By Tim Binnall
An Amelia Earhart statue stolen from a Canadian town in April has been recovered in rather rough shape. Since 2007, the beloved bronze piece depicting the pioneering aviator has been a point of pride in the community of Harbour Grace, Newfoundland, where she embarked on her historic 1932 transatlantic flight. That all changed a few months ago when residents woke up to discover that some brazen bandits had made off with the sizeable statue and its accompanying plaque in the dead of night. At the time, the town's mayor lamented that the theft "devastated" the community. However, there is now cause for celebration as the pilfered piece has been found.
According to a press release from the Harbour Grace RCMP, the stolen statue was recovered on Friday afternoon thanks to a tip from an individual who revealed that the Earhart tribute could be found "in a wooded area" of a community approximately 30 minutes from where the theft occurred. Like a twisted treasure hunt, when cops visited the location, they discovered the bronze artwork "cut into smaller pieces." Fortunately, it would seem that the miscreants behind the heist ran out of time before they could enact whatever their criminal plan was, as the complete sculpture was ultimately recovered by responding officers.
The pieces of the statue were subsequently handed over to the Town of Harbour Grace, where Mayor Don Coombs rejoiced at their return. "We are thrilled to welcome Amelia home," he declared, "and appreciate the public's assistance in finding this iconic statue." Though he indicated that the community intends to install the statue at the spot where it once stood (as seen in better days below), one imagines that it may take some time before that happens, as the piece will have to be reassembled. Meanwhile, cops are still on the lookout for the pilfered plaque and, of course, hope to identify and arrest the ne'er-do-wells responsible for the short-lived mystery that gripped Harbour Grace.