The investigation continued over the years, even after the initial panic subsided. Amateur sleuths took up the case as well, chat rooms and message boards giving way to social media and Reddit threads. The most notable deep dive of late came courtesy of musician Chris Lambert‘s 2019-2020 podcast You Own Backyard, seemingly a nod both to the proximity of the crime to where he grew up and authorities’ suspicion that Paul had buried Kristin close to home.

The result, however, was always the same frustrating dead end, that Kristin’s killer was out there and it was no secret as to whom the police suspected, but there were no arrests and no charges.

“Because of inconsistencies between his activities and claimed activities during this period, we believe that he has additional knowledge about what occurred, and he’s a suspect in the case,” Sgt. Bill WammockThe San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department informed the ExaminerPaul Flores in 1998, was called. We don’t know what happened, so this has been frustrating for our parents.

Kristin died in 2002. 2005, Sgt. Brian HascallPaul was deemed an “active suspect”, and the investigation is “open and active.”

The Conversation LA Times in 2006, 10 years after Kristin disappeared, Stan said, “Nothing really has changed. The truth is, I am still angry about the circumstances. I’m also a wreck emotionally sometimes. It hasn’t been solved. “We haven’t resolved any issues about where our daughter is and what has happened to her.”