Full Breakdown
25-Year Quest to Identify 9/11 Victims Continues
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Ongoing DNA Identification at the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner
Twenty-five years after the September 11, 2001 attacks, a team of forensic biologists, technologists and anthropologists continues extracting DNA from the thousands of fragments recovered from the World Trade Center site. Led by Mark Desire, assistant director of forensic biology, the laboratory uses forensic investigative genetic genealogy and whole-genome sequencing to match bone fragments with reference samples supplied by families. The effort has yielded the 1,651st positive identification and continues to process tens of thousands of pieces that have yet to be linked to a missing person.
Background & Context
The attacks claimed 2,753 lives and produced a 21-metre hill of debris covering roughly eight city blocks, prompting an unprecedented forensic operation. Initial identification relied on fingerprints, dental records and early-stage DNA testing. Advances in DNA extraction from burned bone and the adoption of genetic-genealogy methods have revived the search for victims whose remains were previously unrecoverable.
Key Figures & Groups
- Mark Desire — Assistant director of forensic biology, New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
- Dr. Jason Graham — Chief Medical Examiner of New York City, who described the new genealogy-based approach as “a new frontier.”
- Jennifer Odein — World Trade Center anthropologist at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner.
- NYPD genealogists — Conduct family-tree searches that complement laboratory DNA analysis.
Data & Statistics
- 2,753 people died at Ground Zero; about 40 % remain unidentified.
- Nearly 22,000 pieces of human remains have been recovered since 2001.
- Approximately 7,000 bone fragments have been analyzed but not yet matched.
- 47 sets of remains possess full DNA profiles that do not correspond to any of the 17,000 family-provided reference samples.
- The 1,651st victim was identified in 2025, bringing the total number of identified victims to that figure.
Official Statements & Responses
Dr. Jason Graham highlighted the breakthrough nature of combining DNA sequencing with genealogical research, calling it “a new frontier.” Jennifer Odein noted that some families choose not to be notified of matches, describing the decision as “very traumatic” and respecting their wishes.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The laboratory reports that 47 DNA profiles lack matches among the 17,000 reference samples, suggesting additional relatives have not submitted DNA. The Office of Chief Medical Examiner continues to request new samples, indicating a gap between unidentified profiles and the pool of available family DNA.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They went through the rubble centimeter by centimeter,” — Barbara Keating
- “I think it is sort of a new frontier,” — Dr. Jason Graham
What's Next
The office is renewing outreach to families of the missing, urging the submission of DNA samples to expand the reference database. Continued refinement of whole-genome sequencing and genealogical analysis is expected to increase the likelihood of future matches, though each additional test must be weighed against the finite amount of material available from the recovered fragments.
