Nearly thirteen years after 9/11, scientists are still trying testing the remains of more than 1,000 people who died the day of the attacks but were never identified.
The remains consist of bones separated into 7,930 vacuum-sealed plastic pouches, which are to be transferred from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to the new Sept. 11 Memorial Museum on Saturday, the Associated Press reported.
The bones will be placed in a bedrock repository that lies 70 feet below the museum. Only the families of the victims and forensic scientists will be allowed access to the remains.
Thanks to new technology, scientists may finally be able match DNA from the bone fragments with those who disappeared the day the Twin Towers were attacked.
"Our commitment to return the remains to the families is as great today as it was in 2001," Mark Desire, leader of the World Trade Center team at the medical examiner's office, said according to the AP.
There are 1,115 people out of the 2,753 who died on Sept.11 that have not been identified. Scientists have been able to identify others by matching DNA extracted from toothbrushes, combs and other items provided by relatives.
Advanced technology that was unavailable in 2001 will let scientists test for a person's specific genetic code from all of the bone fragments, which is expected to be completed by December. Four victims have already been identified in the last year, the AP reported.
But some families are not enthusiastic about the idea of their loved one's remains in an underground repository.
"Don't put them in the basement," Rosemary Cain, whose son died in the terrorist attacks, told the AP. "Give them respect so 3,000 souls can rest in peace."
Though they are being moved, the devotion to the identification process remains strong.
Desire was standing right by the towers as they collapsed, covering him with shards of glass and debris, the AP reported.
"It's a service and an honor, working on something that has transformed American History," Desire said.
