More than 20 years after the terrorist attacks, DNA testing assisted New York officials in identifying the remains of a 9/11 victim.
John Ballantine Niven of Oyster Bay, Long Island, is whose remains were identified thanks to DNA testing, the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) of New York City said on Thursday.
The declaration was made more than 22 years after September 11, 2001, the worst attack on American soil in recorded history, carried out by terrorists affiliated with al-Qaeda.
“While the pain from the enormous losses on September 11th never leaves us, the possibility of new identifications can offer solace to the families of victims,” Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, remarked. “I’m grateful for the ongoing work from the Office of Chief Medical Examiner that honors the memory of John Ballantine Niven and all those we lost.”
Niven is the 1,650th confirmed victim of September 11, 2001. About 40% of the victims of the attacks are still unidentified.
Dr. Jason Graham, the chief medical examiner for New York City, stated, “Our solemn promise to find answers for families using the latest advances in science stands as strong today as in the immediate days after the World Trade Center attacks. This new identification attests to our agency’s unwavering commitment and the determination of our scientists.”
Niven was 44 years old when he passed away, and on September 23, 2011, the New York Times published an obituary. His spouse Ellen and their 18-month-old son, John Jr., survived him. He was employed at AON Risk Services, an insurance company located on the 105th floor of the South Tower, in 2001 as a senior vice president in mergers and acquisitions. The South Tower was struck 17 minutes after the first jet struck the North Tower.
The 9/11 Memorial and Museum states that thousands of people were injured and 2,977 people died as a result of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Somerset County, Pennsylvania.
With time, new identifications have gotten more difficult. Two more victims were identified the year before the assaults’ 22nd anniversary. At their families’ desire, their names were not disclosed.
DNA testing of remains found in 2001 verified the identify of a man, while DNA testing of remains found in 2006, 2013 and 2001 identified a woman. Since September 2021, they were the first victims to be identified.
OCME recently embraced next-generation sequencing technology, which has been employed by the military, following nearly two decades of unsuccessful trials. When compared to other DNA technologies, the approach is faster and more sensitive.
