Forgiveness of the Balloon Boy case: parents in the infamous saga forgiven by the governor of Colorado

Richard and Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty in 2009 after telling authorities that their 6-year-old son, Falcon, appropriately named, was inside a silver helium balloon that took off from their backyard. The flight of the balloon into the atmosphere was followed live by the media worldwide, and the story had a happy ending – Falcon was not in the balloon and was found safe at home.

The family reveled in the resulting media attention, but their story fell apart after an interview with CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. Repeating Blitzer’s question to his son, Richard Heene asked Falcon if he heard his parents call him as they searched the house. The boy said yes.

The authorities later accused the parents of committing a scam as part of an advertising ploy to promote themselves to a reality show.

Mayumi Heene pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for misrepresenting the authorities and spent 20 days in prison, and Richard Heene pleaded guilty to a charge of attempting to influence a public official and served 90 days in prison.

Polis, a Democrat who took office in 2019, offered forgiveness and said his parents paid the price in the public eye.

“In the case of Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of the ‘balloon boy’, we are all ready to overcome the spectacle of a decade ago that wasted the precious time and resources of the police and the general public,” said Polis in a statement. .

“Richard and Mayumi paid the price in the public eye, fulfilled their sentences and it’s time for all of us to move on. It’s time not to let a permanent criminal record of the balloon boy saga follow and drag the parents down for the rest. of their lives. “

In all, Polis pardoned 18 people and commuted the sentences of four others on Wednesday.