Global InformationDisappearance of Sneha Anne Philip information
Sneha Anne Philip | |
|---|---|
 Flyer circulated by Philip's family and friends after her disappearance | |
| Born | October 7, 1969 Kerala, India |
| Disappeared | September 10, 2001 Lower Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Status | Legally dead. September 11, 2001 (aged 31) World Trade Center, Manhattan, New York, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | Contention surrounding time and location of her death before the September 11 attacks; declared a victim of the attacks in absentia |
| Spouse |
Ron Lieberman (m. 2000) |
Sneha Anne Philip (October 7, 1969 – legal d. September 11, 2001) was an Indian-American physician who was last seen on September 10, 2001, by a department store surveillance camera near her Lower Manhattan home. She may have returned to the building at some point that night or the next morning. Due to the close proximity of the World Trade Center and her medical training, Philip's family believes she perished trying to help victims of the following day's terrorist attacks.
Two investigations were conducted. The first by Ron Lieberman, Philip's husband, and private investigator Ken Gallant, a former FBI agent, initially presumed her disappearance and possible death were unrelated to the attacks but later concluded it was the most likely outcome. An investigation by the New York City Police Department, begun much later, delved into her life leading up to September 11 and found details of marital problems, job difficulties, and alcohol abuse by Philip, as well as a pending misdemeanor charge against her, in the months before her disappearance. This led them to conclude it was just as likely that she had met a different fate, though the report's author testified later that he believed Philip probably died in the attacks.
Lieberman and Philip's family have strongly disputed some of the facts and many of the conclusions of the police report, insinuating that the police did poor work or even fabricated some of their evidence. Philip's family have pointed out that there are many other 9/11 victims whose remains were never found, and other victims who were added to the list despite equally tenuous connections to the attack. No physical evidence has been found to suggest that Philip was killed in the attacks.
Citing the evidence from the police report, a Surrogate's Court judge had denied her family's petition to have her declared a victim of the attacks, suggesting it was equally possible she may have intentionally disappeared or been murdered by someone she met on her frequent nights out. However, on January 31, 2008, a New York State appeals court overturned a lower-court ruling and declared that Philip had been a victim of the attacks, officially making her the 2,751st victim of the Twin Towers' collapse.