Balloon Boy mother admits hoax
- 00:01:49
- ITN
Balloon Boy mother admits hoax
The controversial 'Balloon Boy' incident was a hoax according to the mother of 6-year-old Falcon Heene, following the publication of court documents. According to a copy of a search warrant released on Friday and posted on the website of The Coloradoan newspaper, Mayumi Heene told investigators she and her husband lied to authorities. The live television images of the silver saucer-like balloon soaring through the Colorado skies captivated audiences until the boy turned up in the family's attic. Public sympathy turned to outrage when the family's account began to unravel. The search warrant states: "The motive for the fabricated story was to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest". Larimer County Sheriff Jim Aldersen has recommended Mayumi and her husband Richard face misdemeanour charges. If found guilty they could face up to six years in jail.
ITN | October 24, 2009
