The remains of a man killed at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks have been identified more than two decades later after a DNA breakthrough.
John Ballantine Niven, of Oyster Bay, Long Island, has been positively identified, the New York City medical examiner’s office announced Thursday.
The 44-year-old was an executive at Aon Risk Services, an insurance firm on the 105th floor of tower two of the trade center complex, when hijackers carried out the deadliest act of terrorism on American soil in history on Sept. 11, 2001.
His wife Ellen Niven and son Jack say they are grateful for the ‘extraordinary efforts’ of city officials continuing the difficult task of identifying victims’ remains.
The medical examiner’s office has been using advanced DNA analysis to identify remains in recent years, but roughly 40 per cent of victims have still not been linked to their remains.
Niven is the 1,650th victim identified from attack which saw hijackers crash airplanes into the Twin Towers, killing 2,753 people.
The remains of John Ballantine Niven, (pictured) of Oyster Bay, Long Island, have positively identified, the New York City medical examiner’s office announced Thursday. He was killed at the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks
The 44-year-old left behind his wife Ellen, not pictured, and 18-month-old son Jack. The photo above, shared with his obituary, is believed to be of Niven holding Jack. Niven was known to have ‘carried his son everywhere’
‘It is certainly emotional for me, and I’m sure many others, to hear many years later that DNA has been found,’ Mrs Niven wrote Thursday in an email to the Associated Press.
‘It’s a real tribute to the City of New York and the teams working behind the scenes all these years to honor that mantra “Never Forget.”
‘My son and I are so appreciative of this tremendous endeavor. ‘
Niven and his family had split time between Manhattan and Oyster Bay, where he grew up, according to obituaries at the time. He would often play tennis in the area with friends from his childhood.
He enjoyed reading about history and philosophy and prioritized time with his son Jack, who was just 18 months old when his father died.
Niven’s obituary revealed how he ‘carried his son everywhere, taking him along to wash the car or go for a dip in the pool’. He would also ‘hunker down with his son’s toy cars’.
Roughly 40 percent of victims of the World Trade Center attack have yet to have their remains identified, as few full bodies were recovered when the giant towers collapsed. Crews are pictured sifting through the wreckage at Ground Zero on September 13, 2001
Firefighters work beneath the destroyed mullions, the vertical struts which once faced the soaring outer walls of the World Trade Center towers, after the 9/11 terrorist attacks
The young family had vacationed in the British Virgin Islands just weeks before he was killed in the attacks. After his death, Mrs Niven said: ‘He would say that although his life was short, he was really blessed in the years he had.’
New York City Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement on Thursday after Niven’s remains were identified.
He 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.
‘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,’ Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a separate statement.
‘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.’
Niven is the 1,650th victim identified from the deadliest act of terrorism on American soil, when hijackers crashed airplanes into the Twin Towers (pictured) and killed 2,753 people
Roughly 40 percent of victims of the World Trade Center attack have yet to have their remains identified, as few full bodies were recovered when the giant towers collapsed.
But as DNA testing has evolved, so have efforts to connect more than 21,900 remains to individual victims. In some cases, scientists have gone back to the same pieces 10 or more times, hoping new technology will provide answers.
Ahead of the anniversary of the attacks last September, the office identified the remains of a man and a woman, though their names were not made public at the request of their families.
The 9/11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.