Posted on 10/16/2009 7:53:50 AM PDT by GoldStandard
Colorado authorities met Friday morning to discuss whether they should investigate suspicions a family that claimed their six-year-old boy was trapped in an experimental, saucer-shaped ballon set up the international spectacle.
Colorado authorities chased the balloon for three hours, across several counties believing the boy was trapped inside, while television cameras followed the silver balloon's every dip and dive.
When the balloon finally landed in a farmer's field about 80 kilometres southeast of the boy's home in Fort Collins, Colo., they found no child inside and speculation immediately began that he may have fallen out during the flight.
But Falcon Heene was hiding in the attic and now suggestions are swirling the whole thing may have been a hoax.
Larimer County Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Deputy Kathy Messick said the county sheriff was meeting with investigators and command staff to discuss their next investigative moves.
"They want to determine if there is something else going on besides what they presented to us initially," said Messick, in an interview with Canwest News Service. "Some people think it's a hoax and we are going to determine whether we are going to go down that avenue."
(Excerpt) Read more at vancouversun.com ...
Those doughnuts dull your brain.
Just watch the video of Wolf Blitzer asking Daddy to ask the kid what he meant by the ‘we did it for show’ comment. They guy is lying out of both sides of his face.
I imagine they had a pretty good idea from the beginning that there was a strong possibility of a hoax. They probably just wanted to give the parents some rope to hang themselves with, so to speak. Otherwise if they had said they suspected a hoax from the beginning, the family might well have shut up and not talk to the media. At least not without rehearsing their story a few more times.
Sort of like Colombo saying to the killer “oh no, you’re not a suspect, i just need to ask you some questions to tie up a few loose ends here for the report.”
Bill ‘em Danno!
I thot Daddy was lying, too. The minute he is asked, he turns and accuses Larry King or Wolf or whoever is inquiring/ kind of defensive, if you ask me. Especially with their background of thrill-seeking, attention-seeking.
They can’t cross-examine the kid and can’t prove anything, so they should just leave it alone.
Maybe a hoax...but....let it go.
I was amazed at the speed the ballon was flying.
Much faster than the 25 mph average estimated on TV.
I hate to say it, but look at how many “news” stations carried it BEFORE vetting it to make sure that it was a real story. The police had no other option but to make sure that the kid was safe. The media drives stories and unfortunately stories drives what others must do.
If these are the same brand of Colorado cops that investigated Jon Benet Ramsey’s disappearance, responded to Columbine and enforce the Denver pit bull ban, this whole thing is apt to end up with the helium distributor’s brother’s siamese cat being euthanized.
The only good thing about this stunt was that it preempted Obama’s visit to New Orleans on cable news.
I would be very angry if I missed a flight because the airport was shut down. Denver is a major hub.
...that family will not receive any sympathy....Americans don’t like to be “punked”
I too suspect that this is a hoax, but I could be wrong. Still, it is incumbent upon the authorities to investigate. If it turns out this was a hoax, the parents oughta be compelled to reimburse the cost of looking for their kid. And maybe some jail time for fraud? I don’t know, but certainly, there should be some punishment if this was a scam.
Like I said on another thread, if the balloon is tethered in the back yard, for this little tike to crawl in, hed have to pull it down to ground level.
If he could pull it down, assuming he wasnt using some sort of pulley system, then it wouldnt lift him. Period...
Like I said on another thread, if the balloon is tethered in the back yard, for this little tike to crawl in, hed have to pull it down to ground level.
If he could pull it down, assuming he wasnt using some sort of pulley system, then it wouldnt lift him. Period...
Am I wrong or were the father and mother on Wife Swap? If so; the father has a really bad temper. I would be wary of him.
Hospital Nurse Administrator: "And what will you be naming the child?"
Mother: "Why Falcon, of course."
More “uh’s” in Daddy’s response than a dual press conference with Hillary Clinton and Caroline Kennedy.....
I’ve wondered a couple of times if the thing got loose by accident so they they cooked up the story so authorities would help get it back.
I was sick to my stomach and could almost picture the poor kid hanging from this thing and then jumping in terror or something.
If it turns out to be a hoax I hope the Dad get’s jail time. If not, I hope they recover quickly and do well.
Id did some calcs this morning and this thing had about 100 pounds of lift minus the weight of the ballon and attached ropes so it certainly COULD have carried the boy.
The father would have CERTAINLY known the exact amount of lift it had within 10lbs or so.
I don’t care if they investigate anyone as long as the send the family a bill for their rescue efforts...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.