Tragic Confirmation: Trafficked Texas Teen Murdered After Years of Uncertainty
The heartbreaking case of a missing Texas teenager has reached a devastating conclusion with authorities confirming that Kristen Galvan, who disappeared at age 15 after being sex-trafficked, was murdered. Her partial remains were discovered under a bridge in Missouri City, Texas, just three weeks after she vanished in January 2020, yet they remained unidentified for over five years despite her mother's relentless search.
DNA Testing Finally Provides Answers After Prolonged Delay
Kristen's mother, Robyn Cory, received confirmation in August 2025 that mitochondrial DNA testing proved the remains were her daughter's. Shockingly, the DNA from the body wasn't tested until July 2025, despite the remains being found in early 2020. Police initially classified the discovery as a "Jane Doe" case and didn't connect it to Kristen's disappearance, even when Cory raised concerns about a forensic facial reconstruction on a national missing persons database that strongly resembled her daughter.
"She's been hidden in plain sight the whole time," Cory stated emotionally. "No parent should have to solve their own daughter's case." Authorities asked Cory to keep the DNA match confidential for several months while they continued investigating the circumstances surrounding Kristen's death.
Instagram Grooming Led to Trafficking by Houston Gang
The tragedy began in 2019 when gang members identified Kristen as a target through a scout at her school. They systematically groomed her through Instagram, bombarding the teenager with flattering comments and party invitations. The gang eventually lured her from her family home, beginning a cycle of exploitation that would ultimately claim her life.
"If Instagram didn't exist, it wouldn't have happened," Cory reflected on the social media platform's role in her daughter's trafficking. Court documents from the trial of her trafficker, local rapper Aryion Jackson, revealed he used multiple Instagram accounts to promote himself as a pimp and market his victims.
Brief Return Home Before Final Disappearance
Police found Kristen in Houston's red-light district two weeks after her initial disappearance and returned her to her family. However, she came home deeply traumatized, fearful that the traffickers would harm her family if she didn't comply with their demands. She provided testimony that helped convict Jackson, who ran a "trap house" holding up to 12 girls and women at any time, forcing them into commercial sex work.
According to court documents, Jackson threatened violence against victims and their families if they left, provided drugs to keep them working, but didn't offer food. Failure to meet quotas resulted in beatings, and victims were forced to walk the streets finding clients who paid between $100 and $300 for sex.
A Promising Life Cut Short
Known affectionately as "Kiki" to family and friends, Kristen was an accomplished student who earned good grades, participated in Girl Scouts and her school's drill team, and dreamed of a military career. She was idolized by her two younger brothers and showed every sign of a bright future before her exploitation began.
On 3 January 2020, five months after her return home, Kristen disappeared for the final time. Cory believes her daughter left out of fear that the traffickers would target her family if she didn't comply. The family never heard from her again.
Disturbing Details of the Crime
Investigators believe Kristen was bound with duct tape, beaten, and stabbed to death. Only parts of her skull were recovered in 2020; her limbs, lower body, and additional skull fragments have never been found. The case highlights the brutal reality of sex trafficking, particularly when victims are minors—under US law, any commercial sexual act involving someone under 18 constitutes trafficking since children cannot legally consent to sex work.
Ongoing Investigation and Mother's Mission
Remarkably, court records show Jackson continued running his sex-trafficking operation using a smartphone from jail after his arrest and incarceration. Meanwhile, Cory has dedicated herself to helping other families, working with private investigators and organisations to recover trafficked girls from Houston's red-light district. She had desperately hoped one of the girls she helped rescue might be Kristen, not realizing her daughter had already been found but remained unidentified.
The case has generated significant media attention and raises serious questions about law enforcement procedures regarding missing persons and unidentified remains. The delayed DNA testing and initial dismissal of Cory's concerns about the Jane Doe profile have left the family seeking answers about why the connection wasn't made sooner.
