Breaking news: Balloon story IS a hoax (3 Felony charges expected) Now: wife battery

[Liberty Belle]

http://www.tmz.com/2009/10/17/balloon-boy-hoax-heene-robert-thomas/#


Robert Thomas claims, in an interview with Gawker, that Heene believed such a stunt would "be the most significant UFO-related news event to take place since the Roswell Crash of 1947."

Thomas said Heene was "driven by ego and fame" after appearing on "Wife Swap." He says Heene's idea for a show was something like "'MythBusters'-meets-mad scientist."

Thomas says he worked for Heene from March through May 2009.

Thomas came out earlier in the day saying he had proof the entire incident was a hoax and wanted to be paid for it. Gawker openly admits they did in fact pay Thomas.

He got the mad part right.

 

[Imzadi]

Thomas came out earlier in the day saying he had proof the entire incident was a hoax and wanted to be paid for it. Gawker openly admits they did in fact pay Thomas.

What was the proof? I know most of the polls around the country showed people suspected this was a hoax, but proving it, might have been impossible.

I'm glad the sherrif stuck with the investigation - and he didn't give many details in his news announcement. He kind of said for everybody to follow the bread crumbs to draw the rightful conclusions and wait for this all to finally, officially come out.

 

[The Orchid]

And the poor kid was puking on tv during interviews. I think CPS should get involved.

I am just disgusted that the kid started to puke and they continued with the interview! If I were on TV and my child got sick, I would immediately tell the interviewer, "Sorry, my child is sick, can we do this another time?" What person in their right mind would let their child throw up all over TV? Just more exploitation of their children. These people make me sick. Like you, I hope CPS gets involved because the only chance these kids have to not become narcissistic redneck fools like their dad is to be raised in a home and not a circus.

 

[SamRoc]

But i am still wondering which sleazy television reality station will give this people a show. There is so much garbage on tv. As they say bad publicity is better than no publicity.

 

[Imzadi]

If I were on TV and my child got sick, I would immediately tell the interviewer, "Sorry, my child is sick, can we do this another time?" What person in their right mind would let their child throw up all over TV?

What's really ironic is that when Wolfe Blitzer on Larry King asked the dad to clarify what the kid meant when he said they did it for the show, and the dad said, "Look, I didn't even want to come on this show." but, he didn't have any problem being on the various morning shows and even Inside Edition(?) and some other cable news show later that afternoon.

First of all, if you know your kid said something that was misunderstood, wouldn't you want him to clarify it? Wouldn't you say, "What show? Do you mean... or...? And give the chance to say, "Oh yeah, I mean, umm we have to come on the show to tell why I was hiding, not I was hiding to be on a show."

Second, (I dont think there are Youtube clips,) but if you look at the expression of one of the brothers, Bradford, in the red shirt, during the interview after the boy said that, you could tell he was really nervous or scared every time he looked at the dad. Like he was worried about how the dad was going to blow up when they got home.

 

[Mickey's Minion]

as of 10pm MDT, the sheriff's office is currently executing the search warrant. Local news reports that there are investigators on both floors of the house. There are reports of camera flashes going off in most of the rooms.

 

[PrincessMickey]

Sherriff's Office will be holding a news conference at 11AM Sunday local time.

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=125278&catid=339

If I remember correctly on 9 news last night the Sherriff did say that CPS would also be investigating.

 

[kydisneyfans]

I also believe that every tax dollar used for this "search" and "chase" should be repaid to every government entity involved by the family. That is on top of the CPS interviews.

 

[MsDisney23]

I've seen enough of those parents on TV.. The father makes me just sick, Yes CPS needs to get involved.

 

[OceanAnnie]

I also believe that every tax dollar used for this "search" and "chase" should be repaid to every government entity involved by the family. That is on top of the CPS interviews.

I do too. But how is the question. It seems they weren't doing well financially. The father's business was drying up. I don't recall where I read that. Maybe it was the Robert Thomas interview.

