Partial human remains found in Missouri City more than six years ago have been identified as Kristen Galvan, a 15-year-old Spring teen who vanished in January 2020 after becoming a victim of sex trafficking.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit announced the identification Wednesday, July 29, calling Galvan's death an unsolved homicide. No arrests have been made, and authorities say the criminal investigation remains active.

Galvan, known as "Kiki" to her family, was last seen Thursday, Jan. 2, 2020, at a family member's home in Montgomery County. Her mother, Robyn Bennett, reported her missing from Spring after discovering phone records showing Galvan had been messaging people Bennett didn't recognize. Bennett believed her daughter was lured from the home by sex traffickers.

Twenty-seven days later, on Jan. 29, 2020, Missouri City police discovered unidentified partial human remains near a jogging trail. An autopsy determined the victim was female, between 13 and 18 years old, and a homicide victim. But the condition of the remains prevented investigators from developing a standard DNA profile.

It took more than two and a half years for Missouri City police to request help. In November 2022, the department formally contacted the AG's Cold Case Unit, which partnered with the University of North Texas to build a mitochondrial DNA profile.

That profile produced the first leads.

Because the case involved a juvenile, the unit also worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. In 2025, the Doe Network, a volunteer nonprofit that helps identify missing persons, used the DNA profile to connect the Missouri City remains to the missing Spring teen, according to Montgomery County Sheriff's Office cold case Detective Fadi Rizk, who spoke to ABC13 on Thursday, July 30.

"Yeah, yeah, it's a great feeling," Rizk told ABC13. "These things can span months or even years."

Advanced forensic genetic genealogy work conducted by Bode Technology and Astrea Forensics ultimately confirmed the positive identification.

Galvan was a member of her school's Junior ROTC and drill team. During the six years her daughter was missing, Bennett ran billboard campaigns, hired a private investigator, and advocated for safety changes along Houston's Bissonnet corridor, an area long associated with sex trafficking.

In a statement released Wednesday, July 29, through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Galvan's family said their hearts were shattered but they were grateful Kristen would finally be home. Bringing her home, the family said, allows them to lay her to rest with the love and dignity she deserved.

Authorities have not released specific case details because the investigation remains active. Anyone with information about Galvan's disappearance and death can contact the Texas AG's Cold Case and Missing Persons Unit at [email protected] or 512-936-0742. Anonymous tips are accepted.