DNA identification

World Trade Center site

By the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office has identified remains of 1,598, or 58%, of the 2,749 victims. Approximately 21,000 body parts have been recovered at the World Trade Center. Of these, about half of these have been identified. The remains includes 760 fragments found on the adjacent Deutsche Bank Building, which has been undergoing deconstruction. Less than 300 bodies were found intact. Remains of three of the ten hijackers were also identified through DNA analysis.^[1]

Within the first year, remains of 655 victims were identified, through the usual procedure of comparing the remains (DNA profiles) to those obtained from samples provided by family members which yielded nuclear or mitochrondial DNA profiles. This technique requires DNA that is at least 400 base pairs long. However, at the World Trade Center, many remains were so badly damaged that identification through this method was not possible.^[2]

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) analysis is another technique, often used in sexual assault cases, which requires DNA that is only 100 base pairs long (or sometimes less than that). This analysis was conducted by Orchid Biosciences (which makes the rape kits), at their facility in Princeton, New Jersey.^[2]

Pentagon

The Armed Forces Institute of Pathology at Walter Reed was involved in identifying victims at the Pentagon. Identification took place at a lab at Dover Air Force Base, as well as another lab in Rockville, Maryland.^[3]

Many of the remains were badly burned, but remains for all but five of the victims were identified. Remains were also found belonging to the five hijackers.^[1] Over 50 forensic specialists and other personnel were involved in identifying the remains.^[3]

Location of remains recovered at the Pentagon (first floor)

Location of remains recovered at the Pentagon (second floor)

Remains of one passenger, Lang Steuerle, were recovered on the third floor. (see diagram)

Remains of additional passengers were recovered during debris sifting operations: Mary Jane Booth, Charles F. Burlingame III (pilot), David M. Charlebois (first officer), Eddie A. Dillard, Barbara Edwards, Dana Falkenberg, Stanley R. Hall, Yvonne E. Kennedy, Christopher C. Newton, Robert Penninger, Zandra F. Ploger, Lisa J. Raines, Diane M. Simmons, John D. Yamnicky, Sr., Shuyin Yang. Remains of other victims (non-passengers) at the Pentagon were also recovered during debris sifting operations: John J. Chada, Julian T. Cooper, Brenda C. Gibson, Ronald F. Golinski, ET1 Ronald J. Hemenway, James T. Lynhc, Rhonda S. Rasmussen, Antoinette M. Sherman.

Photographs of victim remains at the Pentagon were presented at the Moussaoui trial:

• P200042, P200045, P200047, P200048

United Airlines Flight 93

At the Flight 93 crash site near Shanksville, the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology assisted the local coroner in Somerset County, Pennsylvania in identifying the victims. Remains of the four hijackers were also found.^[1] Altogether, 102 forensics specialists and personnel were involved in identifying the remains of victims on Flight 93, as well as those on Flight 77 and at the Pentagon.^[3]

References

Further reading

• DNA Identification in Mass Fatality Incidents
• World Trade Center Disaster Identification Diary