AMELIA EARHART, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, may have crashed landed on the island of Nikumaroro and been eaten by crabs, according to the UK's Guardian newspaper. The legendary aviator was portrayed by Hilary Swank in the big screen adaptation of her life in 2008. The movie, entitled 'Amelia', also starred Richard Gere but garnered generally negative reviews.
The mystery of Earhart's disappearance has seemingly grown more complex in the 73 years since she set off in an attempt to fly around the equator. Various conspiracy theories have been offered, including that she was executed by the Japanese for spying and forced to make propaganda broadcasts during the war. However, researchers from The International Group of Historic Aircraft Recovery have found what they believe to be a phalanx from a finger and a neck bone on the uninhabited 'Nikumaroro' island. Earhart went missing en route to Howland Island in 1937 and was declared legally dead 18 months later.
Ric Gillespie, executive director of The International Group, said the evidence points to Earhart, adding, "A crash at sea, that's nice and clean and a quick ending. Ending up as a castaway on a waterless atoll, and struggling to survive for a time and failing and ultimately being eaten by crabs is not nearly as pretty. They're hoping that we're wrong and I can't blame them for that".