New 9/11 victim identified by medical examiner
NEW YORK - A victim of the 9/11 terror attacks has just been identified, thanks to new DNA analysis, the city's medical examiner said Thursday.
John Ballantine Niven of Oyster Bay was 44-years-old when he died.
The medical examiner's office has been using advanced DNA analysis to identify victims through remains that were found in the rubble in 2001.
Niven is the 1,650th victim to be identified, and is one of many to be recently identified due to next-generation gene sequencing technology. This technology has also been used by the U.S. military in order to identify remains of missing American soldiers.
"It is certainly emotional for me, and I'm sure many others, to hear 23 years later than DNA has been found. We are so grateful for the extraordinary scientific breakthrough, and tireless efforts of the medical examiners office, working away all this time to complete the arduous process of sifting through tons of debris to identify remains. That commitment is so meaningful to us. Too many people around the world have recently lost loved ones and do not have these resources. Given how many years have passed, we are all the more grateful to the city of New York and the dedicated teams working behind the scenes all this time. They deserve tremendous credit," John's wife Ellen Niven said.
"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," Mayor Eric Adams said. "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."
"We will forever remember our heroes who perished on 9/11 and we appreciate the continuous efforts of forensic experts to help identify victims. We're hopeful that this amazing advance in technology helps bring peace to Mr. Niven's family and allows him to eternally rest in peace," Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said.
Of the 2,753 people died in the September 11 attacks, 1,103 victims - about 40% - still remain unidentified.
It's the first new identification since last September.
