After 25 long years, justice has been served for the family of Kristin Smart. Paul Flores, the man convicted of killing her in 1996, has been sentenced to life in prison. The sentencing hearing took place on Friday, where the judge handed down the maximum sentence of 25 years to life.

Kristin Smart was a 19-year-old college student at California Polytechnic State University when she disappeared after a party on campus. Her family and friends searched for her relentlessly, but to no avail. It wasn’t until 2020 that Flores was finally arrested and charged with her murder.

During the trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Flores was the last person to be seen with Smart and that he had transported her body to a remote location where it has never been found. Flores has maintained his innocence throughout the trial, but the jury found him guilty of murder.

The sentencing hearing was emotional, with Smart’s family members reading victim impact statements and expressing their pain and grief over losing their loved one. Many spoke of the trauma they have experienced over the past 25 years and the importance of justice being served.

Smart’s mother, Denise, spoke to the media after the hearing and expressed her gratitude for the justice that has been served. She said, “The verdict and the sentencing won’t bring our daughter back, but it will help us to finally find some closure and to move on with our lives.”

The sentencing of Paul Flores has brought closure to the Smart family and justice to Kristin. It is a reminder that no matter how long it takes, the perpetrators of heinous crimes will be held accountable for their actions.