Mr. Timothy Mellon was a major contributor to TIGHAR's 2012 Earhart search and participated in that expedition. Mr. Mellon has now sued TIGHAR and Executive Director Ric Gillespie alleging that, during TIGHAR's expedition to Nikumaroro in 2010, TIGHAR found the Earhart airplane but did not disclose the discovery and instead began to plan and fund-raise for its next expedition. In his suit, Mr. Mellon does not explain why he thinks TIGHAR or Gillespie would do something like that.
Mr. Mellon alleges that the wreckage of the Earhart airplane is clearly visible in high-defintion underwater video taken during the 2010 expedition. The video in which Mr. Mellon sees the plane is on the
TIGHAR YouTube channel. In numerous public postings on TIGHAR's
Amelia Earhart Search Forum Mr. Mellon presents annotated screen-captures from the video in which he points out what he believes to be not only components of the aircraft but also the dismembered remains of Miss Earhart and Captain Noonan; Ms. Earhart's banjo, violin and guitar; a flyswatter; and rolls of toilet paper. Neither TIGHAR nor the forensic experts TIGHAR has consulted see anything in the video that can be linked to the Earhart disappearance.
TIGHAR respects Mr. Mellon's right to interpret the imagery we have made public in any way he chooses but the allegations he has made in his lawsuit are without merit.
We're not going to comment on this further. I have locked this topic.