DNA from 9/11 victims helps police identify remains found at famous New York City address more than 20 years ago as that of a teenage boy last found in 1969 Officials said it helped.
Construction workers made the gruesome discovery on February 10, 2003 at 301 West 46th Street in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen neighborhood. It was once home to the famous rock nightclub Steve Paul's The Scene, which hosted some of the biggest names in music.
“They broke through the concrete floor and the skull rolled out,” NYPD Detective Ryan Glass told NBC New York.
Publicly accessible DNA records, including those of 9/11 victims, link these remains in 2003 to Patricia Kathleen McGlone, a Brooklyn girl who would have been about 16 years old in 1969. tied together.
She had been tied up with an electrical cord and strangled.
Police said the victim was wearing a ring with the initials “PMcG,” which matched her name, and a 1960s Bulova watch. A 1969 dime and a plastic toy soldier were also found on her body, and police believe she may have given birth to her child before she died.
“The first thing you need in any investigation, especially a homicide investigation, is the victim's name because that's the starting point,” Glass said. “Any little bit of information would be helpful, especially if it's an unresolved case.”
Kathleen McGlone is the daughter of Bernard McGlone and Patricia Gilligan, whose marriage was licensed on June 23, 1952, in Alexandria County, Virginia.
At the time of their planned marriage, McGlone was 45 years old and living on Manhattan's Upper East Side, and Gilligan was 21 years old and living in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.
According to Brooklyn Catholic Church records, the victim was born on April 20, 1953, and was later baptized and confirmed.
Police said the victim's parents are both deceased, but they are not considered suspects.
“This is personal to me because everyone has a daughter and everyone is someone's child,” Glass said. “Justice must be served for those who were killed.”