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Paul Flores, 45, will face a sentence of 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced on Dec. 9, prosecutors said.

After Ms. Smart’s disappearance in 1996, the search for her ranged from remote areas of the campus to her dorm room in Muir Hall, where investigators found her wallet and reminders to turn in class work. A billboard seeking help in finding her was organized by her family. Paul Flores’s dorm room was searched and he was interviewed by investigators.

Ms. Smart’s family had their daughter declared legally dead in 2002.

Nearly two decades later, in 2021, the authorities described Paul Flores as a “prime suspect” and executed search warrants, including at his Los Angeles home. Investigators used dogs trained to detect human remains and ground-penetrating radar to search Ruben Flores’s property in Arroyo Grande, Calif.

Paul Flores was taken into custody at his home in Los Angeles on April 13, 2021, and was charged with murder during a rape or attempted rape. Ruben Flores was arrested at his home and charged with being an accessory after the fact.

Mr. Dow, the San Luis Obispo County district attorney, said at the time that Paul Flores had “caused the death” of Ms. Smart “while in the commission of, or attempted, rape.” Ruben Flores helped to hide her remains, he said.

The trials of Paul and Ruben Flores were not live-streamed, but local media organizations covered them intensively over the last three months.