Families Still Await Identification of Many 9/11 Victims After 25 Years
A quarter century after the World Trade Center attacks, a large share of the victims remains unidentified, prompting continued forensic efforts.
Twenty-five years after the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, the identification of many victims is still incomplete. Monica Iken-Murphy, widow of Michael Patrick Iken, who worked on the 84th floor of the South Tower, expressed gratitude for the ongoing work of the New York Office of the Chief Medical Examiner but said a formal identification would not change her remembrance of her husband. Only a fraction of the nearly 21,000 recovered human remains have been linked to known individuals, leaving a substantial number of families without definitive answers.
The office recently used forensic DNA genealogy to confirm another victim, showcasing the potential of modern technology. Mayor Zohran Mamdani highlighted the combination of cutting-edge science and persistent effort as key to achieving full identification. The agency continues to focus on DNA analysis of bone fragments, aiming to eventually name every victim regardless of the time required.
