Parents convicted in 2009 'balloon boy' hoax pardoned

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Parents convicted in 2009 ‘balloon boy’ hoax pardoned

December 23, 2020

DENVER (AP) — A couple convicted of criminal charges in the so-called balloon boy hoax that fascinated the country more than a decade ago were pardoned Wednesday by the governor of Colorado.

Richard and Mayumi Heene reported their 6-year-old son had floated away in an homemade UFO-shaped silver helium balloon in 2009.

Dozens of emergency responders and two Colorado National Guard helicopters scrambled to save the boy as video footage of the enormous balloon floating far above the ground made national news.

But the child was never on the balloon, and he was later found unharmed at his home in Fort Collins, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) north of Denver. Authorities said the Heenes staged the ordeal to get publicity for reality TV shows they were trying to pitch.

Eleven years later, couple has now “paid the price in the eyes of the public” and shouldn’t have to be dragged down by a criminal record for the rest of their lives, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said in a statement Wednesday.

-snip-

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/us-news-colorado-denver-fa2071fb9e5a32a668654919bc729eda

[Chemisse]

1. If only they were all this benign. n/t

[Ms. Toad]

5. Not a Trump pardon n/t

[Chemisse]

6. Good point. n/t

[JI7]

2. That video of Wolf Blitzer interviewing them and the boy letting out the truth is hilarious

[MissB]

9. That was classic

And probably the last time Blitzer asked a relevant question.

[pandr32]

10. I remember watching it!

"Who the hell's Wolf?" said the boy.

[applegrove]

3. Bad parents get pardonned. What will Trump think of next.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

8. Not a Trump pardon - Gov. of Colorado.

[applegrove]

13. That's bad too. Thanks for clearing that up. Sometimes i read too fast.

[torius]

4. Make them send Twitler

off on a balloon to Mars before they get the pardon.

[boston bean]

7. I had totally forgotten about this.

[Arne]

11. It Was a good story.

Don't think they realized it would blow up, pun intended.
I'm ok with the long time they've been punished.

[Raine]

12. CNN sure got played on that one

if I remember correctly.

[ecstatic]

14. lmao! I came here expecting to see trump's name

as the pardoner. Anyway. Whatever. So tired of our selective justice system.