Marrying Anthropology and DNA: Essential for Solving Complex Commingling Problems in Cases of Extreme Fragmentation

This chapter proceeds in two sections. The first section provides a historical overview of the process used to identify victims’ remains from the WTC disaster. This was an evolving process that adjusted over time, as new techniques were developed to address novel challenges. The second section provides a series of case examples illustrating some mistakes encountered with the identification of WTC victims and how the problems were resolved. As discussed in the following sections, the science of DNA identification was pushed forward by the efforts and expertise of those working on this project. The overriding purpose of this chapter is to provide future practitioners and policymakers a means of learning from the adaptations made during the early months of the WTC identification project as they plan and implement their own programs to prepare for future events.