Posted on 10/18/2009 10:38:33 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
FORT COLLINS, Colo. A sheriff says a Colorado couple's report that their 6-year-old son was in a balloon that was hurtling away from their home was a publicity stunt.
Sheriff Jim Alderden says Richard and Mayumi Heene "put on a very good show for us, and we bought it."
The sheriff says no charges have been filed yet, and the parents aren't under arrest. But he says he expects to recommend charges of conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

Six-year-old Falcon Heene smiles as he is surrounded by reporters on the lawn of his house in Fort Collins, Colorado October 15, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking
Headed for Dr. Phil and a " What were ya thinking?" Xmas special wihh little flying saucers floating in the studio?

Richard Heene, his wife Mayumi and their sons Bradford, Falcon and Ryo are pictured here with a homemade helium balloon in the background in this undated publicity photograph from the ABC reality series "Wife Swap." Criminal charges will soon be filed in the case of 6-year-old Falcon Heene (C), who spurred a frantic search for fear he was inside a wayward helium balloon, but who was later found safe at home, officials said on October 17, 2009. REUTERS/ABC/Handout (UNITED STATES TRANSPORT SOCIETY IMAGES OF THE DAY)
The entire family is nuts and the kids need military school.
Richard Heene (L) reacts as he holds his son Falcon Heene outside their house in Fort Collins, Colorado, in this October 15, 2009 file photo. Criminal charges will soon be filed in the case of the 6-year-old boy who spurred a frantic search for fear he was inside a wayward helium balloon, but who was later found safe at home, officials said on October 17, 2009. Picture taken on October 15, 2009. REUTERS/Rick Wilking/Files (UNITED STATES SOCIETY)
I blame it on cable and reality TV
Unfortunately this will extend the family’s “15 minutes of fame.”
The husband sheriff is always the last to know.
I blame it on George Bush.
If the boy were IN the balloon, wouldn’t he have died of helium poisoning or something? Or getting into the balloon wouldn’t he have deflated the amount of helium?
The thought-pattern put into this hoax continues to prove people’s illusion with shows like American Idol ... become famous and make millions of dollars by adding no value to society. This family is about to get a heavy dose of reality. (Didn’t they want a reality TV show ... I think they got it.)
The father is an attention seeking whore. I have no respect for a father who would use his children this way and put them in a situation where they have to lie for him. The wife is no prize either if she went along with her husband’s plan to exploit the children.

Looks like a comb-over without the bald spot.
Ok, the guy is clearly a bit kooky. But I also take ‘ex girlfriend/boyfriend’ statements with a grain of salt. My husband’s wife would (and did) say a bunch of terrible things about him and their *3 month* marriage. After 26 years with the man, I find most of it very hard to believe.
IF she went along with him? She was actively trying to lead the child into saying he had heard them calling him by nodding her head at him in the affirmative. The reason being that he was never in the attic and completely out of earshot. They needed everyone to believe he’d been in that attic.
This is child abuse. I’m not a fan of CPS, but something needs to be done. That child was vomiting the next day after letting the cat out of the bag. Can you imagine the browbeating he must have undergone to ensure he didn’t make another mistake? Browbeating a child to lie for his psychopath father.
Off with their heads!
More replies on pretty much the same story at: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2365187/posts

"Did somebody page me?"
I would add and the society of voyeurs who support it.
It looked like a hoax the minute the father opened his mouth.
How the sheriff found him in anyway credible is beyond me.
An infrared imaging would have been enough to prove the boy was not in the balloon.
Doncha wish there was a an "edit" button. :)
Thanks.. I did a search but for exaxct title.. On that one it’s Colo. , I used Colorado in the title search.. aargghh
Doesn't work that great through reflective mylar. However, while in flight the balloon did not appear to have any significant load in the compartment, judging from its flight dynamics. With a load, it would have at times swung like a pendulum. There was none of that.

Don't tell me you applied to Wife Swap .. and we got accepted?
Just our luck , you'll get a UFO chasing weatherman.. and I'll end up with a .. who knows?
“My husbands wife would (and did) say a bunch of terrible things about him and their *3 month* marriage. After 26 years with the man, I find most of it very hard to believe”
But I am guessing your husband never did things that raise suspicion or give credence to the lies. This guy have lived up to way beyond the ex girlfriend’s memories
Not only are his parents insane, he now knows that “journalists” are just plain stupid.
No doubt. But I’m sure some form of spectral analysis could have made the case in addition to the flight dynamics you described.
I understand the info cycle needs to run its course, but the national distress was pretty high. At home, we didn’t think much about the feasibility of the kid being airborne at the time, and were pretty upset about the prospect of the child getting killed or injured.
I was over visiting my folks watching this unfold on t.v. Having two small children myself I was almost moved to tears thinking the poor kid would fall out of the balloon from 5000 ft and go splat! on national television. Damn them for bringing a tear to my eyes!!! They should lock up him and his ole ladies ass.
They only were imitating ZeroBAma
Journalist whores... anything for a story and their cheap sleaze like porn. Oh, what was what Rahm said? Never leave a crisis wasted or something? Birds of a feather.
REality shows, I suppose, give a sort of edge on these fan wanting people.
Nope, American liberals are soon going to find that not everyone is allowed to become Michael Jackson or Zero on TV ... or who cares else comes to be able to reach the head of the marching Carnival and claim “leadership”.
It’s not nice to have one up on Zero, you see, this is a very racist family (sarc off)
Richard is going to get a different kind of ride in prison.
I bet the sheriff is not going to mention his “forensic experts” from now on. You know, the ones who read the Heenes’ body language and demeanor and assured him they were telling the truth.
The sheriff has admitted that he deliberately misled the media, so as to keep the Heenes thinking he still believed them. Easier to gather the evidence needed to lock these maniacs up. The sheriff and his experts knew as soon the first TV interview was underway, that the parents were lying and coaching the boys to lie. I support the sheriff’s decision here. His job is to get the evidence as quickly and efficiently as possible, not to keep the popcorn-gulping voyeuristic public informed about the progress of the investigation on a real-time basis.
I guarantee this whackjob will attempt to get a reality show deal for his prison stay. He won’t get it, but he’ll try. Pity the poor public defender who gets stuck representing him.
Lmao...yes, I do! I had to read it a couple of times before I got it. To be clear, the ex-wife, lol!
No it wouldn't. Aluminium foils screens IR
>> No it wouldn’t. Aluminium foils screens IR
You’re the 3rd FRiend to set me straight. I figured the carriage section was partitioned from the balloon and made of material that would allow for imaging.
“Aluminum foils” - pun intended?
It is now ;^)


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