Remains of new dad killed in 9/11 attacks identified thanks to DNA breakthrough

The remains of a new dad killed at the World Trade Center on 9/11 have finally been identified more than two decades later — thanks to groundbreaking new DNA technology.

John Ballantine Niven, 44, of Oyster Bay, Long Island, was on the 105th floor of the South Tower when he was killed on that fateful Tuesday — leaving behind his wife and 18-month-old son.

The new father was the senior vice president of mergers and acquisitions at Aon Risk Services.

His remains have now been positively identified using breakthrough DNA sequencing technology, along with a mitochondrial DNA analysis and other procedures that have been refined since the 2001 terror attack, New York City officials announced on Thursday.

“It is certainly emotional for me, and I’m sure many others, to hear many years later that DNA has been found,” Niven’s widow, Ellen, told the Associated Press.

“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.’ My son and I are so appreciative of this tremendous endeavor. ”

Niven is the 1,650th victim identified from the deadliest act of terrorism on American soil, when hijackers crashed airplanes into the Twin Towers, killing 2,753 people.

The remains of John Ballantine Niven, 44, were positively identified using new DNA technology. Legacy.com

Ellen said she is grateful that the family will now have a part of him to lay to rest.

“We have a gravesite where we buried a box of mementos, and will now be able to bury part of him, which is meaningful for us,” she told Newsday.

Niven, Ellen and their young son lived together in an Upper East Side apartment but would flock to Long Island on the weekends, according to an online obituary.

He was described as a caring father who went everywhere with his boy, also named John.

In his free time, Niven liked to read philosophy and history books, and play tennis with his childhood friends.

He attended Lake Forest College in Illinois and was a member of the St. Nicholas Society of New York.

Following Niven’s heartbreaking death, his wife said he “would say that although his life was short, he was really blessed in the years he had.”

Niven worked as an insurance executive at Aon Risk Services on the 105th floor of the South Tower, when he was killed on that fateful Tuesday — leaving behind his wife and 18-month-old son. Tamara Beckwith/New York Post

John also lauded the efforts to find his remains.

“As I was, like so many, too young to remember the events of 9/11, it means so much to me see how New Yorkers have stayed true to their ‘never forget’ promise,” the son told Newsday.

“The medical examiner’s officer and the police who continue to deliver this emotional news are doing incredible work.”

Another 1,103 victims at Ground Zero have not yet been identified, however, the Medical Examiner’s Office is hoping this new technology will drastically help.

It allows for specific fragments of DNA to be plucked from a larger, often deteriorated sample, to be analyzed.

It was recently used to connect Gilgo Beach murder suspect Rex Heuermann with some hair found on victims’ bodies.

His widow, Ellen, said she is grateful the family “will now be able to bury part of him.” AFP via Getty Images

“Our solemn promise to find answers for families using the latest advances in science stands as strong today as in the immediate days of the World Trade Center attacks,” Chief Medical Examiner Jason Graham said in a statement.

“This new identification attests to our agency’s unwavering commitment and the determination of our scientists.”

Mayor Eric Adams also said in a statement: “While the pain from the enormous losses on September 11 will never leave us, the possibility of new identification can offer solace to the families of the victims.”

The Medical Examiner’s Office previously announced in September it had also identified the remains of a man and woman, but their names were not made public at the request of the family.