The remains of a teenager who vanished from Montgomery County more than six years ago have been positively identified as Kristen "Kiki" Galvan, the Texas Attorney General's Office announced Tuesday, July 28.
Galvan was 15 years old when she disappeared in January 2020 after becoming a victim of human trafficking, according to the OAG Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit. She had been living at her grandmother's house in Spring, in Montgomery County, according to the Houston Chronicle.
Days later, on Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2020, Missouri City police recovered unidentified human remains near a jogging trail. An autopsy determined the victim was a female between 13 and 18 years old and the apparent victim of a homicide. But the condition of the remains prevented investigators from developing a standard DNA profile, and the case went cold.
How the identification happened
In November 2022, the Missouri City Police Department requested help from the OAG Cold Case Unit, which Attorney General Ken Paxton created in March 2021. The unit worked with the University of North Texas to develop a mitochondrial DNA profile that gave investigators initial leads.
Because the case involved a juvenile, the unit partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The Doe Network, a volunteer-driven organization that maintains databases of unidentified remains, helped connect the Missouri City remains to Galvan's disappearance.
Over the past year, the Cold Case Unit and NCMEC collaborated with Bode Technology and Astrea Forensics, using advanced forensic investigative genetic genealogy to confirm the remains belonged to Galvan.
Investigation remains open
No arrests have been announced. The OAG said specific case details cannot be released due to the open and ongoing criminal investigation.
"I launched my Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit to secure justice for victims and to provide closure to families whose lives have been forever changed by violent crime," Attorney General Paxton said in a statement Tuesday. "Right now, I ask every Texan to join me in praying for Kristen Galvan's family during this unimaginably difficult time."
Galvan's family released a statement through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, saying their hearts are shattered beyond words but expressing gratitude that their daughter will finally be home.
Galvan's mother, Robyn Cory, spent the years of her daughter's disappearance raising awareness of child sexual exploitation and advocating for safety changes along Houston's Bissonnet corridor, an area long associated with sex trafficking, according to the Dallas Express.
How to help
Anyone with information about Kristen Galvan's case can contact the OAG Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit at [email protected]. Anonymous tips are welcome.
