Remembering 9/11: Mysterious Disappearance Of Sneha Philip, A Married Young Indian-American Doctor

Twenty-four years have passed since the deadly 9/11 attack, and despite more than two decades since the tragedy, it still sends shivers down everyone’s hearts. It was 8:46 am when everyone was busy heading to their offices, that a sudden explosion was heard, with flames and black smoke pouring out of the North Tower of the World Trade Centre.

An American Airlines Flight 11 had struck the tower. People were coming to terms with the attack when the second explosion was heard as United Airlines Flight 175 crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Centre. Within moments, the Twin Towers collapsed, killing nearly 3,000 people. It was the deadliest terrorist attack on the US. Two planes, hijacked by Islamic jihadists, ploughed into both towers at the World Trade Centre in New York.

The attacks occurred in the country’s busiest city on a busy workday, and millions of Americans saw the events live. Though many lost their loved ones, many were left clueless about their whereabouts as no details of them could be traced. One such missing person was Sneha Anne Philip, a young Indian-American doctor. Sneha was last seen on September 10, 2001, and since then, there has been no information about her.

As per some records, Sneha was one of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. But theories of her disappearance a day prior to the attack scream foul play. There had been numerous investigations regarding Sneha's disappearance, but no one could find an answer. Even after twenty-four years, the fate of Sneha Philip remains a mystery. Let us take a deeper look into Sneha’s life and what happened to the 31-year-old doctor.

Who was Sneha Ann Philip?

Sneha Ann Philip, a second-year internal medicine resident living in Battery Park City, was born in Kerala. She later moved to upstate New York with her parents. After completing her graduation, Sneha pursued medicine at the Chicago School of Medicine, where she met Ron Lieberman, whom she began dating. Apart from medicine, Sneha loved painting. After their graduation, Sneha and Ron got an internship and got married in 2000.

What happened a day before the attack?

A day before the attack, i.e., September 10, 2001, Sneha and Ron attended a court hearing related to the misdemeanour charge. After the hearing, Ron went to work and Sneha stayed at home. According to Ron, Sneha was planning to spend the day cleaning their house, as she was expecting a cousin for dinner two nights later.

She chatted with her mother for two hours and told her that she was planning to visit the World Trade Centre mall. Later, Sneha went shopping at Century 21, a departmental store located a few distance from the Twin Towers. She purchased lingerie, a dress, bed linen and some shoes using Ron’s credit card.

She was captured on the CCTV camera of the store. The taped credit card and the footage were the last confirmed evidence of Sneha's presence. When Ron returned home that night, he couldn’t find Sneha and thought that she might have stayed at a friend’s home.

The tragic 9/11 attack and Sneha Philip’s disappearance

When Ron woke up the next morning, Sneha was still not home. He went to work, and after the attack on the Twin Towers, Rom made frantic calls to Sneha’s friends and family to know whether anyone had heard from her. But no one knew about Sneha. When he returned home, there was no trace of Sneha, and that was the moment when Ron raised the alarm.

Sneha Philip was listed as one of the victims in the initial investigation

The initial investigation named Sneha as a potential victim of the attack. Her friends and family visited hospitals to get any details about her, but nothing could be found. As time passed, the police found no evidence which could place her at the World Trade Centre on 9/11, so the investigation was expanded to other possibilities.

Theories suggesting Sneha Philip’s complicated personal and professional life

The NYPD began investigating Sneha’s disappearance and pointed out her complicated personal life. It was reported that Sneha’s intern contract at Cabrini Medical Centre was not renewed because of her ‘alcohol’ problems. It was also reported that she was fired from her job.

Sneha was also arrested and was in a legal battle after she accused a colleague of groping her on a night out. The sexual abuse charge was dropped, and instead Sneha was charged with false reporting. She refused to drop the charges she had put and was fighting a case over the same. She was also suspended from her new job at Staten Island’s St. Vincent’s Medical Centre.

Not just this, reports of her rocky marriage with Ron also surfaced. It was reported that Sneha would often stay out all night at bars without informing Ron. On the morning of her disappearance, Sneha and Ron reportedly had a major fight while she was appearing before the court. Sneha’s life prior to the 9/11 attacks painted a story that suggested that she was already dead before the attack or had intentionally disappeared from everyone’s sight to find solace from her complicated life.

Sneha Philip was allegedly spotted three minutes before the 9/11 attack

Another theory suggested that Sneha Philip was spotted at 8:43 am, three minutes prior to the first attack on September 11, 2001. A woman resembling Sneha was seen on the lobby camera near Ron and Sneha’s apartment. She waited at the elevator and then walked out. Though the woman captured in the lobby camera matched Sneha, she wasn’t carrying any shopping bags.

Sneha Philip’s family rejected the claims and theories about her disturbed life

Every detail painted by the NYPD was opposed by Sneha’s family. Ron denied that any fight had taken place between him and Sneha in the courtroom. Her brother claimed the police were fabricating stories about her. Ron ruled out her night outs and called them innocent. Ron pointed out Sneha’s drinking as a temporary phase as she wanted to get out of depression.

In 2004, Sneha’s name was removed from the list of 9/11 victims, citing a lack of proof of her presence during the attack. After her family appealed, in 2008, a five-judge panel reversed the ruling due to a lack of evidence and explained that Sneha died trying to help people at the World Trade Centre. With the new ruling, Sneha Ann Philip was officially declared the 2,751st victim of the 9/11 attacks.

Till this day, Sneha Ann Philip’s disappearance stands as a mystery with no remains and personal belongings ever found. Her father once said, “She cannot just disappear into the air…There should be something.”

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