
My friends tell me I’m crazy, but I am still not 100% convinced this was “THE Hoax” – I am still teetering on the edge of the dress rehearsal Hoax for the real hoax. We have all seen the clips and know that Richard Heene is an out of control publicity freak trying to find a way to pitch a “reality ” show through a stunt, or hoax and now, even a conspiracy.
The guy seems to have an abusive temper, as shown when kicking something when that balloon was either launched or got away – and by the accounts of one of the wife swap wives, he has a mean streak and a lust for being a mad scientist, and is an avid publicity seeker, but does it show that this was actually the publicity stunt they aimed for, or was this a screw up before the publicity stunt they aimed for?
Until one of the older kids comes out and finally says we lied about our brother being in the balloom because our dad told us to, thats when I will believe this was not a “before the actual “publicity stunt screw up” . Though those kids at this point are being prepped and guilt tripped all weekend by their folks not to say anything to implicate their dad and mom or they will be orphans. I watched Mayumi stroking her one child’s arm so lovingly in one interview, she clearly loves her children, and one wonders, does she stay so silent because she is a battered wife afraid of her husband’s temper, or is she afraid of arrest? I do see a lot of love for the kids, but is that love abusive and controlling or both? And the bigger question, was THIS the actual UFO stunt Richard wanted to bring in for publicity at all costs even the possibility of jail time and massive fines for this hoax going wrong, or did he think through all the ramifications for saying a child was missing in a flying balloon – didn’t he think of possible theories with his scientific mind?
Below is article on the Hoax out today by AP – my comments in blue:
By DAN ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writers Dan Elliott, Associated Press Writers –
20 mins ago
FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Investigators say they want to question an associate of Richard Heene after e-mails surfaced showing the two had discussed a balloon hoax months ago as part of a public relations campaign for a reality TV show. (discussion does not mean guilt unless the same incident with a missing child in balloon is written and described in the emails)
Investigators said they want to interview Robert Thomas, a Denver man who claimed Heene had told him he was planning a media stunt to promote a proposed reality show. Thomas, a self-described researcher, sold his story to Gawker.com and provided the Web site with e-mail exchanges between him and Heene. Thomas said the show would feature Heene as a mad scientist who carries out various scientific experiments.
(while this part does not surprise me, the underlying issue is, did he tell Falson to hide and pretend Falcon was in the balloon for publicity? Let’s see the emails)
“This will be the most significant UFO-related news event to take place since the Roswell Crash of 1947, and the result will be a dramatic increase in local and national awareness about The Heene Family, our Reality Series, as well as the UFO Phenomenon in general,” according to a copy of the show’s proposal provided to the site by Thomas. (how is a missing child a UFO event? Was it determined a missing child was picked up by alien aircraft and whisked away?) I should be their attorney
Gawker.com editor-in-chief Gabriel Snyder confirmed the New York-based Web site paid Thomas, but declined to say how much for the story billed with the headline: “Exclusive: I Helped Richard Heene Plan a Balloon Hoax.” (no doubt Richard was a publicity whore, and sure he had a plan, but was this the actual hoax involving a missing child? – a 6 year old with rabid ADD who might tell the truth to the press?)
Snyder said Thomas was planning to meet with investigators Sunday night, though sheriff’s officials did not return messages seeking confirmation.
Thomas, 25, said in his Gawker.com story that the plan he knew about did not involve Heene’s children.
this is my point – would Henne use his an unreliable kid for the actual hoax?
The alleged stunt temporarily shut down Denver International Airport, and the National Guard provided two helicopters in an attempt to rescue 6-year-old Falcon Heene, who was believed to be inside the flying-saucer shaped homemade balloon that hurtled more than 50 miles across two counties. The drama played out on live television to millions of viewers worldwide. When the balloon landed without the boy, officials thought he had fallen out and began the grim search for his body. (the father sounded quite distressed on his 911 call and was it calculated that he called FAA first to be on the look out and called a news station because they had a heliocopter to look for the balloon before calling 911? He was smart to call in that sequence if he thought his son was missing or for a publicity stunt. To call 911 first would have meant wasted time on the phone because the FAA would immediately seek something skyward – that sounds like a well thought out sequence, or was it a plan? (guilt points if it was part of hoax)
Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden announced Sunday that he’s seeking charges, including felonies, against Richard Heene and his wife, Mayumi. Alderden said the stunt two weeks in the planning was a marketing ploy by the Heenes, who met in acting school in Hollywood and have appeared on ABC’s reality show “Wife Swap.” (again. yes they planned the stunt but was this the UFO hoax they intended at this time?
“We certainly know that there’s a conspiracy between the husband and wife, you’ve probably seen some of the e-mails and some of the things on the Internet suggesting that there may be other conspirators,” Alderden said.
Alderden said documents show that a media outlet has agreed to pay money to the Heenes with regard to the balloon incident. Alderden didn’t name the media outlet but said it was a show that blurs “the line between entertainment and news.” (Clearly we need to see if they involved using a child in a balloon to implicate the Heenes)
It wasn’t clear whether the deal was signed before or after the alleged hoax, or whether the media outlet was a possible conspirator. (timing will be essential) Let’s call it (my statement) short of speculation that a media outlet was in on the hoax, but let’s not discount the possibility,” he said.
