] The remains of as many as 1,000 people lost in the World ] Trade Center attack might never be identified, according ] to the forensic biologist leading the monumental DNA ] identification project. ] ] The city medical examiner's office has identified ] slightly more than half of the 2,792 people killed in the ] attack -- only about 100 of those in the last year, as ] technicians struggled with DNA degraded and damaged by ] fire and the elements. ] ] Robert Shaler, chief of forensic biology, had once hoped ] to reach 2,000 identifications, but he told The ] Associated Press he no longer considers that a realistic ] goal. ] ] Now, Shaler said he hopes for about 1,700 identifications ] -- 1,800 at the outside -- by the time the office ] exhausts available DNA matching methods within a year. ] City officials recently notified victims' families of the ] outlook. ] ] "I think once we've done all of the testing on all of the ] remains using the technology we have, I think we're ] finished," Shaler said. ] ] He cautioned that he doesn't mean the trade center DNA ] effort would be closed forever, but said it couldn't ] continue until new DNA processes were developed. ] ] "If three years from now somebody comes up with something ] ... that really looks like it's going to work, then we're ] going to be poised to go after it," he said. This is sad news for the families looking for closure. LB |