9/11 victim identified weeks before 25th anniversary of attacks

NEW YORK — It has been almost 25 years since the Sept. 11 attacks on America rocked the country, but scientists are still trying to give closure to those families who lost loved ones.

Weeks before the quarter-century anniversary, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and the New York City Medical Examiner’s Office announced that another person was recently identified, The New York Times reported.

It was the first identification in nearly 12 months.

They used a new tool that combines DNA analysis with research into a person’s family tree, conducted by New York Police Department officers.

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It’s called the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Squad, which uses public genealogy databases to compare the genetic profiles of the 9/11 victims, then uses traditional methods to find a match.

While used to solve crimes, this is the first time it has been used on a 9/11 victim.

Chief medical examiner Dr. Jason Graham called it a breakthrough.

The victim was an adult woman whose family did not want her name released. She is the 1,654th identification made since 2001.

While that seems to be a large amount, the job is not nearly done, as about 40% of victims of the 9/11 attacks have not been identified by name.

“This was the largest mass murder in the history of the United States,” Graham said. “And it created the most complex identification efforts in our history.”

The identified people were subjected to forces such as extreme pressure and heat, which complicates the process.

Still, Graham said the job will continue to determine who those people were, either through traditional DNA testing or the Investigative Genetic Genealogy Squad, which has filled the void when DNA samples have been “tested and retested over time” but did not lead to an identity, the Times reported.

“As we approach the 25th anniversary of the horrific September 11 attacks, we honor the nearly 3,000 people whose lives were stolen that day, and we remain committed to the families who have spent 25 years waiting for answers,” Mamdani said in a news release. “The identification of this victim through forensic investigative genetic genealogy is a powerful example of what is possible when we pair cutting-edge technology with an unwavering commitment to those we lost. We will continue to work until every possible answer is found and every family that has been waiting can have the clarity and closure they deserve.”

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