By Tim Binnall
A Canadian woman who found a beloved Amelia Earhart statue stolen from a community says that, rather than receiving a reward, she has seemingly become a suspect in the caper. The peculiar case began back in April when a sticky-fingered ne'er-do-well snatched the sizeable bronze depiction of the pioneering pilot from the town of Harbour Grace, which prides itself on being the origin point for the aviatrix's historic 1932 transatlantic flight. The statue, sadly cut into pieces, was subsequently discovered in August by a woman who now laments that the serendipitous find has landed her under the proverbial microscope of authorities and the subject of speculation among some community members.
Coming forward to the CBC about the situation, Elaine Traverse recalled how she stumbled upon the sliced and diced statue when she stopped at the side of the road so her dog could answer nature's call, and the canine became curious about something sitting in the nearby brush. Rather than being hailed as a hero for finding the beloved statue, she indicated that the remarkable turn of events led to police becoming suspicious of her story, particularly because her son was previously convicted of stealing copper. Conceding that cops might find the connection rather curious, she noted that her son was actually serving his sentence for the crime when the statue was stolen in April.
Compounding her consternation, Traverse expressed dismay that she had not received any of the $25,000 reward that was offered by the community and multiple businesses that contributed to the fund. In their defense, as is often the case, the money may be contingent on the perpetrator of the crime being brought to justice, which has yet to occur. Believing that she has not gotten the reward because she is a suspect in the crime, Traverse and her son offered to take polygraph tests to prove their innocence. However, it would appear that police have not taken them up on the offer as they continue their investigation into the case. "If it were anybody else," she asserted, "they would have their money right away."