A California judge ruled Monday that a man convicted of killing 19-year-old college student Kristin Smart in 1996 must pay just over $350,000 to her family for costs they incurred after her death.
"It's demeaning to Kristin's memory to measure our loss in finances," her mother Denise Smart told The Tribune of San Luis Obispo after Wednesday's hearing. "Our loss is Kristin." California courts require those convicted of crimes to compensate victims for the expenses that were caused, regardless of a defendant's ability to pay. The state corrections department collects 50% of prison wages and money deposited in convict's trust account to pay restitution.
A podcast called "Your Own Backyard" helped investigators crack the case by bringing forward additional witnesses. Flores and his father, Ruben Flores, were arrested in 2021.