Headless Betty Boop statue mystery: Virginia gift shop marks 20 years

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 in that 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.

"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.

Though the statue was never repaired, "Headless Betty," as she came to be known, has put smiles on faces for years. The statue survived a move to a new location and a makeover from Estes.

"I went ahead and did her as the [The Winged Victory of Samothrace], the famous statue in the Louvre in Paris," Estes said.

Sprouting the wings of an angel with papier-mâché force, her status is cemented as both a national treasure and local urban legend.

"I like Betty Boop because she has fashion sense," said Shaneka Ogbomna, who was one of many to see the statue in person. "I've been a fan since I was little."

For the 20th anniversary of her beheading, fans came to take their picture with the headless fashionista. They also went hunting through the store for hidden Betty Boop stickers. Those who manage to find one walked away with a piece of Betty.

"This is rebar that came from her neck, that's the closest thing to her head," Estes said.

Some have come up with their own theories about what exactly happened.

"It's been gone for 20 years and it wasn't destroyed at the scene," Canyon Elliott said. "So I think that somebody took it home and put it like, above their bar in their garage. And every time they go drink a beer, they laugh about the head. Can you imagine someone just for 20 years, just laughing like, 'Haha I got the head!'"

Whether the head is in a garage or a landfill, Estes has the last laugh, even if his Betty cannot boop-boop-a-doop. He says the store plans on continuing to give away prizes for the 20th anniversary throughout the next few days.