From the Mouths of Babes: Balloon Boy’s Statement May Lead to Charges For Parents

Sheriff Jim Alderden of Larimer County appears on the verge of charging Richard and Mayumi Heene with a criminal hoax after their six-year-old son Falcon made a revealing statement during an interview on CNN. In the meantime, Falcon is saying a bit too much in another forum: the video below where he raps about “killing the faggot.”

The suspicion of sheriff was aroused during an episode of CNN’s “Larry King Live” when the Heenes asked their son why he had not come out from hiding when they called his name. He responded “You guys said we did this for the show.”

Their attorney, Denver David Lane, gave a guarded response to the news, which he called speculation: “All I’m saying if you’ve got some reason to arrest him, let me know, he’ll turn himself in. If you got the goods, just tell me.” The biggest problem for Lane in any trial would be Richard Heene’s tearful reunion with Falcon and his emotinal first interview. If there is evidence of fraud, a jury would be outraged by such a video. A judge in a bench trial would be equally angered.

The goods may come in part from 25-year-old researcher Robert Thomas who worked with Richard Heene and said that, while a student at Colorado State University, he worked for Heene as a “stenographer” taking down Heene’s ideas for reality shows. He told Gawker that Heene told him that it would be easy to stage a Roswell UFO incident with a weather balloon.

Frankly, that would not be enough. Weather balloons are commonly mistaken for UFOs and it is far from sinister to observe that such a thing could be staged. The mere fact that a weather balloon was involved in this controversy could be a coincidence.

What adds to the suspicion is the family context. These are two trained actors who were so desperate for fame that they participated in the reality show “Wife Swap.” They have also been pitching a reality show based on their family. Such a controversy could result in heightened interest in such a show. However, this remains highly circumstantial stuff. . . which leads the investigators back to Falcon. If Richard Heene relied on a six-year-old in a hoax, he is not only a poor father but a poor criminal.

The parents could pay dearly for any hoax. They could be charged with conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and attempting to influence a public servant as well as filing a false police report. They would also be subject for payment of the costs from the balloon chase and search. Finally, if they accepted any gifts or money during the controversy, there could be fraud charges.

In the meantime, the children — ages 6, 8, and 10 — are shown in a rap video with their parents that has some disturbing elements like singing “kill the faggot” in a tree.

For the latest story, click here and here.