Identification Card
- Description
- Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) identification card issued to Andrew Schweighardt. The card includes a photograph, the OCME logo, and printed text that reads: "Office of Chief Medical Examiner | Barbara A. Sampson, M.D. - Ph.D. | Chief Medical Examiner | FORENSIC BIOLOGY | CRIMINALIST III | ANDREW SCHWEIGHARDT | EXP: 03/26/2019." The back of the card includes printed information about how to return the card if found.
- Historical Notes
Andrew Schweighardt had just started his senior year of high school when his cousin, Joseph P. Anchundia, was killed on 9/11. In his yearbook, Schweighardt stated that his plan for his future was “to prove that science can triumph over evil.” He later joined the OCME staff, where he helped identify the remains of World Trade Center victims from 2013 to 2022.
The OCME’s work with 9/11 families transformed the agency’s science and outreach. Ongoing efforts to identify nearly 2,800 World Trade Center victims accelerated advances in DNA analysis, a relatively new process in 2001. In 2014, OCME applied these practices, launching the annual NYC Missing Persons Day to obtain DNA samples and family medical histories, aiding positive identifications in open cases.
- Accession Number: C.2025.83.1
- Dimensions: 3 3/8 in X 2 in X 1/8 in
- Dimensions (Metric): 7.62 cm X 5.08 cm X 2.54 cm
- Source: Andrew Schweighardt
- Credit Line: Gift of Andrew Schweighardt
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