Jurors in Kristin Smart case cry at sight of stain beneath Ruben Flores’ deck

Jurors hearing the Kristin Smart murder trial against Paul Flores became emotional Thursday when viewing photos underneath his father’s deck, according to Mustang News.

The prosecution believes Smart’s body was once buried beneath Ruben Flores’ deck before being moved to another location.

Witness testimony on Wednesday included archaeologist Phillip Hanes, who specializes in ground-penetrating radar, Mustang News reported.

Hanes testified in Monterey County Superior Court he and his colleague discovered a soil anomaly underneath the deck that suggested the area had been dug out and refilled.

The area was 4 feet by 6 feet, with a depth of 3.5 to 4 feet — a size Hanes said is consistent with other burials he’s seen in his career.

Cindy Arrington, an archaeologist who specializes in human remains, took the stand Thursday morning, Mustang News reported. She has a background in working with crime labs and on burial recovery projects.

Jurors cry at sight of stain underneath Flores deck

Arrington testified that when looking for human remains, “one of the first things that appears is a stain.” She said liquids spread out horizontally and vertically around the skeletal remains and usually take more of an oval shape around the body.

Arrington worked with Hanes during the March 2021 search with ground-penetrating radar. She too testified the soil anomaly the two found underneath the deck looked like it had been disrupted.

As San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s deputies excavated the site, Arrington noticed “staining anomalies” that “shouldn’t be in the soil,” she said.

Showing a photo of the stain to the juries, San Luis Obispo County Deputy District Attorney Chris Peuvrelle asked Arrington what conclusions she could draw from the stains.

Arrington said it was an “area that needed to be very carefully examined. Fluid had leaked likely from decomposition. We have an irregular pattern where the soil is darker than the soil within it and out of it. This fluid has leaked into the soil slowly over time, not quickly or the lines would be thicker.”

At this point, one of Paul Flores’ jurors became emotional, loudly sobbing, Mustang News reported. Three other jurors also had been crying, using tissues to wipe their tears.

The court broke early for lunch, and Arrington’s testimony was set to resume at 1:30 p.m.