US parents pardoned for bizarre ‘balloon boy’ hoax that fooled millions worldwide
- Richard and Mayumi Heene falsely claimed in 2009 that their six-year-old son Falcon had floated away in a home-made balloon shaped like a flying saucer
- The couple were accused of trying to use the publicity to land their own reality TV series
Two Colorado parents jailed for falsely claiming their six-year-old son Falcon had floated away in a home-made 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 (110km).
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 on Wednesday by Governor Jared Polis.
“It’s time to no longer let a permanent criminal record from the balloon boy saga follow and drag down the parents for the rest of their lives,” wrote Polis in a statement, saying the pair had “paid the price in the eyes of the public”.
