US News
New York City officials identify World Trade Center victim using genetic genealogy
Forensic investigative genetic genealogy was used for the first time to identify a 9/11 victim, bringing total identifications to 1,654.
The short version
- New York City officials identified an adult female victim of the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks nearly 25 years later.
- The breakthrough marks the first time forensic investigative genetic genealogy was applied to identify a 9/11 victim.
- The victim's name is being withheld from the public at the request of her family.
- Approximately 40% of the victims killed at the World Trade Center remain unidentified as testing continues.
Key facts
- New York City investigators identified an adult woman killed at the World Trade Center during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.[Fox News]
- The identification was made using forensic investigative genetic genealogy, marking the first time this technique was used for a World Trade Center victim.[Fox News]
- The identification resulted from a partnership between the NYC Office of Chief Medical Examiner and the NYPD's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Squad.[Fox News]
- The woman's identity is being kept private at her family's request.[Fox News]
- This discovery marks the 1,654th person identified out of the 2,753 individuals killed in New York City on 9/11, leaving roughly 1,099 victims unidentified.[Fox News]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unknown whether the new genetic genealogy techniques will successfully lead to the identification of the remaining 1,099 unidentified victims.[Fox News]