Wife Admits Balloon Boy a Hoax

[kenny]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/23/colorado.balloon.investigation/index.html

(CNN) -- The wife of a Colorado father at the center of the "balloon boy" saga told authorities that the giant helium balloon was specifically created for a hoax to draw media attention, according to court documents released Friday.

Mayumi Heene told Larimer County investigators that she and her husband, Richard Heene, knew that their 6-year-old son Falcon was hiding at their Fort Collins home the entire time, even as police and military scrambled to search for the boy, according to the documents.

The admission by Mayumi Heene was made October 17, just two days after the balloon was released, according to the documents.

The Heenes initially told authorities that they believed their child had flown away on the balloon, and when the balloon landed without him, they expressed concern that he may have fallen out of the device.

The couple hatched the plan about two weeks before the incident and "instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax," according to the documents.

Their motive? To "make the Heene family more marketable for future media interests."

 

[lulu]

I guess that''s not a shock .They probably offered her a deal to roll on him.

 

[junebug17]

I had a feeling the wife had confessed, the police seemed so positive it was a hoax when they made the announcement . And I had read she retained her own lawyer.

 

[kenny]

You think this may affect their domestic bliss?

 

[steph72276]

Some people need to get a life.

 

[MissGotRocks]

Date: 10/23/2009 7:58:05 PM
Author: kenny
You think this may affect their domestic bliss?

I'm sure a divorce announcement will be next. I think it is a disgusting thing. They may not have known it would create all the publicity that it did, but it also created a lot of expense. States are struggling to stay afloat and then they have to pay to chase after a child that was never in danger. When I first heard the story, it made me sick to my stomach to think about a poor child all alone, adrift in the air. Learning that I was duped into feeling that makes me even sicker.

Vile.

 

[poshpepper]

Not surprising at all...

 

[marcy]

My antenna went up during the chase when I heard the mom called the local TV station before they called 911. How HORRID to risk all those people''s life out there chasing after that balloon when they knew their son was perfectly safe at home. Grr to such selfish and thoughtless people.

 

[asscherisme]

I also read that the family who owned the farm where they landed had their crop destroyed by the rescue vehicles and it created a big financial hardship for them.

 

[Londongirl1]

Surprise, surprise - tell me something I didn't know. I can't believe people were so naive to believe that story in the first place (I for one, didn't). Whenever I hear the craziest stories I always think only in America.....

 

[beechezz]

This family should have to pay for all of the expenses if it takes the rest of their lives. I am disgusted by this story.

 

[merrymunky]

I''m disgusted.

What if people died or had their lives seriously affected because emergency services weren''t able to reach them as they were called out to some stupid hoax to gain media attention?

It''s shameful. F*cking idiots!

 

[Sha]

Oh wow...I hadn''t heard about the confession. Talk about selfish!

For them, it''s okay to use up tons of state resources, drain the public''s emotions, and force their sons to lie to the authorities and media repeatedly, just to make themselves more marketable?

Unbelievable.

 

[icekid]

Date: 10/24/2009 7:31:14 AM
Author: beechezz
This family should have to pay for all of the expenses if it takes the rest of their lives. I am disgusted by this story.

Absolutely! They are a drain on the tax-payers.

 

[miraclesrule]

I just can''t imagine what chips are missing in a person''s mind...excuse me, too people, that makes them do something so outrageous and think that it''s okay. How could they not anticipate the reaction? I for one, was very concerned that this boy was in the balloon and when they found the balloon without him, I thought he was likely dead from a fall.

I am so grateful that it was only a hoax and the child is safe. But now that I know those kids will have such a chaotic life is sickens me. Clearly the parents don''t have the money to re-pay all those expenses and damages to so many people and organizations. It''s such a sick, pathetic, pitiful mess. But in the end, I am still grateful it was merely a hoax and not a death of a young child.

 

[VRBeauty]

It makes me sad and angry to think that those kids were being raised by parents that would instill such sick, self-serving, exploitative values in their children.

 

[miraclesrule]

Ditto VR!

 

[that_someone_special]

Date: 10/24/2009 1:02:11 PM
Author: VRBeauty
It makes me sad and angry to think that those kids were being raised by parents that would instill such sick, self-serving, exploitative values in their children.

I agree. Poor kids.

 

[Cindy50550]

Amazing. I thought things seemed "funny" from the beginning, but to have proof of it...wow.

 

[qtiekiki]

Date: 10/24/2009 1:02:11 PM
Author: VRBeauty
It makes me sad and angry to think that those kids were being raised by parents that would instill such sick, self-serving, exploitative values in their children.

Quadritto. It''s horrible that the parents told the kids to lie, such bad examples they are setting.

 

[Lilac]

I feel very sorry for those kids - their parents set a terrible example for them and now the parents will probably end up in jail for it (the parents obviously deserve to pay for their actions, it''s just sad that the kids will have to suffer also).

 

[swingirl]

I am guessing the parents will get off with a little community service and get to keep the kids. Mom will claim she's been controlled for years and dad will say he just wanted to provide for his kids so they could go on lots of expensive field trips like the Gosslins.