Robert Thomas claims to have the transcripts of all of Mr. Heene's ideas to pitch a show and the hoax was part of the transcripts. Mr. Thomas was surprised Mr. Heene added his son to the scheme (UFO turned balloon boy).

Mr. Heene is in a world of trouble. The authorities are looking into ways to add charges as the misdemeanor charges doesn't seem like very much in light of what transpired. He may be facing jail time when it's all said and done.

 

[Disney1fan2002]

I do too. But how is the question.

Well, they're just going to have to figure that one out. My dad was billed $560 for the ambulance that rushed my mom to the hospital. She was not breathing and my dad performed CPR and got her breathing, the paramedics came, they lost her again in the ambulance and couldn't bring her back. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

At the time, I was so angry, he got the bill two weeks after we buried her. I remember thinking how nice of them to bill him, when they couldn't even save her!!!

I said it in anger, and I don't blame them at all, I just didn't think it was fair my dad had to pay that bill. He had no money. He didn't even have life insurance on my mom. So, too bad if the Heene's don't have the money. They need to be billed for every cent of this. Not the tax payers.

 

[OceanAnnie]

Well, they're just going to have to figure that one out. My dad was billed $560 for the ambulance that rushed my mom to the hospital. She was not breathing and my dad performed CPR and got her breathing, the paramedics came, they lost her again in the ambulance and couldn't bring her back. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

At the time, I was so angry, he got the bill two weeks after we buried her. I remember thinking how nice of them to bill him, when they couldn't even save her!!!

I said it in anger, and I don't blame them at all, I just didn't think it was fair my dad had to pay that bill. He had no money. He didn't even have life insurance on my mom. So, too bad if the Heene's don't have the money. They need to be billed for every cent of this. Not the tax payers.

I'm sorry about your mom. And for what you and your poor dad had to go through.

I agree. Bill them. Just don't know how they'll come up with the money. That's all.

 

[talulabelle]

On the Today Show where the kid threw up I watched the clip over and over and that kid stuck his finger down his throat to throw up. And the mom had a container ready for him to puke in. That makes me think the parents put him up to getting sick to pull sympathy and distract from the "we did it for a show" comment.

CPS definately needs to get involved every single one person in that family looked high on something. All 3 kids just laid there and the parents eyes were barely open.

When he was interviewed with Meredith Viera, he looked out of it and sleepy adn trying to sleep against his father, then he got that "I'm gonna vomit look" in his eyes and asked for a cup - my thought was more that the parents drugged him with something so that he would sleep through the interview and not be able to answer questions - only it made him ill instead. I couldn't foprce my kids to vomit on demand or stick a finger down their throats for all the tea in China - I really felt like they gave him something - I wish a toxicology test would have been down right away.

 

[Carly_Roach]

What was the proof?

Absolutely. The article posted by the OP says:

Alderden said Friday that they planned to re-interview the family as speculation mounted that the incident was staged.

"We feel it's incumbent on us as an agency to attempt to re-interview them and establish whether this is in fact a hoax or actual event," he said.

"We believe at this time that it's a real event."

Personally I don't see why people are still talking about this. Hoax, accident, family lying, family not lying, why the heck should I care? The boy is safe. No one was hurt. That's all that matters. Moving on.

I do have to admit that I get a chuckle out of those giving their attention to someone they're outraged over because they feel this stunt was pulled to get attention. Paradox in motion. For those who say they can't help it because it's all that's on the news, I have to say yes you CAN help it: finger - power button - box off.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I read an interview with the "swapped" wife from the other family. She said they were paid $20,000 to do one Wife Swap episode and a little more than that for a second.

So they got at least $40,000 to appear on Wife Swap. I don't know whether that amount is for the whole family or per person, but either way, that's not a bad pay day. I haven't seen or heard anything about how this Heene character is supporting his family now, so he definitely had incentive to pull a publicity stunt in the hopes of landing more TV work.

