http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/25/america/NA_GEN_US_Attacks_Remains. php Experts: New bones found at WTC are in good shape for DNA matches The Associated Press WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2006 <http://ad.fr.doubleclick.net/jump/americas.iht.com;cat=index;sz=336x280;ord =123456789?> <http://ad.fr.doubleclick.net/ad/americas.iht.com;cat=index;sz=336x280;ord=1 23456789?> NEW YORK Human skulls, ribs, vertebra, teeth and other bones unearthed from the World Trade Center terror attack site in recent days have been shielded from the elements and are so well-preserved that experts predict they will yield decent DNA. The body parts are believed to belong to Sept. 11, 2001 trade center victims, 40 percent of whom still have not had any remains identified more than five years after the attack. That could change when scientists analyze the new bones - found after utility workers doing routine labor last week opened up an inactive manhole that had been paved over and forgotten. Bradley Adams, the city medical examiner's lead forensic anthropologist on site, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the remains are in fine shape. He has spent days sifting the debris for signs of the victims, and the collection has grown to more than 130 pieces, including whole bones, shards and one-inch splinters. "However they got there, it was certainly right at the time of the event, so they've been protected for five years and haven't been subjected to weather," Adams said. "That's the most exiting thing about this - the remains are going to be good to work with and we're getting large pieces, so the best thing that could happen would be that we potentially get some new identifications out of it." At Bode Technology Group, the Virginia company contracted to work on recovered Sept. 11 bone fragments, experts were equally hopeful. Ed Huffine, the head scientist on the project there, said that bones buried for five years, with no exposure to extreme temperatures, potentially have a "very, very high success rate." "I would be very optimistic about being able to obtain DNA profiles from these cases," he said. His lab is already processing fragments recently found on the roof of a skyscraper south of the site. It is much more difficult to extract DNA from those body parts because they were subjected to rain and extreme heat and cold for years. And most are small slivers, which doesn't necessarily affect the quality of the DNA, but in some cases there is only enough bone to conduct one test. Huffine said two tests are ideal for each sample, which is another reason why the pieces found this week have an advantage - many are fully intact bones as large as a leg or arm. Along with bones, the teams are finding personal belongings like wallets, loose change and a pendant necklace. Huffine said that could also indicate the bones didn't suffer other trauma like intense fire, which raged for months in the rubble and compromised the DNA in so many other remains recovered years ago. Families of victims with no identified remains said they felt conflicted about the news. "We're all wondering again if we're going to get that call," said Lynn Castrianno, whose brother, Leonard, was killed. "Obviously I want to know if they find something, but on the other hand it just opens it all back up again." The bones found recently have come from one manhole, but the city has identified 12 subterranean cavities that need to be explored. All the pockets are along the western edge of the site, mostly beneath a service road built in March 2002 as the excavation and recovery was still under way. Some families of victims have questioned whether loads of trade center debris were used to build the foundation of the road, instead of clean landfill brought from elsewhere. Many of the manholes being searched are deep below the road's surface, so crews are also sifting the fill that workers remove to reach those areas. According to those on site, the fill appears to be clean, and no remains have been found. But some debris, such as pieces of metal, has turned up in the few inches of material that was right on top of the manholes. It's not clear where that metal originated. City officials are examining whether more fill should be examined and sifted. That review is part of a larger investigation of other areas on site that may need additional searching. Officials also are trying to determine how the remains and trade center debris ended up in the first manhole. One theory: The manhole's vertical cavity, which looks like a "chimney" between the street and a larger enclosure below, was pierced by sharp debris or perhaps compromised under the weight of the rubble, allowing residue and remains to leak in. Each dig is led by utility workers, who ensure that the manholes are not electrified and are safe for others. Debris is then removed and transported to an on-site sifting station with wire mesh screens of different sizes to catch various items. Several relatives of the victims have called for help from the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, a military forensic unit known for finding missing soldiers from long-ago wars. Adams and his deputy, Christian Crowder, both worked for that unit, known as JPAC, before joining the medical examiner's office. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? Head on over to our discussion list, [EMAIL PROTECTED] -------------------------- Brooks Isoldi, editor [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.intellnet.org Post message: osint@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] *** FAIR USE NOTICE. 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