Mayumi Heene: Ballon Boy mom Gives Up The Goods

Mayumi Heene says she knew her son Falcon was hiding, according to court documents.

DENVER The mother of the 6-year-old boy once feared missing inside a runaway helium balloon admitted the whole saga was a hoax, according to court documents released Friday.

Mayumi Heene told sheriff's deputies that she and her husband Richard "knew all along that Falcon was hiding in the residence" in Fort Collins, according to an affidavit used to get a search warrant for the home.

She allegedly told investigators the incident was a hoax meant to make them more marketable to the media.

"Mayumi described that she and Richard Heene devised this hoax approximately two weeks earlier.... She and Richard had instructed their three children to lie to authorities as well as the media regarding this hoax," the affidavit said.

Richard Heene has denied a hoax. His lawyer, David Lane, said Friday he is waiting to see the evidence in the case.

"Allegations are cheap," Lane said.

Mayumi Heene's lawyer, Lee Christian, was traveling and didn't immediately respond to messages left with his office.

Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden has said he will recommend charges against the Heenes including conspiracy, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, making a false report to authorities, and attempting to influence a public servant. The most serious charges are felonies and carry a maximum sentence of six years in prison.

Alderden said authorities also would be seeking restitution for the costs of the balloon chase, though he didn't provide a figure.

His office has said it will likely be next week before it forwards its findings to prosecutors to decide on charges.

In frantic calls to a TV station, 911 and federal aviation officials, the Heenes reported that they feared Falcon was in the homemade, saucer-like balloon when it was accidentally launched from their back yard last week.

Millions watched as media and National Guard helicopters tracked the balloon across the Colorado plains. It landed in a dusty farm field, where ground crews looked inside but found no sign of the boy.

Later, the relieved-looking couple reported Falcon had been hiding in their garage the whole time. But suspicion heated up when Falcon made a comment on CNN that sounded like "You had said we did this for a show."

Sheriff's deputies questioned the parents separately on Oct. 17, two days after the flight. Mayumi Heene told authorities "she and Richard Heene had lied to authorities on October 15, 2009 (the day of the flight)," the affidavit said.

She told investigators "that the release of the flying saucer was intentional as a hoax.... The motive for the fabricated story was to make the Heene family more marketable for future media interest," the affidavit said.

The Heenes twice had appeared on ABC's reality show "Wife Swap," and acquaintances said Richard Heene had plans for other possible shows.

The producer of "Wife Swap" had a show in development with the Heenes but said the deal is now off. The TLC cable network also said Heene had pitched a reality show months ago, but it passed on the offer.

Sheriff's officials declined to comment Friday.

Among the items taken by authorities during the home search Saturday were video cameras, computers, hard drives, a picture of a flying saucer, receipts, papers, a phone/address book and a flight itinerary. The list didn't identify the passenger, destination or date of travel.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Mayumi
• Heene
• Ballon
• Boy
• falcon
• mom
• Gives
• Up
• The
• Goods

[EasternMerchant]

actually, Mayumi is an ideal wife, one who is completely submissive and will do anything to support her man, it's just unfortunate she fell into the trap of the wrong man. She truly deserves a better man.

[moony239]

something tells me mayumi is overshadowed by her sleazeball husband. i think he takes her for granted; for one thing, she busts her ass for him, while he... fiddles around with his space toys? some partnership. also, he's got a very domineering personality, which makes me suspect that the whole mess was his idea, and he coerced her into going along with it. i feel sorry for mayumi.

[atLarj]

@EasternMerchant an ideal wife is completely submissive?? WOW.

[EldestSauce]

@EasternMerchant uh so you love karla homolka then?

[jarightnour]

@namihia she could go back to japan

[allibeanie]

@Bovoid5 If you speak on behalf of all men then I am truly frightened for mankind, as your spelling is atrocious and your grammar is within the competency range of that of a six- to eight-year old. Perhaps you should worry less about your supposed "superiority" to women (*note: women = PLURAL*) and use your time completing an IQ test to determine whether you are mildly or moderately retarded. I am a woman (*SINGULAR*) and my level of intelligence only confuses you. YOU should be MY bitch! ;)

[JEREXBANDAL]

FAKE CRY, STOP ACTING AMYUMI

[boboee7]

whats this

[OneRandomBlonde]

@EasternMerchant She let her husband break the law, bring shame on the family and force her vomiting son to be on TV. That doesn't sound like an "ideal" wife to me. That sounds like a spineless idiot who can't think for herself. I agree that she deserves better but in order to find a better man, SHE would have to start by being a smarter woman. Saying "NO!" is hard to do but sometimes true love means putting your foot down. The ideal wife would never have let this happen to her child!