Paul Flores guilty in murder of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart; his father acquitted
UPDATE: Friday, May 8, 2014 (6:57 AM)
Cal Poly student Kristin Marie Smart’s father says that he is “proud” of the way she was treated by police and the district attorney after she was killed by her ex-boyfriend.
Cal Poly student Kristin Smart’s father is “proud” of how she was treated after his daughter died earlier this month. On Twitter, he’s using the hashtag #MyDaughter.
A jury acquitted Sergio Flores, 28, Friday of first-degree murder and sentenced him to life in prison without parole. Two witnesses testified that Flores threatened Smart, but prosecutors said they could not disprove Flores’ claim that she attacked him and fought back.
The ruling ends one of the most violent cases in the county’s history. Smart, 19, was declared brain dead and died while in the hospital on May 2. A lawsuit filed by Flores alleges Smart was repeatedly drugged, beaten and strangled. He said he thought his girlfriend, a former high school teacher, killed her in self-defense.
Friday’s verdict was reached after two days of deliberations.
Flores, who has maintained his innocence, was represented by his father, Ray Flores, a former Cal Poly student.
Kristin’s father, David Smart, said in a post on Twitter that the verdict was “a great step for my family and for so many communities.”
“This verdict is the result of a great team of lawyers, a great team of investigators, and a great team of jurors,” Smart’s mother, Michelle Ann Smart, told FOX31. “We are extremely happy with the verdict.”
The verdict, however, came as a disappointment for Flores, who has been jailed since April 26 on a $1 million bond after being charged with murder.
In the days before his hearing, Flores held a rally at his father’s home at about 8 a.m. Friday morning to celebrate the verdict.
It was at the rally that Sergio Flores was given the news that the jury had convicted