A break in a 25-year-old case has resulted in the arrest of two individuals earlier this week. One of the subjects had been on the authorities’ radar since the start of the case and was labeled a person of interest early on. Through new evidence and the help of a podcast, the case which has spanned nearly a quarter of a century is finally closed.

Kristin Smart was just a college freshman when she disappeared from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo on May 25, 1995. Smart had attended an off-campus party that night and was last seen during the early hours of the 25th. Paul Flores, a classmate of Smart’s, was the last person to be seen with the girl after reports he walked her to her dorm room after the party was over.

On Tuesday, authorities broke the news that they had arrested Flores, now 44, for the murder of the Smart. Authorities also arrested Flores’ father, Ruben Flores, 80, as an accessory to the crime. Authorities accuse Flores of having caused Smart’s death after an attempted rape. His father is accused of helping his son conceal Smart’s body after she was murdered. After 25 years of searching, police have yet to find Smart’s remains.

The Smart family released a statement on Tuesday in which they expressed, "For over twenty-four years, we have waited for this bittersweet day. It is impossible to put into words what this day means for our family; we pray it is the first step to bringing our daughter home."

Throughout the nearly quarter of a century, the family and authorities have managed to keep the case alive and in the eyes of the public. Throughout the years authorities have been looking for Smart, the remote areas of Cal Poly State were searched along with more recent searches of Paul Flores’ home. In March 2021, authorities also searched Reuben Flores’ home, digging around the home and mapping the ground floor for any evidence or remains.

The San Luis Obispo sheriff's office credits a local true-crime podcaster for his role in helping to solve the case as well. Chris Lambert, the founder of the podcast Your Own Backyard, has dedicated much of his time to reviewing the details of the case. Lambert is from the area Smart disappeared and took a personal interest in the case.

In his podcast, Lambert interviewed individuals whom detectives had not yet spoken to. His interviews caught the attention of the sheriff's office, and in 2019 when detectives were given the names of new witnesses in the case, enough information was unearthed leading to enough evidence to charge Flores for Smart’s death.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Ian Parkinson explained to a local news outlet FOX40 of the arrest “New evidence, new witnesses," adding, "sheriff’s detectives secured a court order authorizing the interception and monitoring of Paul Flores’ cell phone and text messages.”

The sheriff's office has been slowly forthcoming with details of the evidence that led to Flores’ arrest. Parkinson explains that since he joined the sheriff's office in 2011, he vowed to keep the case alive. He has since executed 41 search warrants, conducted searches in at least 16 locations, recovered 193 samples of physical evidence, and conducted 178 interviews of both past and new witnesses. Both Flores men are set to make their first appearance in court today.