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Judge Orders Flores to Pay $350K, Waives If Body Found

5/11/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Investigators believe remains were once present at Susan Flores’s Arroyo Grande home, mother of killer Paul Flores.
The sheriff’s office’s San Luis Obispo County radar found no remains but detected compounds linked to a body.
District Attorney Dan Dow pledged coordination to locate Kristin Smart’s remains.
A 2024 court ordered Paul Flores to pay $350,000 to the Smart family, waived if he disclosed the body’s location.

History

Historical Context

In September 1994 President Bill Clinton signed the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, a 356-page bill that created a mandatory restitution provision for homicide victims’ families. In 2024 San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney Dan Dow used that provision, demanding Paul Flores pay $350,000 for revealing Kristin Smart’s remains, showing the law’s lasting leverage.

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Story summary

Investigators believe remains were once present at Susan Flores’s Arroyo Grande home, mother of killer Paul Flores.
The sheriff’s office’s San Luis Obispo County radar found no remains but detected compounds linked to a body.
District Attorney Dan Dow pledged coordination to locate Kristin Smart’s remains.
A 2024 court ordered Paul Flores to pay $350,000 to the Smart family, waived if he disclosed the body’s location.

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