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This is a DNA story and tribute to my friend who lost her husband in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001, 19 years ago today. She has written a book… Messages: Signs, Visits, and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9/11 and a short movie… Beyond: Messages from 9/11.

Her story is remarkable and well worth the time. She speaks of others who have experienced the presence of their lost one in moments that can only be described as “I know that was you”. In addition to her story, the firefighter who escaped the rubble and survived and believed he saw an apparition walking away from the rubble of NYC gets me every time. I mean, there is still a dream if you survive the destruction; and maybe even if you don’t, your loved ones left behind will look for signs of you from beyond. In the strangest of places and through the oddest of means, messages of love and light shine through.

The human value of this story is undeniably great; however, the scientific value is equally as impressive. In the aftermath of this rubble, analysts of all kinds traveled to the crime scene and started the tedious work of reconstructing it. The evidence collected advanced DNA Identification Technology using databases and software built on this warehouse of evidence collection. It provided answers to questions some thought they would never know. It evolved into something great and edifying.

“I can’t explain, for example, how his wedding band was found and returned to me. It’s a puzzle ring, with four thin interlocking gold bands. How could it have been found in the still-burning pile at Ground Zero? But it was … Eamon’s cousin John Beggins, a New York City police officer assigned to guard Cardinal Egan, was the one who brought me the ring. When I opened the velvet box he handed me, I could see that the ring had come undone, but all the pieces had been found and were intact. Two of the bands were just slightly bent, and there was no hint of any of the gold melting. In a few seconds, I manipulated the pieces and had the ring back in its original form. To me, having this ring returned was a miracle. I viewed it as another “sign” and a message from my husband – a message that everything would be okay and that I can get on with my life.” McEneaney, Bonnie. Messages: Signs, Visits, and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9/11. Pg. (30).

For me the DNA in the JonBenet Ramsey Case is like that; it is a message from her about her killer. It indicates the presence of another person at the crime scene. An intruder left behind a clue in this victim’s body which then bled onto her underwear. It’s the clue that shouldn’t be ignored, not if the crime is to be solved. DNA is The Silent Witness.