Closing arguments began in the Kristin Smart murder trial

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Closing arguments began in the Kristin Smart murder trial on Monday after weeks of testimony from witnesses, detectives, archeology and forensic experts. Prosecutors are also telling jurors to take into consideration the women who accused Paul Flores of drugging and raping them.

Chris Peuvrelle, prosecutor with the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's office began opening statements on Monday morning.

"It's been 1,370 Sundays since Stan and Denise Smart have waited for a call from Kristin Smart," said Peuvrelle as he thanked the jury for their patience and sacrifice on weekends.

Peuvrelle recapped all of the testimony from people who attended the off-campus party near Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

He told the jury how Paul Flores hunted Kristin Smart.

"The truth is Kristine Smart is dead, there is no question she’s dead. Evidence shows she was murdered."

Jurors are being asked by prosecutors to determine whether Paul murdered Smart while he committed rape or attempted to rape Smart. Or, whether Paul Flores had the intent to kill in the first degree.

Prosecutors replayed the initial interview with a young Paul Flores from May of 1996 where he is heard changing his account of events surrounding his black eye.

“I don’t know of the lies, it’s not really lies, it’s so mynute, I guess you can call it little white lies”

In is interview with with detectives Paul claims he didn’t even know her name or anything about Kristin, when Cheryl Anderson had said Flores had promised to get Kristin to her dorm room. Tim Anderson also corroborated Cheryl's story about Flores inserting himself and volunteering to help get an unconscious girl home.

Peauvrelle revisited testimony surrounding the four cadaver dogs at the campus and how they detected the odor of a decomposing body.

A lot of the evidence revisited in closing statements surrounded the disturbed dirt at Ruben Flores' property in Arroyo Grande: 710 White Court.

According to archeologist specializing in ground penetrating radar dug up under the deck and found dark stain consistent with human decomposition.

The theory is that sometime between 2020 and 2021 the remains of Kristin Smart were moved.

Under the property detectives found a possible gave with the exact divisions for a body the size of Smarts.

Stratigraphy is distrurbed means the soil has been dug up - only explanation — a hole was dug and the item was taken out. 

HemDirect Binary test showed there was positive for human blood. - either blood there or not 

Update: 2:00 p.m. After lunch, the jury returned into the courtroom to wrap up closing arguments by prosecutors. A image of a woman who was gaged with a red ball in her month was shown. The picture of the unconscious woman was said to be found on Paul Flores' computer. Prosecutors described Paul Flores as a predator who was accused by more than one woman of raping them.

Robert Sanger addressed the jury after lunch and began his closing argument by reminding everyone that the case needs to be determined on the facts and the law and not conspiracy theories.

"The evidence you have is really absent. There is no evidence of a murder. Mr. Chris Peuvrelle is required to prove there was a murder by law," said Sanger.