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Colo. Sheriff Calls Balloon Saga A Hoax
AP Report ^ | October 18th 2009

Posted on 10/18/2009 10:09:18 AM PDT by Steelfish

Colo. sheriff calls balloon saga a hoax He says ordeal was staged to generate publicity for a reality TV show

FORT COLLINS. Colo. - A sheriff said he was pursuing criminal charges in Colorado's "balloon boy" saga, which he described Sunday as a hoax to generate publicity for a reality TV show.

Deputies searched the home of the boy's parents Saturday night, carrying away several boxes and a computer.

The boy's parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, met with Larimer County investigators for much of Saturday afternoon amid lingering questions about whether he perpetrated a publicity stunt when his 6-year-old son Falcon vanished into the rafters of his garage while the world thought he was zooming through the sky in a flying saucer-like helium balloon.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption
KEYWORDS: balloonboy; falconheene; hoax; scam
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1 posted on 10/18/2009 10:09:18 AM PDT by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

Some people are so stupid, even their very idea of success (making a fake U.F.O. and pretending to lose their kid in it) is stupid.


2 posted on 10/18/2009 10:11:50 AM PDT by Tax Government (Mighty nuts from tiny Acorns grow.)
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To: Steelfish

I was one of the few who said nice things and sent prayers on one of the live/immediate post-live threads.

I take them all back and the prayers are now for those poor children being raised by such awful people.


3 posted on 10/18/2009 10:12:36 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Communism comes to America: 1/20/2009. Keep your powder dry, folks. Sic semper tyrannis)
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To: moder_ator

Forgot to add “breaking news”


4 posted on 10/18/2009 10:13:29 AM PDT by Steelfish
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To: Steelfish

It may have been planned as a publicity stunt.

However, I doubt that he planned on the youngest son having appeared to have left with the craft.


5 posted on 10/18/2009 10:14:16 AM PDT by UCANSEE2
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To: Steelfish

Live press conf on right now with the sheriff- he’s visibily upset- actually- furious.

Unbelievable family.


6 posted on 10/18/2009 10:14:33 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: Steelfish

Several iterations of this story have been posted on FR since yesterday, so probably not “Breaking News....”


7 posted on 10/18/2009 10:14:36 AM PDT by library user
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To: Steelfish

This is such crap... who cares about balloon boy or his family?


8 posted on 10/18/2009 10:14:51 AM PDT by Roux (Ignorance can be cured but stupid is forever.)
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To: Steelfish

Fame and fortune, two really big motivators which have launched many a poorly conceived plan. The good thing is that they didn’t actually launch the kid off in the balloon to achieve realism.


9 posted on 10/18/2009 10:16:07 AM PDT by dog breath
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To: SE Mom

IMO, he should have been more skeptical early on. He looks like an incompetent dufus to be suddenly outraged 72 hours after it was obvious this was a hoax.


10 posted on 10/18/2009 10:16:21 AM PDT by library user
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To: Roux

They broke the law. They need to be prosecuted.


11 posted on 10/18/2009 10:16:45 AM PDT by BunnySlippers (I LOVE BULL MARKETS . . .)
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To: Steelfish

Since when do conservatives rush to judgement on the allegations of an LEO?

Perhaps or perhaps not, the family set this up.

This poster is not convinced. Any time a local official gets in front of national television and rails in any way on some sudden “tough” crackdown on this or that - fact is often it turns out to be driven in large part by political ambition.

Is the family seeking publicity.

Or is the sheriff?...


12 posted on 10/18/2009 10:17:10 AM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (2012: Repeal it all... All of it!)
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To: library user

The Charges:

Conspiracy; Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor; Filing a False Report etc......


13 posted on 10/18/2009 10:17:22 AM PDT by Steelfish
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To: Roux

Actually- it’s a fairly interesting story. It illustrates pretty well what the culture at large looks like...


14 posted on 10/18/2009 10:19:15 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

A little of both


15 posted on 10/18/2009 10:19:32 AM PDT by Homer1
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To: freedumb2003
I was with you, I have a six year old and was really upset and sympathizing with the parents helplessness at the time. We were pwned.

They will get a very hefty bill for the “rescue”, among other things they were too stupid to think about while punking the public.

16 posted on 10/18/2009 10:19:46 AM PDT by WV Mountain Mama (The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has limits. Einstein)
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To: Steelfish

They certainly had the sheriff and his investigators fooled.


17 posted on 10/18/2009 10:20:09 AM PDT by Radl
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To: BunnySlippers

They should be made to pay all the agencies for wasted hours and man power used.
The USAF, local Fire and SAR departments, the FAA for clearing airspace, the wheat field that got trashed for the rescue.
Maybe 2 Million should do it. Put them on the installment plan.


18 posted on 10/18/2009 10:20:17 AM PDT by Yorlik803 ( Better to die on your feet than live on your knees.)
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To: Steelfish

Wow! That’s what I get for thinking nobody could be this stupid.

This guy got his fame, but it’s going to take the form of shame.

Way to go numb n-ts.


19 posted on 10/18/2009 10:20:21 AM PDT by DoughtyOne (Deficit spending, trade deficits, unsecure mortages, worthless paper... ... not a problem. Oh yeah?)
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To: library user

You may be right- but his explanations were reasonable as to why they didn’t bring them into custody sooner.


20 posted on 10/18/2009 10:20:47 AM PDT by SE Mom (Proud mom of an Iraq war combat vet)
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