Parents convicted in 2009 'balloon boy' hoax pardoned A couple convicted of criminal charges in the so-called balloon boy hoax that fascinated the country more than a decade ago were pardoned Wednesday by the governor of ColoradoDENVER -- A couple convicted of criminal charges in the so-called balloon boy hoax that fascinated the country more than a decade ago were pardoned Wednesday by the governor of Colorado. Richard and Mayumi Heene reported their 6-year-old son had floated away in an homemade UFO-shaped silver helium balloon in 2009. Dozens of emergency responders and two Colorado National Guard helicopters scrambled to save the boy as video footage of the enormous balloon floating far above the ground made national news. “We are all ready to move past the spectacle from a decade ago,” said Polis, a first-term Democrat. The couple told ABC News last year that it wasn't a hoax because they truly feared their son could have been aboard the balloon when they called for help.

Source: ABC News December 23, 2020 21:11 UTC