Balloon Boy's Parents Willing to Surrender

By Morgan Mayhew on October 19, 2009

In an obvious turn of events, the Associated Press is reporting that an attorney for Richard and Mayumi Heene are willing to turn themselves in if Colorado prosecutor’s file charges against the parenting duo who claimed their son had stowed away aboard a UFO-like balloon.

Heene’s hoax was blown wide open with the site, Gawker, paid for a story from a Fort Collins student, Robert Thomas, who previously worked with Heene on scientific research. Thomas admits that he eventually became a stenographer for the hyperactive father who created the Balloon Boy hoax.

Thomas noted in his exclusive to Gawker:

Richard, on the other hand, was often driven by ego and fame. He was all about controversy, hoping to whip up something significant enough to eliminate our reality TV competitors. He wanted episodes that would shock people and maximize his exposure. And he'd been trying for months. On several occasions, he sat down and told me he'd do whatever it took to make it happen — to win. He eventually resorted to extreme measures.

Now with the hoax exposed, Colorado authorities are not happy with the Heenes but are also turning an eye toward the media. Larimer County Sherriff Jim Alderden made it clear that the saga “is a hoax, that it was a publicity stunt” but is also unhappy with the media whom he feels may have been in on it.