San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s forensics specialist called to the stand during Kristin Smart murder trial
SALINAS, Calif. – The Kristin Smart murder trial continued in a Salinas courtroom on Wednesday with a forensics specialist from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office taking the stand.
Paul Flores is accused of killing Smart, who was a 19-year-old Cal Poly student at the time of her disappearance in May 1996, because he was reportedly the last one to see her alive after an off-campus party that spring. Paul's father, Ruben Flores, is charged as an accessory to the crime.
The hearing on Wednesday got off to a late start as the court was delayed because one of the scheduled witnesses was sick.
When the court resumed session, forensics specialist Shelby Liddell took the stand and for about 90 minutes answered questions by prosecuting attorney Chris Peuvrelle about who went over details regarding the two searches she participated in at Ruben Flores' home.
The first search of Ruben Flores' Arroyo Grande home took place on March 15 and 16, 2021, and the second search happened a few weeks later on April 13 and 14, 2021.
Liddell described the methods detectives used during the March search to obtain soil samples from underneath the deck of the home, including using a grid pattern to separate collections.
During an excavation on March 16, 2021, at a site that was labeled “Grid 1, Excavation 2,” Liddell said at about two feet down in the dirt, detectives “started noticing changes in the color of the soil that looked like staining.”
Once detectives noticed the staining, digging was paused while Liddell dug out a soil sample that was collected for evidence.
Soon after, once digging resumed, more staining was seen in the dirt.
During her testimony, Peuvrelle displayed dozens of photos taken at the excavation site, showing the staining in the dirt.
Later, Liddell was asked about search conducted on a white trailer parked on the Ruben Flores property.
She described the cargo trailer as cluttered, filled with items such as tools, boxes, paperwork, file cabinets, and storage racks. The trailer was then towed by the Sheriff's Office crime lab to be further searched for evidence, she added.
A chemical called "Blue Star" was applied to the surface after the floor was cleared of the items, and Puevrelle asked Liddell to describe the chemical. She said it was a chemical that reacts to blood, creating a blue glow if it determines a presence.
It was sprayed into the floor of the trailer and a positive reaction was determined, as shown in photos on the overhead projector.
Liddell noted that Blue Star sometimes reacts to other agents besides blood, including certain cleaning products and animals on occasion, though it reacts slightly differently.
A portion of the trailer floor where the positive Blue Star reaction was found was cut out by detectives for further lab analysis, Liddell said.
Peuvrelle ended his questioning just before noon and the court recessed for lunch.
News Channel 3-12 has a crew at the courthouse. This story will be updated throughout the day.
