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 for possible 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.
The law enforcement presence, accompanied by Kane County Emergency Management, have been at the home for hours.
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. She lived just a few doors down from where the digging is happening.
"It was just a matter of time until it all comes to the light and today is the day and I thank God for it because it should have never took this long," said Isabella Lanziasera, a close friend of Galvin's. "I've been saying for 10 years she's there. They re-did everything in the house after this. Her blood was on the garbage can. What else do you guys need?"
"I mean the last thing that we know is the neighbor saw her go in but never saw her come out. So the community's looking for closure because it's been 10 year," said neighbor Kristina Rothert.
"I've been here with Kianna, with the people, with the people that are in the situation, in this house before. We all hung out. We all hung out. I know everything about that house. I know where they're at right now," Lanzisera said.
May 6 marked the 10th anniversary of Galvin's disappearance. An HBO documentary recently highlighted the case, and friends hope the attention can bring them closure.
"I wish they would have been doing this years ago, but we're here now and I can't wait to see the results," Lanzisera said.
There has been no confirmation from investigators on what exactly they've been looking for at this home. Officials said updates will be shared when they become available.
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 County 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.
