The family and friends of Kristin Smart gathered at Kristin’s Point of Hope in Shell Beach on Wednesday evening to celebrate her upcoming birthday.
“Kristin was born on the 20th, and Kristin would be 49 this year,” said Therese Zron, a friend of Denise Smart.
The milestone is a bittersweet one. In May, it will have been 30 years since her disappearance.
Since 2017, the Jam Fam group, along with Smart’s loved ones, have gathered at Kristin’s Point of Hope to play her favorite songs.
Family friend Karen Murphy said the ongoing support from local residents means a lot.
“This community is just unbelievable in their support and their inclusion,” said Murphy. “They make you feel loved.”
For years, Smart’s family lived without answers. In 2002, she was declared legally dead. Twenty years later, in 2022, Paul Flores was found guilty of first degree murder in her death. Kristin Smart’s body has never been found.
“I think it’s so important to know that music heals,” Zron said. “We will always sing for her. We’ve done this since 2017 and we are not going to stop until she is brought home.”