In an e-mail Sunday to the AP, Snyder said editors at Gawker.com had not contacted the Heene family or offered them money for their story, referring to Alderden’s reference to a deal being struck by a media outlet.”No, that wasn’t us,” Snyder said. The parents weren’t under arrest, the sheriff said. He said he expected to recommend charges of conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities and attempting to influence a public servant. Federal charges were also possible. (hope they are “lawyering up” - they have a lot to prove.)
The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine. Alderden said they would be seeking restitution for the costs, though he didn’t have an estimate. The cost for just the two military helicopters was about $14,500. As Alderden told reporters Sunday that the whole thing was a hoax, the Heenes were shopping for snacks at Wal-Mart, where Richard Heene told the AP he was “seeking counsel.”On Monday, the couple’s attorney, David Lane, appeared on the “Today” show on NBC, saying he expects authorities to file charges against the 6-year-old’s parents late Monday or sometime Tuesday. Lane also said the couple are willing to voluntarily turn themselves in to face charges. “These folks are absolutely willing to turn themselves in, so I don’t want to see a perp walk done for media consumption. I don’t think it’s humane to arrest someone in front of their children,” Lane also said Monday, appearing on “The Early Show” CBS. “We’re not sure what charges he’s looking at yet.” (This is key)
In a statement issued Sunday, Lane he has advised the family against making public statements. Once investigators got a good look at the “flying saucer” they determined that the thin mylar balloon covered with foil and held together with duct tape would not have been able to launch with the 37-pound-boy inside, according to Colorado State University physics professor Brian Jones. (though another “expert” said it could carry up to 80 lbs and Falcon weighs 37lbs)
Other parts of the story, including whether the 6-year-old had been hiding in the rafters of the family’s garage during an intense five-hour search also weren’t true, (now this does make it look like a hoax if they prove where Falcon was and why he was awy for 6 hours, who had him?)
Alderden said. “For all we know he may have been two blocks down the road playing on the swing in the city park,” the sheriff said. (this evidence crucial, was their intent of committing a hoax by Falcon being asked to hide and who told him to hide and for how long – implication points there if true)
The sheriff said all three of the Heenes’ sons knew of the hoax, (but was this particular day, the day of the actual hoax or a big screw up??? – One can see by the way Falcon pukes, he is sensitive to his fathers moods and anger, if Falcon comes out and says his dad told him to hide for 6 hours, I am sold on guilt. Otherwise this was dress rehearsal for UFO stunt) – but likely won’t face charges because of their ages. The oldest son is 10. One of the boys told investigators he saw his brother get in the balloon’s box before it launched.(another statement that needs to be expanded – when the older kid admits that their father told him to say Falcon was up in the balloon and helped him hide, then, I will be completely convinced – Falcon’s attention span is so whack that he can’ sit still for 3 minutes without squirming, how did he manage to hide for 6 hours, and with whose help, another crucial guilt point if true)
Alderden said Heene, a 48-year-old storm chaser, inventor and self-described amateur scientist, has a high school education and most recently earned a living by laying tile. Alderden said investigators had an “aha” moment that the story was a hoax when Falcon turned to his father during a CNN interview Thursday and said what sounded like “you had said we did this for a show” when asked why he didn’t come out of his hiding place.
On Friday, Falcon got sick during two separate TV interviews when asked again why he hid.(this kid seems to feel miserably guilty – like he knows he is lying and doesn’t know what to do or say to protect his folks because he knows his father will spew magma, (guilt points)
Alderden said they didn’t question the family Friday because they wanted to keep the family’s cooperation by maintaining the appearance that they believed their story. Records show that police have responded to the house at least twice in the past year, including a possible domestic violence incident in February. No charges were filed.Alderden said officials tried Saturday to persuade Mayumi Heene, 45, to go to a safe house, but she declined. (Am I the only one who thought Mayumi looks like someone with battered wife syndrome, especially when it was suggested during the Diane Sawyer tv interview that she go and help her vomiting son in the bathroom – she seemed very submissive – never allowed to comment)
Alderden said the children were still with the parents Sunday and that child protective services had been contacted to investigate their well-being. On “Wife Swap,” Heene was portrayed as erratic, at one point throwing a glass of milk on a participant on the program. “Clearly, from all indications, Mr. Heene has somewhat of a temper,” Alderden said.|(one of the wife swap wives paired with him said on an interview, she thought he was out of control and had a horrible temper, but she did not think it was a hoax because he loved the kids and would not put them at risk for harm. She also said he was a diabetic who did not keep his insulin under control and she said it was like watching a fire rage, then immediately burn out at times.)
The producer of “Wife Swap” said it had a show in development with the Heenes but the deal is now off. TLC also said Heene had pitched a reality show to the network months ago, but it passed on the offer.
Again, when was this deal made? Before or after and how was it pitched to TLC, we need to see the wording — I am still waiting for the results, was THIS how Heene was going to get his big publicity, or was this a stunt/hoax gone awry and one little child is going to pay with tremendous guilt for the rest of his life when he realizes he has told the truth, but angered his father and now the parents face multiple charges and costs, the kids might be put into foster care, and how can the parents deal and pay for all this — unless of course, they end up with a future reality show!
P/S, , it’s two days later and a full investigation is coming and I think I am wrong, they must have drugged that kid and faked it, the folks were willing to surrender, Now they will give them a reality show I bet