Nearly 40 new profiles of WTC victims have been developed in the last year, officials say
The National September 11 Memorial & Museum at the World Trade Center site in 2014. Credit: Charles Eckert
Scientists have developed new DNA profiles in the past year for the remains of nearly 40 people killed in the 2001 World Trade Center attacks but say they have been unable to identify the victims because of lack of genetic reference samples to make comparisons.
The new profiles, derived from a groundbreaking DNA technique known as "next generation sequencing," were developed from previously unidentified remains that had been too degraded or too small to analyze, said Mark Desire, World Trade Center identification manager at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in New York City.
The lack of reference samples — either from the deceased or their families — has so far stymied efforts to identify 37 sets of remains from among the 1,100 victims of the attacks who are still unaccounted for, Desire said.
"We don’t know who they are," he said.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Scientists have developed new DNA profiles in the past year for the remains of nearly 40 people killed in the 2001 World Trade Center attacks but say they have been unable to identify the victims because of lack of genetic reference samples to make comparisons.
- The new profiles were developed from previously unidentified remains which had been too degraded or too small to analyze, officials said.
- As of Sept. 1, nearly 70% of the remains of the 2,753 who died in the terror attacks have been identified, the latest data shows.
Some families have decided not to provide reference samples while in other cases families of the unidentified victims don’t know they had perished in the attacks, Desire noted.
As a result, until family members come forward to provide DNA reference materials, the OCME is considering using genetic genealogy, something which has helped identify some of the Gilgo Beach victims, Desire said in an interview with Newsday.
In essence, genetic genealogy allows experts to compare unknown genetic profiles to those which have been uploaded to certain public DNA databases. If similarities are found, genealogists can try and trace family trees to give a name to the deceased.
Still, a faster approach for uncovering the identities would be for family members to provide DNA samples.
"Families are so important to us," said Desire. "They help us make identifications and without them we wouldn’t be able to do any of this."
A total of 2,753 victims perished in the collapse of the Twin Towers and over the last two-plus decades, forensic experts at OCME have pushed the boundaries of DNA analysis in an effort to identify remains of the victims from the nearly 22,000 pieces of remains recovered from Ground Zero debris. As of Sept. 1, nearly 70% of the remains have been identified, the latest OCME data shows.
The remains often suffered from the devastating effects of fire, kinetic forces, bacteria, pollution and other forms of degradation. In addition, the pulverizing effect of the collapse of the towers often left only tiny fragments. The result was that the existing DNA technology over the years didn’t allow the remains — with some bone fragments no larger than a fingernail — to uncover useful genetic profiles.
By 2022, the OCME was able to develop methods for grinding bone fragments and then use next generation sequencing to extract DNA profiles from previously unusable biological material. The sequencing technique was used with success by the Department of Defense to help identify Korean War dead and the OCME is now the only other laboratory outside of the military to have the equipment necessary to exploit the technology.
Since 2023, a number of the remains processed by the OCME have revealed DNA profiles which related to previously identified persons. But this year, the sequencing technology helped OCME to make three completely new named identifications.
John Ballantine Niven, a resident of Oyster Bay, was the 1,650th person to be identified as a 9/11 victim on Jan. 18. Credit: Ellen Niven
One of the new identifications announced in January was that of John Ballantine Niven, 44, of Oyster Bay, who died in the south tower. Niven, who worked as an insurance executive for Aon Risk Services, was the 1,650th victim of the attack to be identified. Two other victims were also identified but their families did not want their identities revealed, Desire said.
The identification of Niven helped provide solace to his wife, Ellen, and the couple’s son.
"It has brought us great peace to know that John’s remains are now at rest at the 9/11 Memorial Museum, which is where we ultimately decided to leave them," Ellen Niven said in an email to Newsday. "Beyond what it meant to our family, we know that it meant so much to the medical examiner's office, who have worked so hard to make these breakthroughs."
A number of other techniques are also being used to identify hard-to-decipher DNA profiles of WTC victims.
Desire said that new bone-scraping techniques to pry just a few cells loose are being studied. The New York laboratory also can use special equipment to look at the Y chromosome, those special chromosomes present in male family members, Desire said.
Development of a male chromosome analysis is important in cases where no female relatives of a deceased could be found to do an analysis of mitochondria, which contain special DNA that is only passed through the maternal side.
The trade center DNA cases are also getting the attention of scientists from around the world. Desire said that U.S.-based experts in paleogenetics, the science used to study the DNA of the ancient Neanderthals, have been consulted to see if their techniques can be useful in trade center cases, he said. Paleogenetics is also something that Suffolk District Attorney Ray Tierney has said is proving useful in the Gilgo Beach investigation surrounding indicted suspect Rex A. Heuermann.
European scientists who studied the estimated 3,000-year-old mummified man known as Otzi found in the glacier ice of the Austrian-Italian Alps in 1991 have also been consulted, Desire said. "They say the World Trade Center remains are the hardest samples ever seen," Desire said of the reaction of the outside experts.
Aside from genetic genealogy, Desire and his staff are relying on families whose relatives may be among the DNA profiles to come forward to help the investigation.
Desire has a simple request: "Please reach out to us and we will explain the DNA process and we will send a [DNA] kit and we will continue to push the science."
OCME staff will be meeting with Sept. 11 families Tuesday to brief them on the latest efforts to make identifications of the remains, something that has been done in the past around the anniversary of the attacks, Desire said. The OCME has received well over 2,000 reference samples from families, officials said.
Niven said she has been spreading the word among victims' families to provide samples.
"I hope and encourage any families who had not previously submitted DNA samples for a match to come forward and do so. The process is easy; it is a cheek swab and can even be mailed in," Niven said. "It is a very personal choice of course, as it’s so emotional, but we are glad that we had given the DNA to be matched and that remains were found and now have a resting place we can visit."
Anthony M. DeStefano has been a reporter for Newsday since 1986 and covers law enforcement, criminal justice and legal affairs from its New York City offices.
