Kristin Smart Convicted Killer Attacked in Prison

Paul Flores, the man convicted of murdering California college student Kristin Smart in 2001, was attacked by another inmate at Salinas Valley State Prison on Wednesday, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation [1].

Flores was reportedly stabbed multiple times in the chest and back. He was taken to a local hospital for treatment but is expected to survive. The other inmate involved in the attack has been identified but his name has not been released.

Smart’s disappearance in 1999 while she was a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo made headlines nationwide. Her body was never found, but Flores was convicted of her murder in 2022 based on circumstantial evidence. He is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The attack on Flores is the latest in a series of violent incidents at Salinas Valley State Prison. In 2021, two inmates were killed and 11 others were injured in a riot. The prison has been plagued by overcrowding and understaffing for years.

The attack on Flores is a reminder of the dangers faced by inmates and staff at California’s prisons. It is also a stain on the state’s criminal justice system, which has been struggling to keep up with the growing prison population.