New 9/11 victim identified 25 years on using first-of-its-kind technology
A new 9/11 victim has been identified 25 years on from the horrific terror attack using a first-of-its-kind technology.
New York City Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) made the announcement on Monday (24 August) that a previously unknown victim was identified in a major breakthrough.
Since 2001, work has been ongoing to identify the remains of those who died at the World Trade Center attack by using the most advanced forensic science techniques.
And now, using forensic investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG), an adult woman has been identified some 25 years on.
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Her name is currently being withheld at the request of her family, but she has now become the first to be identified through the technology, and the 1,654th victim identified overall.
There is an ongoing analysis of remains recovered from the attacks, which killed 2,753 people in total in New York City.
The scientific advancements mean DNA testing is combined with family tree research.
Genetic genealogy has also helped investigators solve crime cases that had gone cold for years by matching DNA left at a scene to public ancestry databases.
The new identification is the latest identification of a World Trade Center victim since August 2025, the NYC Mayor's office said. Some 1,099 victims, 40 percent of those who died, still remain unidentified.
In August 2025, DNA analysis and help from families helped identify a man and two women who were killed in the attack.
They were later identified as Ryan Fitzgerald, Barbara Keating, and a woman whose family requested her name be withheld.
The Administration says it will continue this work in the coming months and years ahead, using 'every available scientific tool' to identify victims and provide answers to families.
Mayor Mamdani explained: “As we approach the 25th anniversary of the horrific September 11 attacks, we honour 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.
"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.”
Meanwhile Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Graham added: “A quarter century after the day that forever changed our world, we are keeping the promise to identify those who died at the World Trade Center in 2001 and return them to their loved ones.
"This sacred commitment is propelled by our dedication to apply the most innovative scientific techniques, and FIGG represents a promising new addition to our toolkit.
"Thanks to this collaboration with the NYPD Investigative Genetic Genealogy Squad, we are generating identification leads that otherwise might not have been possible.”
Topics: US News, Technology, Science
James Holt