year-old college student at California Polytechnic State University in 1996 when she vanished after an off-campus party, investigators said. More than 26 years later, Paul Flores – the man who was last seen with Smart – and his father have stood trial for months.
Another jury found Paul’s father Ruben Flores not guilty of helping his son conceal the crime.
Prosecutors said Paul Flores killed Smart in his dormitory room while he tried to rape her when they were both freshmen. The disappearance prompted a massive search. They argued Ruben Flores helped his son bury Smart’s body under the deck behind his Arroyo Grande home – and then later dug up her remains when law enforcement returned decades later.
Smart’s body has never been found.
Paul Flores, left, had his sentencing for killing Kristin Smart, center, pushed back from Dec. 9.
(FBI via AP)
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Defense attorneys had previously tried to suggest that Smart ran away to Hawaii or that there were other suspects – including convicted murderer Scott Peterson, who attended the university at the same time.
Those arguments were barred from being mentioned during the trial.
Fox News’ Stephanie Pagones contributed to this report.
