Man found guilty of murder in 1983 disappearance of Richard Atwood
(CBS DETROIT) - The Michigan Attorney General's office announced Friday that 57-year-old Roy Snell was found guilty nearly 40 years after a Newaygo County man went missing.
Snell was found guilty of felony murder, which means with a mandatory life sentence, and felony firearm.
"I'm grateful we can finally provide justice for the victim's family," Attorney General Dana Nessel said in a press release. "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."
Richard Atwood, who was 25 at the time, was last seen on Aug. 10, 1983, in White Cloud, Michigan. His 1975 Pontiac Trans-Am was found in the Grand Rapids area two months later.
Atwood's body has never been found.
In 2020, Snell was arrested in Minneapolis by the Minneapolis Violent Criminal Apprehension Unit and extradited to Michigan. Authorities say Snell was reported to be the last person with Atwood, and he stated that he wanted to rob him shortly before he went missing.
"I am heartened that the family of Rick Atwood may begin to find some closure in this verdict," Newaygo County Prosecutor Worth Stay said in a press release. "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."
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 9.