Hey True Crime Fanatics, I'm Jake Barton creator of the history storytelling podcast called Historian and you're listening to

Killifornia Dreaming on the orbital jigsaw network

Warning This episode contains graphic details involving sensitive subjects including rape, sexual assault,

and child molestation. These topics may not be suitable for some listeners,

listener discretion is advised. Today I'm going to talk to you about hoaxes. When I mentioned the word hoax, what comes to mind?

My mind immediately goes to the balloon boy.

Do you guys remember that, Viasco? If you don't, let me remind you a little bit

about that crazy story. The Balloon Boy hoax occurred on October 15, 2009 in Fort Collins, Colorado, when Richard

and Miami Henny allowed a gas balloon filled with helium to float away into the atmosphere and then claim

that their six-year-old son Falcon was inside of it. The balloon, which resembled a silver flying saucer-style UFO, and presumably the boy,

we're reaching altitudes of 7,000 feet or 2,100 meters above Colorado.

Authority sent several National Guard helicopters

and local police in pursuit of the balloon.

After more than an hour-long flight that covered more than 50 miles or 80 kilometers across three counties,

the balloon landed approximately 12 miles or 19 kilometers from the Denver International Airport.

It was quickly discovered that Falcon was found to not be inside the balloon.

As the media began reporting that an object had detached from the balloon and fallen to the ground, the fear was that the boy had fallen out of the balloon while it was in flight.

Later on that same afternoon, Falcon was found to have been hiding in the Holmes Attic the whole time. People began to speculate that the

whole balloon boy thing was a hoax, a publicity stunt orchestrated by the

hens, especially after they appeared on Larry King Live.

When they asked Falcon why he was hiding, he turned to his father and said,

you guys said that we did this for the show.

...