New Dad Identified as 1,650th 9/11 Victim With DNA Technology
The 44-year-old resident of Oyster Bay left behind his wife and 18-month-old son.

David Handschuh/Pool via REUTERS / Reuters
After over two decades, the remains of a new father who was killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks at the World Trade Center have been identified, with the help of state-of-the-art DNA technology. John Ballantine Niven was working on the 105th floor as a senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions at Aon Risk Services when he was killed. The 44-year-old resident of Oyster Bay left behind his wife and 18-month old son. Using a series of procedures that have been refined over the last 20 years, including DNA sequencing technology and mitochondrial DNA analysis, Niven’s remains were positively identified. “It’s a real tribute to the City of New York and the teams working behind the scenes all these years to honor that mantra ‘Never Forget,’” the man’s widow, Ellen Nivens, told the Associated Press. “My son and I are so appreciative of this tremendous endeavor.”
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.