Mystery of September 11 victim's remains finally solved as DNA breakthrough reveals identity of 44-year-old father murdered in the Twin Towers 23 years ago

The remains of a man killed at the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks have been identified more than two decades later following 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 The 44-year-old was an executive at Aon Risk Services, an insurance company on the 105th floor of tower two of the trade center complex, when hijackers carried out the deadliest terrorist act on US soil in history on September 11, 2001.

His wife Ellen Niven and son Jack say they are grateful for the “extraordinary efforts” of city officials as they continue the difficult task of identifying the victims' remains.

The medical examiner's office has used advanced DNA analysis to identify remains in recent years, but about 40 percent of victims have still not been linked to their remains.

Niven is the 1,650th victim identified in an attack in which hijackers crashed planes into the Twin Towers, killing 2,753 people.

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 his niece Jamie. Niven was known to 'carry his son everywhere'

“It is certainly emotional for me, and I am sure for many others, to hear many years later that DNA has been found,” Ms. Niven wrote in an email to the Associated Press on Thursday.

“It's a true tribute to the city of New York and the teams who have worked behind the scenes all these years to honor the mantra 'Never Forget.'

'My son and I are extremely grateful for this enormous effort. '

According to Niven and his family, they split time between Manhattan and Oyster Bay, where he grew up obituaries at the time. He often played tennis in the area with friends from his youth.

He enjoyed reading about history and philosophy and spending time with his son Jack, who was only 18 months old when his father died.

Niven's obituary revealed how he “carried his son everywhere, taking him to wash the car or take a dip in the pool.” He would also “hang out with his son's toy cars.”

The remains of about 40 percent of the victims of the World Trade Center attack have yet to be identified, as few full bodies were recovered when the massive towers collapsed. The photo shows crews searching the wreckage at Ground Zero on September 13, 2001

Firefighters work beneath the destroyed mullioned windows, the vertical posts that once faced the soaring exterior walls of the World Trade Center towers, after the September 11 terrorist attacks

The young family was vacationing 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 truly blessed in the years he had.'

New York Mayor Eric Adams issued a statement Thursday after Niven's remains were identified.

He said: “While the pain of the tremendous losses on September 11 never leaves us, the possibility of new identifications can bring comfort to the families of the victims.

“I am grateful for the continued work of the Office of Chief Medical Examiner that honors the memory of John Ballantine Niven and all those we have lost.”

“We will forever remember our heroes who died on September 11 and we appreciate the continued efforts of forensic experts to help identify victims,” Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph Saladino said in a separate statement.

“We are hopeful that this amazing advance in technology will bring peace to Mr. Niven's family and that he can rest in peace forever.”

Niven is the 1,650th victim identified in the deadliest act of terrorism on US soil, when hijackers crashed planes into the Twin Towers (pictured) and killed 2,753 people

About 40 percent The remains of the victims of the World Trade Center attack have yet to be identified because few full bodies were recovered when the massive towers collapsed.

But as DNA testing has evolved, so have efforts to link more than 21,900 remains to individual victims. In some cases, scientists have returned to the same pieces ten or more times, hoping that new technology will provide answers.

Ahead of the anniversary of the attacks last September, the agency identified the remains of a man and a woman, although their names have not been made public at the request of their families.

The September 11 attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.