Kristin Smart‘s loved ones have shared their thoughts.
On Oct. 18, a jury found Paul Flores guilty of first-degree murder in the case of Kristin’s 1996 disappearance. A separate jury found Paul’s father, Ruben Flores, not guilty of being an accessory to her murder.
Following these decisions, Kristin’s family expressed their feelings towards the split verdict.”Without Kristin, there is no joy or victory with this verdict, we all know it did not have to be this way,” they said in a statement to E! News. “We will never be able to hear Kristin’s engaging laughter or revel in her embrace. Her hopes and dreams will never be realized; no form of justice can bring these back.”
The family also thanked Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle and District Attorney Dan Dow, amongst others, for helping them in their “quest for justice.”
“We appreciate and we are beyond grateful for the diligence of both juries and our faith in the justice system has been renewed by knowing the man who took Kristin’s life will no longer be free to abuse another family or victim,” they said, adding that the trial “has been an agonizingly long journey with more downs than ups.”