 

[talulabelle]

Not only was he puking but the mom didn't flinch, sat there & watched!???? I jump if a cup of water is knocked over, I run ( & gag) when there's puke involved.

The mom not flinching didn't raise any flags for me...I'm a mom and I've seen and caught ALOT of vomit and I don't want to alarm my child who is sick and make it worse, so I am usually stonefaced through it....the fact he WAS sick is more of a red flag to me.

 

[Nancyg56]

Absolutely. The article posted by the OP says:

Personally I don't see why people are still talking about this. Hoax, accident, family lying, family not lying, why the heck should I care? The boy is safe. No one was hurt. That's all that matters. Moving on.

I do have to admit that I get a chuckle out of those giving their attention to someone they're outraged over because they feel this stunt was pulled to get attention. Paradox in motion. For those who say they can't help it because it's all that's on the news, I have to say yes you CAN help it: finger - power button - box off.

I understand that no one was hurt, thank goodness but Holy Smokes! The cost of this little misadventure is gynormous! Who do you think pays for this? That is why we are outraged, rescue workers were mobilized, NORAD was tracking that contraption, aircraft were diverted and airports on alert, teh FAA tracking for two hours, the military and the national Guard were involved..... not only expensive but derailing personnel form any other emergency that may have occurred. Not to mention the inconvenience of those folks flying that day.

He also pointed out that investigations showed the Dad had called the FAA first. Then the local 9 news station, asking them if they had a helicopter to follow the balloon. I'm sure he'd figure they'd bring a news camera along, too.

Finally, they called 911 third, after about 20 minutes from the first call. Yeah, these parents were really concerned for Balloon Boy flying away.

I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until that little tidbit. Your son may be sailing away in some sort of helium saucer thing and you are calling the news stations? I don't think so.

I also believe that every tax dollar used for this "search" and "chase" should be repaid to every government entity involved by the family. That is on top of the CPS interviews.

 

[talulabelle]

Oh geez, I just watched some clips from them on Wifeswap and they are all insane. The Dad is a crazy loose cannon....I haven't watched wifeswap in some time, but my goodness how they have sunk to bizarre levels. He was throwing food and milk onto the woman that was swapped to his house. If that is how he acts on national tv with people watching, I would be scared to know what he did to the poor boy when they got home from the LKL interview...no wonder the kid threw up.

 

[Nik's Mom]

Well, they're just going to have to figure that one out. My dad was billed $560 for the ambulance that rushed my mom to the hospital. She was not breathing and my dad performed CPR and got her breathing, the paramedics came, they lost her again in the ambulance and couldn't bring her back. She was pronounced dead at the hospital.

At the time, I was so angry, he got the bill two weeks after we buried her. I remember thinking how nice of them to bill him, when they couldn't even save her!!!

I said it in anger, and I don't blame them at all, I just didn't think it was fair my dad had to pay that bill. He had no money. He didn't even have life insurance on my mom. So, too bad if the Heene's don't have the money. They need to be billed for every cent of this. Not the tax payers.

I totally agree that the parents should be billed for every last penny! On a side note, the same thing that happened to you also happened when my Dad died. My mom was billed for the ambulance and also for the hospital bill because they worked on him when he arrived. But when we got the full details, Dad's time of death was declared before he even got to the hospital. So why did my Mom have to pay for a hospital bill on a dead person?!

Back to the original story though. Those parents are sick people!

 

[MissFitt]

Lock 'em up and throw away the keys...and get CPS to get those kids away from those parents. I know if my kid was throwing up I wouldn't be continuing an interview nor would I be running off to do another! These are NOT parents!

It's not as someone said earlier, nobody got hurt...how do you know? Maybe there was someone in cardiac arrest who needed an ambulance but the emergency vehicle was too busy responding to this hoax...that is why there are consequences to filing a false report.

I hope the media learns a terrific lesson from this but chances are, they won't