ELWOOD, Neb. (KSNB) – An Elwood woman charged for an alleged murder-for-hire plot is headed to trial court.
39-year-old Valerie Miller is charged with five counts of attempted murder, murder conspiracy, and terroristic threats. On Tuesday Miller waived a probable cause hearing and her case was transferred to Gosper County District Court. Her next hearing is November 14th.
According to the court records, Miller ultimately agreed with the agent and they allegedly made a deal that he would only carry out two murders, on her ex-husband’s girlfriend and the girlfriend’s adult son, for a total of $2,000.
The agent asked for a down payment, to which documents said Miller responded she had no extra money and she would pay them at the end of the week, the investigator states in the affidavit.
Miller then left the parking lot and was pulled over a few minutes later by three NSP-marked vehicles.
Bounty hunters will have to be licensed, trained and registered in California under a bill signed into law Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.
AB 2043 passed both houses of the state Legislature on Aug. 25.
While the department regulates the state’s bail industry and requires bail agents to be licensed, it had not required bounty hunters, often called bail fugitive recovery persons, to be similarly licensed.
At the time, bounty hunters were only required to have proof that they had completed certain classes and had not been convicted of a felony.
A jury on Tuesday found Paul Flores guilty of first-degree murder in the disappearance of Cal Poly student Kristin Smart more than 26 years ago.
The verdict for his father, Ruben Flores, is expected to be read at 2 p.m. Tuesday. The court is currently waiting on one of Ruben’s jurors to arrive.
Paul Flores did not react when the guilty verdict came down. His father, who was seated directly behind him, also didn’t react to the verdict.
Several of Kristin’s family members were also inside the courtroom. Her mother and sister cried for several minutes after the reading of the verdict. Kristin’s father and brother appeared relieved.
Susan Flores, Paul’s mother, was not in the courtroom for the verdict.
While Ruben’s jury delivered their sealed verdict to Judge Jennifer O’Keefe late Monday morning, Paul’s jury took nearly two weeks to finalize a decision, although jurors did not deliberate every day. null
Closing arguments in their case wrapped up the first week of October and two teams of 12 jurors began deliberating separately after that.
Paul Flores and his father, Ruben, were arrested on the morning of April 13, 2021, at their separate homes in connection with the May 1996 disappearance of Kristin Smart.
Paul, 45, was charged with first-degree murder. Authorities alleged he killed the 19-year-old Cal Poly freshman while trying to rape her. Witnesses said Paul Flores was the last person to be seen with Kristin Smart prior to her disappearance.
Ruben Flores, 81, was charged with accessory after the fact, accused of helping cover up the alleged crime. He posted $50,000 bond shortly after his arrest and was released from custody. Paul was denied bail and remained in custody.
The prosecution told jurors during closing arguments that the evidence is clear and shows Kristin Smart is dead and was killed by Paul Flores; however, the defense argued that the case is straightforward and there is no evidence of a murder.
