An appeals court ruled that a doctor who had been missing before September 11, 2001 died during the World Trade Center attacks. The family of Dr. Sneha Anne Philip, last seen at Century 21 on September 10, had in courts for years trying to do so.
Previously, a court-appointed guardian implied the 31-year-old doctor led a dangerous lifestyle, because she, per the Post, "frequented bars (including several bars that cater to women customers) and spent the night with individuals she met there [who] tended to be strangers." The guardian, who was appointed during a court case about Philip's estate, also referred to a police report that suggested she "[abused] drugs and alcohol" and "[conducted] bisexual acts." Police investigators had theorized Philip was murdered by someone she picked up.
However, after the surveillance video from Century 21, Philip was never seen from, nor were her credit cards used. Her husband testified that on nights she stayed out (and he wasn't happy about those nights), she would come back to their Battery Park City apartment in the morning. And her family said that since she was a doctor, she could have been helping people at the WTC.
The Appellate Court decision called the rumors about extramarital affairs hearsay and the decision read, "The evidence shows it to be highly probable that she died that morning and at that site, whereas only the rankest speculation leads to any other conclusion."
Philip's name had been removed from the September 11 missing list, and her family now hopes she'll be added to the list of victims. It's unclear if her family will get money from the Victim's Compensation Fund, as it's closed.
