Improvement of the DNA technique used to identify the man killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks



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The New York Medical Examining Board identified the victim on Wednesday as Scott Michael Johnson, 26, who worked at a World Trade Center investment bank.

Johnson is the person of 1642 people officially identified 11, 2001, of the terrorist attacks that made nearly 3,000 dead. He was identified after his DNA was tested again using a new and improved technique, said Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson in a statement.

"In 2001, we made a commitment to the families of the victims to do whatever it takes, as long as necessary, to identify their loved ones," Sampson said. "This identification is the result of the tireless dedication of our staff to this ongoing mission."

The Medical Examiner's office received approximately 20,000 human remains, the majority of which did not include intact bodies or torsos. He worked to identify the remains, some as small as a fingertip, mainly by DNA tests.

More than 1,100 victims remain unidentified, Sampson said.

During the attack nearly two decades ago, 19 men hijacked four US commercial aircraft and crashed them in New York, Washington, and outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing total 2,977 people.

Most remains are difficult to identify because of the effects of jet fuel heat and chemicals. The new DNA system helps test degraded samples, Sampson said.

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