An appeals court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction for Kristin Smart's killer following an appeal hearing in his case earlier this month.
The appeal filed by Paul Flores was heard in Ventura on Oct. 9.
In an unpublished opinion dated Oct. 24, the disposition states the judgment in Flores’ case is affirmed, meaning the higher court upholds the lower court’s ruling and he’ll continue serving out his sentence.
WATCH: Paul Flores' appeal heard in Ventura County
It’s been three years since Flores’ was found guilty of the Cal Poly freshman’s murder in 1996. While her body has never been found, Smart was declared legally dead in 2002.
The appeal filed earlier this year argued Flores did not receive a fair trial in Monterey County in 2022.
Court documents show he was asking that his first-degree murder conviction be overturned or reduced to second-degree murder.
The documents cite alleged errors during trial and "reversible misconduct."
After submitting 75 pages to the Court of Appeals, Flores’ court-appointed attorney appeared via Zoom during the appeal hearing, arguing why he believes the trial was marred back in 2022.
The latest court documents recap background on the case before going over various arguments surrounding the appeal.
In all seven points, the court lists reasons why Flores’ arguments for an appeal are invalid and the ruling should be upheld.
That includes a juror Flores said should have been dismissed, evidence he feels should not have been allowed during trial, alleged prosecutorial misconduct, no substantial evidence of first-degree murder and more.
Flores, 49, was not present for the hearing and remains in custody at Corcoran State Prison in the San Joaquin Valley.
For more on the court's recent ruling, click here.
The judges who heard the appeal had up to 90 days to issue an opinion on it, but did so in just over two weeks.
Flores remained a person of interest for years in the Cal Poly freshman's 1996 disappearance before his 2021 arrest and conviction the following year.
His father, Ruben, was tried alongside his son, but was found not guilty by a separate jury.
