New York identifies 1,651st 9/11 victim using genetic genealogy for first time

New York's medical examiner used genetic genealogy to identify a 9/11 victim for the first time, 25 years after the attack.

Nearly a quarter-century after the World Trade Center attacks, New York City's medical examiner has identified a victim using a method never before applied to the 9/11 effort: genetic genealogy. The identified individual is an adult female, now formally designated as the 1,651st victim to be named since the September 11, 2001 attacks. Genetic genealogy works by comparing DNA from unidentified remains against genealogical databases to find relatives, then tracing family trees to narrow down who the remains belong to — a technique that has gained prominence in cold-case criminal investigations but had not previously been used in the 9/11 identification effort. The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner has been working to identify victims for more than two decades. Nearly 1,100 victims remain unidentified, and officials have continued to apply new scientific methods as technology advances to resolve those cases.

Why it matters

More than 1,100 World Trade Center victims remain unidentified 25 years later, and this new technique could open a path to naming some of those cases that conventional DNA matching has not been able to resolve.

What's next

Officials have not specified how many additional unidentified cases may be candidates for the genetic genealogy technique, but its successful application here suggests it could be used in further efforts.

Key facts

• The newly identified victim is an adult female — the 1,651st World Trade Center victim to be formally identified
• Genetic genealogy was used for the first time in the 25-year effort to identify September 11 victims
• The identification was made by the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner
• Approximately 1,100 victims from the World Trade Center attacks remain unidentified
• Genetic genealogy uses DNA from remains cross-referenced with genealogical databases to trace family connections

Bias & framing notes

Both sources agree on the core facts — the identification number, the technique used, and its novelty. ABC News framed the story around the identification itself, while ABC7 Los Angeles emphasized the broader potential of the technique for future cases. Neither source provided a statement from the medical examiner's office directly, limiting detail on the official rationale.

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