US parents in bizarre 'balloon boy' hoax granted pardon [View all]
Published December 24, 2020
Written by Agence France-Presse
?width=1245&quality=85&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C98&height=700
Two Colorado parents jailed for falsely claiming their six-year-old son Falcon had floated away in a homemade balloon shaped like a flying saucer have been granted pardons by the western US state's governor.
Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty in 2009 to the "balloon boy" hoax, which became a worldwide media sensation with millions watching live as the silver helium balloon drifted through the skies for 70 miles (110 kilometers).
The October 2009 incident ended after five hours when the grounded balloon was found to be empty and Falcon emerged from a hiding place at the family home.
The husband and wife, accused by prosecutors of plotting to use the publicity to land the family their own reality television series, were pardoned Wednesday by Governor Jared Polis.
https://www.rawstory.com/us-parents-in-bizarre-balloon-boy-hoax-granted-pardon/
= new reply since forum marked as read