Amelia Earhart Lawsuit: Judge Denies Claims
The Amelia Earhart lawsuit will continue. However, US District Judge Scott Skavdahl tossed two of the claims. The federal judge dismissed claims that defendants are guilty of racketeering and negligence.
Timothy Mellon filed the lawsuit against the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery of Delaware. He claims the defendants charged him over $1 million to locate Earhart’s plane in 2012.
Mellon claims the group actually found the wreckage in 2010. He says the group defrauded him by misrepresentation. As reported by ABC News, the charges of fraud and misrepresentation will go forward.
The defendants argue that they never found Amelia Earhart’s plane. They did find wreckage in a 2010 expedition near the Kiribati atoll of Nikumaroro. However, they say the wreckage was not confirmed as Earhart’s plane.
The defendants asked for a dismissal of the entire lawsuit. They say the claims are “so contrary to logical thinking… to the human condition…” that they cannot be proven in court.
As reported by KSDK, Judge Skavdahl agreed to dismiss two of the claims. However, he denied a complete dismissal.
Attorney John Masterson represents the defendants. He says Mellon’s scenario is a “factual impossibility.” Masterson contends defendants would have made more money admitting they found the wreckage.
Mellon’s attorney, Tim Stubson, says he is “generally pleased” with the judge’s decision. He says the lawsuit has always been “at its heart a fraud case.”
Stubson says footage of the 2010 expedition will be presented as evidence. He argues that Earhart’s plane is clearly recognizable in the film.
The recovery group’s executive director disagrees. Richard E. Gillespie says the film was analyzed by numerous experts. He claims the experts were unable to positively identify the plane.
Amelia Earhart wanted to be the first woman to fly around the globe. During the 1937 flight, she and her plane simply vanished. Although there are numerous theories, her fate and the location of the wreckage was never confirmed.
[Image via Wikimedia]
