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The family of Kristen Galvan, a 15-year-old from Houston who was sexually exploited and murdered, has accused authorities of failing to protect her at critical moments. Her mother, Robyn Cory, contends that law enforcement did not provide adequate safeguards after her daughter cooperated with investigators by providing statements against her traffickers. Additionally, the family points to the lengthy delay in identifying her remains as another systemic failure.
Officials from the Texas attorney general’s office confirmed on July 28 that Kristen’s remains had been definitively identified through advanced DNA analysis. The partial remains, including skull fragments, clothing, and jewelry, were discovered in January 2020 beneath a bridge near a jogging path in Missouri City, approximately 10 miles from Houston. However, it took more than six years of testing to positively confirm her identity. Authorities have indicated that her homicide investigation remains active, though the majority of her body has never been located.
Cory emphasized that her daughter was bound, beaten, and stabbed to death. She expressed frustration that despite requesting assistance from Houston police just two months before Kristen’s death, her family received no witness protection measures. Experts and investigators familiar with trafficking cases have stated that safeguarding victims with gang connections represents standard practice in law enforcement. A private investigator involved in the case echoed the family’s sentiment, suggesting that treating Kristen as an endangered trafficking victim rather than a runaway might have prevented her murder.
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Originally reported by Theguardian →
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