Over a decade later, the life of the alluring doctor who was just 31 years old, Sneha Anne Philip, remains unknown (Fass). She lived in Battery Park City, New York with her husband Dr. Ronald Lieberman whom she had met during medical school training (Fass). Sneha Philip was an internist at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Staten Island completing her three-year residency contract (Pacheco). However, due to her excessive tardiness and display of alcohol abuse, she was denied the renewal of her contract after two years (Pacheco). After her disappearance on one of the most tragic and horrific days noted in United States history, September 11th, 2001, the mystery of what precisely happened to Sneha Anne Philip was called into question. The last site of the doctor’s presence was on the evening of September 10th at a shoe department store a few blocks away from the World Trade Center (Pacheco). Based on the astonishing circumstances surrounding her disappearance, several theories have been devised speculating what happened to Sneha Anne Philip.
There are numerous theories that formulate the conclusion of Sneha Anne Philip. The most known theories are that she utilized the destruction of the twin towers as her opportunity to run away and start a new life, she committed suicide using the crashing down of twin towers as her mode of disappearance, someone from the local bars she was familiar with abducted her or played a role in ending her life, and more. Being given the evidence presented regarding the disappearance of the physician, Sneha Anne Philip, such as her medical background and training, her proximity to the World Trade Center, and her behavioral patterns, the most plausible outcome is that she perished during the 9/11 attacks in an effort to provide her medical experience and training to those in need.
Due to the aspects surrounding the case of Sneha Anne Philip, there have been debates on whether she should constitute as a victim of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Her family has fought endlessly to ensure that the physician’s death is recognized and honored as a heroic act of one of the most calamitous days recorded in modern United States history. Dr. Charles S. Hirsch, the chief medical examiner, removed her name from the list of 9/11 victims in 2004 because she, “engaged in dangerous behavior like drinking, drugs and leaving bars with strangers and she might have been murdered, the court decided” (Frazier). After removing her name and two others, the total deaths declared as 9/11 victims stood at 2,749 (Fass).