9/11 victim identified in New York using groundbreaking genetic genealogy technique

New York authorities announced on Monday the identification of a victim from the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks using an innovative forensic technique: investigative genetic genealogy (FIGG). This breakthrough marks the first time FIGG has been used to identify a victim of the 9/11 attacks, bringing the total number of identified victims to 1,654.

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The authorities are committed to the families who have spent 25 years waiting for answers about their loved ones who died in the attack and applaud the use of 'cutting-edge technology' for this purpose.

Despite extensive efforts over the past 25 years, 1,099 victims of the World Trade Center attacks remain unidentified. The newly identified victim was an adult woman whose family requested her name be withheld. The collaboration between the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and the New York Police Department utilized FIGG, a method that combines specialized DNA technologies with genealogical research to uncover identification clues.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani highlighted the city's ongoing commitment to families seeking answers about their loved ones lost on 9/11, praising the use of cutting-edge technology. Chief Medical Examiner Jason Graham affirmed that FIGG is now a standard tool in his office's arsenal, working alongside the police department's genetic genealogy team to pursue leads that might otherwise remain undiscovered.

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FIGG is now part of the tools of our office, and we assure you that together with the genetic genealogy team of the Police, we are identifying clues that otherwise would not have been possible.

This same FIGG technique has proven successful in solving numerous cold cases in recent years, including the 2018 identification and capture of the "Golden State Killer," a serial rapist and murderer who evaded authorities for decades. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner also reported identifying three other individuals recently using FIGG, new DNA samples from relatives, and re-examination of remains found since 2001, underscoring the technique's growing importance in forensic investigations.

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This same technique has allowed in recent years to solve closed criminal cases, including the identification and capture in 2018 of the killer known as 'Golden State Killer'.