AUSTIN — Attorney General Ken Paxton’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit has identified the remains of Kristen Galvan, a Houston-area teenager who went missing in January 2020 after becoming a victim of human trafficking, according to a release from the Office of the Attorney General.
According to the release, the Office of the Attorney General’s Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit received a request for assistance from the Missouri City Police Department in November 2022 regarding unidentified human remains recovered on January 29, 2020. An autopsy and anthropological examination determined the victim was a female between 13 and 18 years old and the apparent victim of a homicide, the release states. The Missouri City Police Department attempted to identify the remains, but their condition prevented the development of a standard DNA profile, making advanced DNA testing necessary.
The release states the OAG Cold Case Unit worked with the University of North Texas to develop a mitochondrial DNA profile that provided investigators with initial leads. Because the case involved a juvenile, the unit partnered with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. According to the release, the Doe Network also assisted in the case, and its databases and volunteer-driven research were instrumental in identifying a possible connection to Galvan, though further advanced testing was still required to confirm the finding.
Over the past year, the release states, the OAG Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children collaborated extensively, and advanced forensic investigative genetic genealogy work conducted with Bode Technology and Astrea Forensics resulted in the positive identification of the victim as Kristen Galvan. According to the release, Galvan went missing from Montgomery County and was 15 years old at the time of her disappearance.
Paxton, in a statement included in the release, said he launched the Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit to secure justice for victims and provide closure to families affected by violent crime. He asked Texans to keep Galvan’s family in their thoughts during this time and said his office will continue working with agencies and law enforcement across the state on behalf of victims and their loved ones.
The release states that specific case details cannot be released at this time due to the open and ongoing criminal investigation. Anyone with information regarding Kristen Galvan is encouraged to contact the OAG Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit at [email protected]. Anonymous tips are welcome.
