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I'm Sidney.

We're following what is hopefully a major development in a cold case that has gripped the

central coast of California for nearly three decades.

Investigators in San Luis Obispo County have returned to a familiar

location in the ongoing search for the remains of Kristen Smart. On Wednesday, sheriff's

deputies executed a fresh search warrant at a home on East Branch Street in a Royal Grande.

This isn't just any property. Public records confirm it's the residence of

Susan Flores, the mother of Paul Flores, the man convicted just two years ago of murdering Kristen.

News of the raid was first broken by the Your Own Backyard Podcast, the investigative series

many credit with reviving interest in the case. The podcast creator, Chris Lambert,

noted that this kind of activity after a conviction suggests that investigators have stumbled

upon significant new information. It's a surprise. It's been, you know, three years since the trial

ended, and so obviously new evidence had to leave them here, and that's a good sign. Last time that

Susan's house was searched with ground penetrating radar, I believe was in 2000, so it's been

26 years. As Lambert mentioned, it's been decades since this property saw this level of scrutiny.

The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office took to Facebook to confirm the activity,

stating that a Superior Court judge signed off on the warrant. They were clear about the mission.

The department remains firmly committed to bringing Kristen home to her family.

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