Paso Robles man found guilty of murdering hairstylist who was missing for months

Chloe Jones
·1 min read
Carlo Fuentes Flores listens to translation in court during his preliminary hearing on Sept. 9, 2020. He is accused of killing Paso Robles hair stylist Nancy Woodrum, who was missing for months in 2018. Deputy DA Christopher Peuvrelle is in the foreground.

A man accused of murdering a Paso Robles woman — whose disappearance sparked a massive, months-long missing persons search in 2018 — was found guilty Thursday, according to a news release from the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s office.

Carlo Fuentes Flores, 45, was convicted of murdering 62-year-old hairstylist Nancy Woodrum in May 2018 by San Luis Obispo County Superior Court Judge Timothy Covello.

According to the release, Flores waived his right to a jury trial.

Covello also found the murder occurred during a rape or attempted rape, according to the release.

Woodrum went missing on May 5, 2018, sparking a months-long missing persons investigation.

Flores was identified as a suspect in November 2018 and confessed to the crime after a lengthy interview with investigators. He led investigators to Woodrum’s remains in a secluded area off Highway 58 in a rural eastern part of the county.

The District Attorney’s Office announced in October 2019 that Flores would not face the death penalty if found guilty of the murder.

“This conviction will not bring Nancy Woodrum back, nor will it lessen the grief of her loved ones,” District Attorney Dan Dow said in the release. “This is however a critical step towards achieving an appropriate punishment for the predator who is responsible for her brutal murder.”

He added: “Our hearts remain with the Woodrum family and her loved ones who are suffering the pain of her loss.”