• Three more victims of the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks have been identified through advanced DNA testing.
• The newly identified are Ryan Fitzgerald, Barbara Keating, and an unnamed woman whose family requested privacy.
• Around 1,100 victims remain unidentified as the OCME continues efforts to return remains to loved ones.

Almost 24 years have passed since the September 11 attacks, yet the echoes of that day continue to ripple through American life. Now, three more names can finally be spoken with certainty — three lives returned to the public record, three families given long-awaited answers.

The New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) confirmed this week that Ryan Fitzgerald of Floral Park, New York, Barbara Keating of Palm Springs, California, and a third woman whose family has asked for privacy, are the latest victims to be formally identified from the rubble of the World Trade Center. They are the 1,651st, 1,652nd, and 1,653rd victims named since the attacks.

DNA Technology Brings Answers Decades Later

The identifications were made possible through highly advanced DNA testing — the kind of technology that didn’t exist in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy. According to OCME officials, Fitzgerald’s remains were first recovered in 2002 but could not be identified until now. Keating and the unnamed woman were linked to remains recovered in 2001, yet their identities were only confirmed after years of renewed testing and outreach to relatives.

Dr. Jason Graham, New York’s chief medical examiner, said the effort is far from over. “Nearly 25 years after the disaster at the World Trade Center, our commitment to identify the missing and return them to their loved ones stands as strong as ever,” he said. “Each new identification testifies to the promise of science and sustained outreach to families despite the passage of time.”

It’s a promise that carries enormous weight. Even today, around 1,100 of the nearly 2,753 people killed in the World Trade Center attack remain unidentified. For their families, the work of the OCME is not just science — it is a lifeline.

A Young Man With Big Dreams

Ryan Fitzgerald was just 26 when he died. According to his obituary, he had only recently begun working at Fiduciary Trust, specializing in foreign currency exchange. The oldest of three siblings, he had taken his first steps toward independence, moving into his own apartment in Manhattan.

Friends remembered him as a passionate New York Yankees fan and an avid follower of the Dave Matthews Band. Those who knew him say he brought humor and warmth to every gathering, the kind of person who could make friends in a heartbeat. His sudden loss left a hole in his family that never closed. Now, with his remains finally identified, his loved ones have the chance to honor him in a more complete way.

A Grandmother’s Final Journey

Barbara Keating’s story is different but equally heartbreaking. She was 72, a grandmother, and a former executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Middlesex in Massachusetts. She split her time between Cape Cod and Palm Springs, enjoying both coasts and the family and friends she loved in each.

Keating had been visiting her grandchildren on the East Coast and was returning to California when she boarded American Airlines Flight 11 — the plane that would strike the North Tower of the World Trade Center. Her death was one of the earliest in the attacks, but the identification of her remains took more than two decades.

The Quiet Story of the Unnamed

The third victim’s name remains withheld at her family’s request. While her identity is known to her loved ones, they have chosen to grieve in private, away from the public gaze. For them, this moment is not about public recognition, but about a private measure of closure.

The Pain That Never Leaves

For many New Yorkers, the announcement is a reminder that 9/11 is not a closed chapter. Mayor Eric Adams, who served as a law enforcement officer on that day, said the grief of losing someone in the attacks “echoes across the decades.” In a statement, he added, “With these three new identifications, we take a step forward in comforting the family members still aching from that day. We hope the families receiving answers… can take solace in the city’s tireless dedication to this mission.”

Yet, for every family given answers, hundreds more still wait. The OCME continues to store thousands of remains in the hope that future advancements in science will allow more identifications. The process is painstaking and emotional, with scientists, technicians, and grief counselors working side by side.

Public Reaction: A Mix of Relief and Sorrow

The news sparked a wave of emotion online. Many expressed gratitude for the persistence of the medical examiner’s office. Others shared their own stories of loss and survival, saying that even after 24 years, the memories remain vivid.

Some pointed out that while the nation moves forward, families of the victims are still living with the aftermath every single day. “For them, 9/11 isn’t history,” one New Yorker wrote. “It’s the present.”

Others called for continued funding and support for identification efforts, noting that technological breakthroughs are often expensive but invaluable to families waiting for answers.

The Work Ahead

The OCME’s work stands as one of the largest and most complex forensic investigations in U.S. history. Advances in DNA sequencing, some pioneered specifically for the 9/11 effort, are now used around the world in identifying victims of disasters.

But for the families, the science is only part of the story. The other part is human — the call from a caseworker, the meeting with a grief counselor, the final return of a loved one’s remains.

Each identification is a reminder that while nearly 24 years have passed, the city has not forgotten. For some, this brings comfort. For others, it brings the pain back into sharp focus.

The truth is that the story of September 11 has no neat ending. The skyline has been rebuilt, the memorial stands, and life has gone on. But under the surface, in labs and in living rooms across the country, the work of remembering continues — name by name, family by family.