Death of Kristen Galvan, who had disappeared at age 15, was confirmed after DNA matched with remains found in 2020
Kristen Galvan, a teen girl who went missing after being sex-trafficked in 2020, has been confirmed to have been murdered.
Galvan’s death was determined through a recent DNA testing of partial remains of a girl found under a bridge in Missouri City, Texas, three weeks after she disappeared at age 15, said Robyn Cory, her mother.
Cory has spent more than five years searching for her daughter, who was trafficked by Houston gang members after being groomed by them over Instagram. Her case generated significant media attention, including in the Guardian. While Kristen’s remains were discovered on 29 January 2020, they were classified as a “Jane Doe” by the authorities and not investigated as part of her missing person’s case.
A now-removed profile of the Jane Doe on the Department of Justice’s NamUs website – a national database of missing, unidentified and unclaimed people – described an unidentified girl believed to be between 12 and 18 years old. The listing included a forensic facial reconstruction image that strongly resembled Kristen, according to Cory.
