Major FBI development in Amelia Earhart investigation after missing photos found

Donald Trump has reportedly given FBI employees in New York and Washington, D.C., just 24 hours to release files pertaining to the disappearance of Amelia Earhart amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Earhart, along with navigator Fred Noonan, disappeared in 1937 when the two attempted to circumnavigate the globe. No evidence of them or their plane has been uncovered in 88 years.

The bizarre request comes after the US president vowed to 'declassify and release all government records' related to the pioneering aviator in a post on Truth Social last month.

"Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions. I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amelia Earhart, her final trip, and everything else about her," Trump wrote.

Appearing to fulfil his promise, Trump's office has sent an order marked as high importance to FBI employees, which has been seen by CNN.

President Donald Trump has previously demanded the 'declassification' of files about Amelia Earhart (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The seemingly urgent message, reportedly sent to staff late on the evening of 7 October, instructed them to search their digital media for any record of Earthart.

According to the outlet, it read: "Per a priority request from the Executive Office of the President of the United States, please search any areas where papers or physical media records may be stored, to include both open or closed cases, for records responsive to Amelia Earhart."

CNN further reports that employees were given a deadline of Wednesday to respond to the request, although the US federal government is currently in shutdown.

The note comes just days after it was announced that the mystery could be cracked thanks to newly discovered imagery.

In a month's time, scientists are planning on heading to the western Pacific Ocean island of Nikumaroro, Earhart's final landing place, to investigate after images captured via satellite in 2020 appeared to show potential plane wreckage just off the coast.

When experts investigated further, they found imagery of the same area, dating back to 1938, in which the same object can be seen.

Amelia Earhart's lost plane could well be discovered next month (Getty Images/Bettmann)

Then there's also the matter of the 'Tararia Object', a mysterious object located in a lagoon in Nikumaroro Island, which is believed to be Earhart's final landing place.

A team of researchers is planning to make their way to the island for further investigation, with a 15-person crew spending several days examining the 'Tararia Object' and exploring nearby islands for evidence of debris.

Richard Pettigrew, executive director of the Archaeological Legacy Institute (ALI) and part of the 15-person crew, said there was an 'extremely persuasive, multifaceted case' that Nikumaroro had what they were looking for.

He added: "Finding Amelia Earhart's Electra aircraft would be the discovery of a lifetime."

LADbible Group has contacted the FBI for comment.

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