WHITE CLOUD, Mich. (WWJ) - Nearly 37 years after 25-year-old Richard Atwood disappeared from White Cloud, Michigan, a man has been charged in his murder, even though his body has never been found.
Roy Leando Snell, the last person to be seen with Atwood, was arrested earlier this month in Minneapolis by the Minneapolis Violent Criminal Apprehension Unit and is awaiting transportation back to Newaygo County where he is charged with felony murder and felony firearm.
Atwood was last seen on Aug. 10, 1983. Two months after he disappeared, Atwood's brown 1975 Pontiac Trans-Am was recovered in the Grand Rapids area.
Atwood's body has never been found. It's unclear what led police to arrest Snell, though reports indicate he made incriminating statements to others.
"One can hardly imagine what the Atwood family has felt over the past decades," Newaygo County Prosecutor Worth Stay said in a statement. "These charges are the next steps. I thank the cold case team for their hard work investigating this crime, and I thank the Attorney General for her partnership in proceeding with this case."
Snell, 55, is currently in custody in Hennepin County Jail in Minnesota and has waived his extradition rights. He will be brought to Michigan for arraignment and subsequent proceedings. A court date has not been scheduled yet. He faces up to life in prison if convicted as charged.
