South Elgin police dig at home on Revere Road in search for Kianna Galvin, missing since 2016
A law enforcement excavation is underway at a home in South Elgin, Illinois, as police look the remains of a teenager who vanished in 2016.
The Kane County State's Attorney said the South Elgin Police Department and Fox Valley Major Crimes Task Force are conducting their forensic excavation at a home in the 800 block of Revere Road. As of 9:30 a.m., large blue tents were set up around the home and there was a large law enforcement presence.
The blue tarp tents are set up at the front of the house, with one covering the entrance to the garage. It was not immediately clear if the digging was happening in front of, behind or inside the structure of the home.
The excavation is in connection to the 2016 disappearance of 17-year-old Kianna Galvin. She vanished the afternoon of May 6, after telling her sister she was going to Jim Hansen Park nearby. When she wasn't heard from after a couple days, her parents reported her missing. They said at the time they waited because she didn't qualify for an Amber Alert. Police later found her blood in a neighbor's trash.
Galvin has not been seen since.
Galvin was initially considered a runaway. Her parents have said they believe if an alert about her disappearance had gone out earlier, her case could have already been solved.
Amber Alerts are only for people under 16 or people with disabilities who are believed to be in danger. In 2018, the state launched a new alert named for Galvin, called the Kianna Alert, which does not require someone to be in danger to be used. Like the Amber Alert, the Kianna Alert does require a missing persons report to be filed with police.
The Kane Count State's Attorney's Office said investigators had scanned the property with ground-penetrating radar, which revealed anomalies that detectives decided needed further investigation. No further details were immediately available.
A portion of Rever Road will remain closed until the excavation is complete.
Officials said updates would be shared as they become available.