NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — A life-sized statue of an American icon was serving as the mascot for a Virginia gift shop until July 17, 2005 — until it was beheaded. Larry Estes, owner of Cool and Eclectic, located in Norfolk, said he came int the day and found the shop’s statue of cartoon character Betty Boop was in a nearby field with her head removed.
Estes filed a police report, ready to prosecute for larceny. The massive watermelon of a head was valued at $2,000. Despite the story earning some national attention (including an offer of a reward from the grandson of Betty Boop’s creators), no trace of her head was ever found.
And no suspect was ever identified, either.
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“It was shipped here from the Philippines, and they have apparently destroyed the mold, so I couldn’t get another head from them,” Estes said…