The remains of a new father killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11 have finally been identified after more than 20 years, thanks to groundbreaking new DNA technology.
John Ballantyne Niven, 44, of Oyster Bay, Long Island, was on the 105th floor of the South Tower on that fateful Tuesday when he was murdered, leaving behind his wife and 18-month-old son.
The new father was senior vice president of M&A at Aon Risk Services.
His remains were positively identified using breakthrough DNA sequencing technology and mitochondrial DNA analysis and other procedures that have been improved since the 2001 terrorist attacks, New York City officials announced Thursday.
Niven's widow, Ellen, told The Associated Press: “I and so many other people are deeply moved to hear that the DNA has been found after so many years.”
“This is a true tribute to New York City and the team that has worked behind the scenes for many years to honor its mantra of 'never forget.' My son and I are so grateful for this incredible effort.”
Niven is the 1,650th confirmed victim in the deadliest terrorist act on American soil, when hijackers crashed a plane into the Twin Towers, killing 2,753 people.
Ellen said she's grateful his family is letting some of him sleep.
“We have a cemetery where we buried boxes of memorabilia and now we will be able to bury a piece of him. This is meaningful to us.” she told Newsday.
Niven, Ellen and their young son lived together in an Upper East Side apartment, but would gather on Long Island on weekends, according to an online obituary.
He was portrayed as a caring father who goes everywhere with his son named John.
In his free time, Niven liked reading philosophy and history books and playing tennis with his childhood friends.
He attended Lake Forest College in Illinois and was a member of the Society of St. Nicholas in New York.
In response to Niven's heartbreaking death, his wife said, “His life was short, but these past few years have been truly blessed.''
Young John Niven also praised the efforts to find his father's remains.
“Like many people, I was too young to remember the events of 9/11, so it was very important to me to see how true New Yorkers have kept their promise to never forget. It means something,” his son told Newsday.
“The coroner and police are doing an incredible job as they continue to break this emotional news.”
An additional 1,103 Ground Zero victims have yet to be identified, but the coroner's office hopes this new technology will dramatically help.
This makes it possible to extract and analyze specific fragments of DNA from more often degraded samples.
It was recently used to connect Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuerman with hair found on the victim's body.
“Our solemn commitment to using the latest advances in science to find answers for families remains as strong today as it was in the immediate aftermath of the World Trade Center attacks,” Chief Medical Examiner Jason Graham said. he said in a statement.
“This new identification is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our agency and the determination of our scientists.”
Mayor Eric Adams also said in a statement: “While the pain of the enormous losses of September 11 will never go away, the possibility of new identifications could bring comfort to the families of the victims.” Ta.
The coroner's office announced in September that it had also identified the remains of a man and a woman, but their names were not released at the request of the families.
