Kristin Smart's killer, Paul Flores, has been moved to a new prison for safety reasons.
The move comes after Flores was attacked twice at Pleasant Valley State Prison in Coalinga.
In August 2023, Flores was reportedly slashed in the neck by a fellow inmate. In April of this year, prison staff reportedly witnessed another inmate stabbing Flores in the recreation yard.
Following both incidents, Flores was treated for his injuries and returned to the prison.
Shortly after the April attack, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials said Flores was being considered for placement in a Protective Housing Unit.
According to his attorney, Harold Mesick, Flores was moved to Corcoran State Prison on June 6.
On Tuesday, a CDCR representative told KSBY, "CDCR's top priority is the safety and security of the people who live and work in its institutions. Paul Flores was reviewed for, and granted placement in a Protective Housing Unit in an alternate institution after being attacked several times since his admission to state prison. The last attack occurred on April 10, 2024 – no additional attacks have occurred since."
Mesick says he has not spoken to Flores yet about the move but he expects to speak to him on Wednesday during Flores' restitution hearing in Monterey County Superior Court.
Flores was initially placed at Pleasant Valley State Prison last August to begin serving his 25 years-to-life sentence for Smart's murder.
Flores and Smart were both students at Cal Poly at the time of Smart's disappearance in 1996. Nearly 25 years later, Flores was arrested and charged with her murder. He was convicted in October 2022, following a lengthy trial. Smart's body has never been found.
