Investigators have identified a victim of the September 11th attacks using a new combination of DNA testing and genealogical research.
The woman, whose identity is being withheld at her family’s request, becomes the 1,654th victim identified from remains recovered at the World Trade Center.
She is also the first 9/11 victim to be identified through forensic investigative genetic genealogy, a technique that uses groundbreaking DNA analysis with research into family
connections.
For the first time, the New York City’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the NYPD Detective Bureau have identified a 9/11 victim using genetic genealogy, which combines DNA testing with family tree research, ABC News has learned.
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The identification was made through a collaboration between the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner and the NYPD’s Investigative Genetic Genealogy Squad.
Investigators use DNA recovered from unidentified remains to search for potential relatives and build family connections.
Any resulting lead must then be confirmed through additional forensic testing before a formal identification is made.
The breakthrough comes as the U.S. approaches the 25th anniversary of the attacks, when al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger aircraft.
A total of 2,753 people were killed in New York, while nearly 3,000 people died across all three attack sites.
New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham said investigators remain committed to using emerging technologies to identify the remaining victims.
“This sacred commitment is propelled by our dedication to apply the most innovative scientific techniques,” Graham said.
“FIGG represents a promising new addition to our toolkit.”
🇺🇸 USA | Even 25 years later, these haunting images from 9/11 still send chills down the spine.
On September 11, 2001, hijacked planes struck New York’s Twin Towers, killing nearly 3,000 people and changing the world forever. pic.twitter.com/FWJ8aFMBKw
— Silent Observer (@YousufPash69914) August 25, 2026
Despite almost a quarter-century of forensic work, approximately 1,099 World Trade Center victims, around 40 percent of those killed in New York, have sadly never been identified.
The enormous destruction caused by the collapse of the Twin Towers left many remains badly damaged or fragmented, making traditional identification techniques impossible in numerous cases.
Scientists have continued retesting remains as DNA technology has improved over the years.
Meanwhile, authorities are currently renewing efforts to obtain genetic information from victims’ surviving relatives.
The latest breakthrough is the first new identification of a World Trade Center victim since August 2025.
