She thought finding a stolen Amelia Earhart statue would come with a hefty reward. It only damaged her reputation

It seemed like the solution to Elaine Traverse’s financial problems, and a dog desperately needing a potty break led her to it.

“I saw this trail, so I went up there and parked, and he took off running,” Traverse said.

Traverse, who is disabled and can’t walk long distances, says she called her adult son to come and see what had upset her pet in a secluded area of Canada’s Heart’s Content, Newfoundland.

They had found the remains of Amelia Earhart. Or at least, the remains of a statue that had been the talk of the small neighboring town of Harbour Grace for months.

“Oh my God,” Traverse said to herself.