He is a Harry Porter look-alike who with his family, conspired to keep the world gasping in prayers for his safety, as a helium filled UFO-like balloon floated over the skies of Colorado; supposedly with him trapped inside? The cat was somehow let out of the bag when the innocent little boy blurted out on CNN Larry King Live, that they did it for show! In Falcon Heene's very own words, retorting to his dad, he said, "you had said we did this for a show?" His flabbergasted parents were shocked to hear their dark concocted story laid bare and every effort at putting the genie back into the bottle was rather too late; and now the authorities in Colorado are planning a felony charge indictment for the 'gone with the balloon' hoax of the year!
Icheoku says, what would people not do just for their 15 minutes fame and few thousands of dollars from a prospective reality television show? Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of the six year old-boy, Falcon Heene are known for their lust for fame and money having appeared in Wife Swap and were allegedly marketing a reality TV show with some studios in Los Angeles? They came up with an elaborate hoax to attract the most airtime free publicity by alarming that their boy had become airborne in a helium filled balloon contraption?
Icheoku says, the bad thing about such hoax as this is that someday, a more serious situation might arise with disillusioned populace and media saying it might just be another hoax thereby loosing some valuable time before help could be summoned. Now it is being said that the boy may not have even been hiding in the attics as claimed, during the intense five-hour search for him on Thursday, October 16, 2009? Falcon Heene may have been two blocks down the road playing on the swing in the city park when the whole safety and emergency team Colorado could muster were pursuing a passenger-less balloon, floating high in the skies of Colorado?
The scam temporarily shut down Denver International Airport and caused the National Guard to scramble two helicopters in an attempt to rescue a boy, believed to be trapped inside the flying-saucer like homemade balloon; that coasted more than 50 miles across two counties before finally deflating for a touchdown; but did not produce the object of the find and rescue effort? When the boy was not found, he was thought to have fallen out somewhere along the 50 miles ride and hence began the grim search for his body. The hoax played out on live television to millions of viewers worldwide.
The parents are facing charges including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities and attempting to influence a public servant. Federal charges were also possible since aviation was implicated leading to the scrambling of two National Guards helicopters to join the find and rescue effort. If convicted, the parents face up to six years in prison and a fine of $500,000.00? Icheoku asks, was it worth it, Mr Richard and Mayumi Heene?
What a way to raise children, teaching their three young boys how to be trained liars and lying to authorities at ages 10, 8 and six? According to reports, the three Heene's sons knew of the hoax and one of them had told authorities that he saw his brother get inside the balloon's undercarriage shortly before it launched into air. However their very young age precludes any charges from being brought against them, being minors. What a dysfunctional family who craved to live in the limelight so much that they would cause such a global pandemonium just for their selfish interest? All just for lights, camera and action! A crazed-out parents who would readily co-opt their very young children into a scheme of lying to the authorities, in their futile attempt at pulling off the biggest hoax of the century? Icheoku says, shame on you Mr. Richard and Mrs Mayumi Heene!