Over 1,000 victims of the 9/11 terror attacks remain unidentified to this day. Per the New York Post, despite the ongoing efforts, 1,103 victims of the national tragedy make up the 40% of victims still "lost" to their families and friends.
As the outlet reports, Charles G. Wolf was the focal figure who started the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. His wife, Katherine, is one of the victims of 9/11. Wolf stated that, at this point, he doesn't expect Katherine to ever be properly identified.
However, New York's Medical Examiner's Office has made significant progress over the past few years in DNA analysis that could make victim identification easier. 37 new DNA profiles have been produced over the last 12 months. But none of those advancements have matched with any of the victims thus far. "This is not only the largest forensic investigation in the history of the United States. But it's also the most difficult," stated Mark Desire, the OCME's Assistant Director.
Almost Half Of The Victims Of 9/11 Have Yet To Be Identified
In January 2024, breakthrough DNA sequencing technology led to a DNA profile match of John Ballantine Niven, who had been on the 105th floor of the South Tower when the attacks occurred. Last year, the remains of a man and woman were also identified, but their families opted to not make their identities public.
Around 7,000 human remains have been in the city's possession, waiting to be properly identified. "The fragmentation, the jet fuel, the fire and the water and bacteria, sunlight, all those things destroy DNA. Everything was present at Ground Zero," Desire said.
Experts are waiting for the right time (and technology) to analyze some of the samples. Putting such fragile and sensitive samples through rigorous analysis could potentially destroy them. "Some of these fragments, you only get so many chances. So, we do know that instead of going and trying over and over again using the same modern techniques ... When you're dealing with smaller and smaller families, you know you may only have one shot left at this particular fragment, it gets very stressful," Desire concluded.
