I've been having an interesting discussion on Facebook with Japanese Capture advocate Les Kinney. I offer it here to the Forum for consideration and comment.
Les Kinney
Has Tighar ever released the complete diary?
Why would Amelia tell George to get a suitcase out of the closet when she should have been telling her location?
Ric Gillespie
Les Kinney Betty’s notebook is not a diary. It’s a notebook she kept by the family radio for making sketches and sometimes writing down the lyrics of her favorite songs. All of the pages relating to what she heard from Earhart are on the TIGHAR website.
She didn’t say where she was because she didn’t know where she was. All she could do was describe her surroundings.
Before she made her 1935 flight from Hawaii to California, she wrote a letter to her mother who was house-sitting in North Hollywood. She said there were some papers in a briefcase that should be destroyed if she didn’t survive the flight. In 1937 it was her husband who was in California. It was looking like she might not survive so she reminded him about the papers that should be destroyed.
Les Kinney
I'm familiar with Amelia's secret papers. They are variously described in a couple of the Earhart bios. I have no reason to believe they didn't exist.
With that said, in 1968, Don Kothera had a lengthy conversation with Margo Decarie which he reduced to notes. As you know, Decarie was Amelia's part-time secretary and house friend. Among other things, Decarie told Kothera that Amelia handed her a thick manila type envelope just prior to the last flight take-off from Burbank. Amelia said, "If I don't come back, destroy this, If I do, return it to me. It means nothing to anyone except me."
I have always been intrigued by the contents - perhaps an emotional affair?
Kothera asked Decarie what she did with the package. Decarie answered, " I honored her wishes." When Amelia never returned, Decarie burnt the package.
I recorded all this in an interview with Don Kothera, who by the way had no knowledge of this secret package prior to Decarie's statements.
So, the idea that Amelia would take the time to send a message to her husband to get rid of the papers in a suitcase is rather far-fetched considering Amelia had already planned for their disposal.
Ric, why not release the entire journal of Betty? it would be the sensible thing to do - you can't just introduce evidence without the complete journal being subject to scrutiny.
Ric Gillespie
Les Kinney I keep telling you it is not a diary or journal. Other than the pages with notations that refer to what she heard from Amelia, which we have published on the TIGHAR website, it's a notebook full of sketches and song lyrics. I'm happy to publish the whole thing.
Kothera's notes about DeCarie's comments are interesting but no more documented than Albert Bresnick's claim that AE confided to him that she was pregnant.
Les Kinney
Ric Gillespie If two other people heard Bresnick's story independently, then it would have credibility but there wasn't any. Bresnick was undoubtedly full of it. His story changed over time.
Meanwhile, Decarie tells an identical story as heard by others: Amelia's mother and a second person (who, at the moment I can't recall without looking it up.) In other words, Ric, Margo's account has been corroborated. Why would you doubt it? Well, one reason might be that it goes against your theory of a suitcase in the closet.
Ric Gillespie
Les Kinney Where did Amy mention the destroyed papers? If two more people tell the same anecdote does it mean the story is true? If so, then we have proof there was aircraft wreckage on the reef at Gardner Island and you have proof Earhart was captured by the Japanese. Stories are not hard evidence.
Les Kinney
Ric Gillespie Ric, you're grasping at straws. If three people tell the same account (notice I said account) because two of them didn't see the material being destroyed doesn't make them less credible. In fact, it enhances the credibility of the third person who actually destroyed the material. In this instance, Amelia is asking three persons, on separate occasions for a favor. Because she doesn't come back, the last one carries through with Amelia's request.
If three people are told by a person that he or she is going to rob a specific bank and only one person actually sees the bank being robbed by that person, do you suppose a court would throw out the testimony of the other two because they didn't jot down notes of the conversation at that time nor see the bank robbed?? I think not!
You play with words all the time to lessen their impact. There is zero reason to question Margo's credibility.
As to your aircraft wreckage analogy, if you found specific wreckage of a Lockheed Electra Model 10 E on Gardner versus the run of the mill WWII aircraft wreckage - you might have something.
Ric Gillespie
Les Kinney Let's be clear.
• In a December 26, 1934 letter to her mother, prior to her January 1935 flight from Honolulu to Oakland, Amelia wrote:
"I have taken possession of the stuff in the zipper compartment of my briefcase. Put it away until I turn up and if I don't - burn it. It consists of fragments that mean nothing to anybody but me."
She obviously does not mean burn the briefcase. She wants her mother to get the "stuff" out of the zipper compartment and "put it away."
• Amy (her mother) therefore knew about the "stuff" Amelia wanted destroyed in the event of her death.
• Assuming her mother did as requested, the "stuff" was removed from the briefcase and put somewhere else. There is no way to know where.AE, of course, did turn up and presumably again took possession of the "stuff." Did she leave it wherever her mother put it, or did she put it somewhere else? No way to know.
• Your statement that Margot DeCarrie's claim of having received papers and later destroying them has been corroborated is not true unless you can provide documentation that someone else saw the papers handed over and saw them destroyed. Where did Amy, or anyone else, ever say Margot received and destroyed the papers?
• That there were papers Amelia wanted destroyed in the event of her death is beyond dispute but, without corroboration, DeCarrie's claim 31 years later is no more credible than Bresnick's claim that AE told him she was pregnant.
You accuse me of "grasping at straws, but our disagreement about the credibility of Margot's claim is really just an example of our larger disagreement about investigative methodology and what constitutes reliable evidence. I am perfectly willing to accept that Margot received destroyed papers given to her by Amelia if you can provide proof her calim is true.