Suspect found guilty of murder nearly 4 decades after man disappeared in Michigan

NEWAYGO COUNTY, Mich. (FOX 2) - Richard Atwood disappeared from west Michigan 39 years ago.

After decades of searching for answers, a suspect has been found guilty of murdering Atwood, whose body was never found.

Roy Snell, 57, was found guilty of homicide - felony murder and homicide - felony murder, Attorney General Dana Nessel said Friday.

"I’m grateful we can finally provide justice for the victim’s family," Nessel said. "Investigating a decades-old cold case without a body is very challenging. I thank the cold case team for their diligence investigating and solving this crime."    

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According to Nessel, Snell was the last person Atwood was seen with. Though Atwood, who was 25, was last seen in August 1983, in White Cloud, his 1975 Pontiac Trans Am was found at a hotel in the Grand Rapids area two months later.

Snell was arrested in Minneapolis in 2020. According to authorities, Snell had said he wanted to rob Atwood.

"I am heartened that the family of Rick Atwood may begin to find some closure in this verdict," said Newaygo County Prosecutor Worth Stay. "I would like to thank First Assistant Attorney General William Rollstin and Assistant Attorney General Dan Gunderson for the skill and dedication that they brought to this case.  Their work, in conjunction with the resources of Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office, ensured that Rick Atwood was not forgotten."    

Read more stories from around Michigan here.

He faces a mandatory sentence of life without the possibility of parole when he is sentenced Jan. 9.