Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and we're still working to identify the remains of victims killed on that horrible day. Thanks to advancements in DNA technology and the use of genetic genealogy (which uses DNA and family tree research), the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and NYPD identified a woman who died that day back in August.
For the first time, 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. https://t.co/9GAMBNKzRa
— ABC News (@ABC) August 24, 2026
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, New York City is still working to formally identify all of the nearly 3,000 people killed at the World Trade Center.
Now, for the first time, the 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.
The family of the newly identified victim, who was an adult female, declined to publicly come forward.
Dr. Jason Graham, New York City's chief medical examiner, also told ABC News that the work is a "breakthrough."
A forensic anthropologist with the medical examiner, Dr. Jennifer Odien, said the method is promising and may identify more victims in the future. "Not every case is going to be able to go through genetic genealogy, but we do have DNA profiles that are not matching to our reference samples, so that's the group right now that we're focusing on and that hopefully is going to yield more positive results," she said.
🇺🇸 25 years later, technology just cracked another piece of 9/11.
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) August 24, 2026
This time, New York officials did it in a way they never could before: genetic genealogy, which basically mixes DNA testing with family tree research.
That technology simply didn’t exist in 2001, so this door was… pic.twitter.com/JDCmPQx7VW
To put this into perspective, 2,753 people died at the World Trade Center. This includes first responders and the passengers and crews of American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175. To date, authorities have identified only 1,654 victims.
NYC identifies 1,654th World Trade Center victim nearly 25 years after 9/11 using a first-of-its-kind forensic genealogy technique.
— TMcCarty (@Jatrac04) August 26, 2026
The adult woman, whose name is being withheld at her family's request, was identified through a collaboration between the city's medical examiner… pic.twitter.com/LXo3DGQ8yH
Almost 1,100 victims are still waiting to be identified, as are their families, who have waited a quarter century for closure.
Twenty-five years later, another 9/11 family like mine can finally have an answer.
— Trudy10 (@patty49583) August 24, 2026
For nearly 1,100 families, that answer still hasn’t come. They have lived through 25 years of birthdays, weddings, grandchildren and anniversaries without ever being able to fully bring their…
New York City's Office of the Medical Examiner has vowed to never stop testing and identifying victims. Despite that promise, conditions at Ground Zero mean it's likely some victims will never be formally identified. However, evolving science and technological advancements means there's still hope.
Editor's Note: We must never forget those lost on 9/11 and the American heroes who sacrificed their lives to save countless others.
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