NYC Identifies 9/11 Victim Using Genetic Genealogy

New York City officials announced on August 24, 2026, that a victim of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks has been identified for the first time using forensic investigative genetic genealogy, a cutting-edge technique that combines DNA analysis with family tree research. The victim, an adult woman whose name is being withheld at her family's request, is the 1,654th person formally identified from the remains recovered after the attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center. The identification was made through a collaboration between the city's Office of Chief Medical Examiner and the NYPD's Investigative Genetic Genealogy Squad. The technique involves extracting DNA from remains, creating a digital profile, and comparing it against voluntary genealogy databases to find potential distant relatives. Investigators then construct family trees to narrow down the identity before conducting confirmatory DNA testing. This method was not available when the massive identification effort began nearly 25 years ago.