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Missing Richard Lawrence Atwood 
Atwood, approximately 1983; Atwood's 1975 Pontiac Trans Am; Roy Snell in 2020 Date reported missing : 08/23/1983 Missing location (approx) : White Cloud, Michigan Missing classification : Endangered Missing Gender : Male Ethnicity : White Age at the time of disappearance: 25 years old Height / Weight : 5'10, 175 pounds Distinguishing characteristics, birthmarks, tattoos : Caucasian male. Blond hair, hazel eyes. Information on the case from local sources, may or may not be correct : Atwood was last seen in White Cloud, Michigan on August 10, 1983. He was driving a brown 1975 Pontiac Trans Am with the license plate number 490CNJ; a photo of it is posted with this case summary. When his girlfriend returned to the trailer they shared, she noticed he was missing and his fishing gear was gone as well. He was reported missing by his family on August 23, after their own attempts to locate him failed. His car was found in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area on October 17; inside was blood and human tissue, later linked to Atwood. In March 2020, Roy Leando Snell was arrested in Minneapolis, Minnesota and charged with felony murder and felony firearms in Atwood's case. The two men knew each other. Snell is the last person known to have been seen with Atwood before he disappeared, he made "incriminating statements" in the years after Atwood's disappearance, and his DNA was found on cigarette butts in Atwood's car. A photo of Snell is posted with this case summary. He is awaiting trial in the case; authorities believe robbery was the motive for the murder. Atwood's body has never been found. Foul play is suspected in his case due to the circumstances involved. Other information and links : ncy Michigan State Police 231-873-2171 September 2021 updates and sources A missing person is a person who has disappeared and whose status as alive or dead cannot be confirmed as their location and condition are not known. A person may go missing through a voluntary disappearance, or else due to an accident, crime, death in a location where they cannot be found (such as at sea), or many other reasons. In most parts of the world, a missing person will usually be found quickly. While criminal abductions are some of the most widely reported missing person cases, these account for only 2�5% of missing children in Europe. By contrast, some missing person cases remain unresolved for many years. Laws related to these cases are often complex since, in many jurisdictions, relatives and third parties may not deal with a person's assets until their death is considered proven by law and a formal death certificate issued. The situation, uncertainties, and lack of closure or a funeral resulting when a person goes missing may be extremely painful with long-lasting effects on family and friends. Several organizations seek to connect, share best practices, and disseminate information and imAge at the time of disappearance: s of missing children to improve the effectiveness of missing children investigations, including the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC), as well as national organizations, including the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the US, Missing People in the UK, Child Focus in Belgium, and The Smile of the Child in Greece. Grand Rapids News The Detroit Free Press WWMT 3 October 12, 2004. March 25, 2020; . |