Woman Claiming Reward for Earhart Statue Says She’s a Suspect

Amelia Earhart, or a reasonable facsimile of her, will be back in her place at Harbour Grace, Newfoundland and Labrador, next spring but whether the $18,000 USD reward for her return will ever be claimed remains a mystery. The bronze statue of Earhart, installed in 2007 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of her launch from Harbour Grace on her solo transatlantic flight, was stolen last April. It was recovered on Aug. 1 after a local woman said she found the dismembered remains of the sculpture while walking her dog. That woman, Elaine Traverse, along with her adult son, are now suspects in the theft, based largely on the fact that her son was recently jailed for stealing copper wire.

It was assumed from the start that whoever stole the statue did so for the scrap value. But the theft was highly publicized, and the metal never appeared at the relatively few places locally that could have melted it down. The local municipality pledged $15,000 CAD for a reward and a local scrap metal dealer added $10,000, but the reward is contingent on the arrest and conviction of the thief. Traverse told the CBC that because of her son’s earlier conviction of copper wire theft from the local power company, they are now unfairly being treated as the criminals in this case. She said her son was in jail at the time. They both insist they had nothing to do with the theft and have offered to take polygraph tests.

Meanwhile, a local artist has pieced the sculpture back together and added a stainless steel internal frame that will make it a lot harder to remove. “She’s all back together and looking in fine form now,” said sculptor Morgan MacDonald. Insurance is covering the restoration cost, and a ceremony is planned next spring to put the iconic aviatrix back on her pedestal. In the meantime, Traverse is still trying to claim the reward. “Someone’s got to say who stole it … and for me to get the money. My nerves are getting the better of me,” she said.