Sheriff: Investigators won’t leave Susan Flores property until search is complete
By Camille DeVaul · Fri May 08 2026
Positive soil testing for human decomposition confirmed during renewed search tied to Kristin Smart investigation
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY — The San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office held a press conference today, Friday, May 8 to address the ongoing search warrant happening at the home of Susan Flores on Branch Street in Arroyo Grande. SLO County Sheriff Ian Parkinson confirmed that until every inch they want to search and every lead is followed through on, they will not leave the property.
Parkinson also confirmed that until they are finished with their search at the home, Susans will not be allowed back onto the premise.
Susan is the mother of Paul Flores who is currently serving time for the murder of Kristin Smart back in 1996. Smart, a 19-year-old Cal Poly freshman, was reported missing in May 1996. After a 25-year investigation, Flores was arrested in 2021 and convicted of first-degree murder in October 2022. He was sentenced in March 2023 to 25 years to life in state prison.
Investigators previously searched the Arroyo Grande home of Ruben Flores in March 2021, where ground-penetrating radar revealed a 6-foot by 4-foot anomaly beneath a deck and soil samples later tested positive for human blood, leading to the arrests of Paul and Ruben Flores. Prosecutors have said they believe Kristin Smart’s remains were moved before that search.
Susan’s nearby property has also long drawn scrutiny, having been searched in 2000 and again in 2020, though the yard was never excavated. Suspicion surrounding the home dates back to 1997, when a tenant reported finding a turquoise earring in the yard and hearing a digital watch alarm sounding at 4:20 a.m. from the backyard, though neither clue led to a confirmed discovery. Susan Flores has lived at the home for years, along with her former partner, Mike McConville, who died in July 2025.
Parkinson did not put a timeline for how long the search warrant will take to complete but did confirm that the soil testing witnessed by media has come back with a positive result for human decomposition present on the property.
While Parkinson could that yes, some evidence or someone classified as a witness is what brought forward new reason to return to the property, he cannot comment further on specifics.
At this time, Parkinson says that Susan remains a person of interest but is not barred from leaving the area.
This is a developing story. Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
Feature Image by Camille DeVaul/PRP