Trainwreck: Balloon Boy – What happened to Mayumi and Richard after the incident? Details from the Netflix docuseries, explored

Netflix's Trainwreck: Balloon Boy is the latest addition to the streamer's anthology series, which features the most chaotic and maddening headlines that have dominated the public's memory in recent times.

After the downfall of American Apparel, Carnival Triumph's Poop Cruise, and the Astroworld tragedy, the latest episode features the bizarre incident of 2009 in Fort Collins, Colorado.

Trainwreck: Balloon Boy features the October 15, 2009, incident, when Richard and Mayumi Heene alerted the authorities that their six-year-old son Falcon was trapped inside a homemade helium-filled gas balloon, which took flight and was released into the atmosphere in Colorado.

However, the incident was soon announced as a hoax. While Richard Heene pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempting to influence a public servant, his wife pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of filing a false report.

After spending some days in jail, the Heenes were pardoned by the Governor in 2020.

More on this in our story.

Trainwreck: Balloon Boy- Why were Richard and Mayumi Heene pardoned in 2020?

While the Balloon Boy hoax was an intriguing spectacle in the public eye, the Heenes were pardoned by Colorado Governor Jared Polis on December 23, 2020, as part of a rehabilitative justice initiative.

However, the Heenes did spend some time in jail and did community service, as detailed in Netflix's Trainwreck: Balloon Boy. After pleading guilty to their respective crimes, Richard Heene was sentenced to 90 days in jail, 30 of which were served consecutively. For the remaining 60 days, he worked during the day and served his time in jail at night.

Additionally, Richard Heene was also liable for $36,000 in restitution and 100 hours of community service. Mayuni Heene was sentenced to 20 days of weekend jail, which allowed her to look after her children and family during the week.

As detailed in Trainwreck: Balloon Boy, in December 2020, the Heenes were completely pardoned by Colorado Governor. Announcing his decision in a press conference, he noted (via 9News):

''We are all ready to move past the spectacle from a decade ago that wasted precious time and resources of law enforcement officials and the general public. Richard and Mayumi have paid the price in the eyes of the public, served their sentences, and it’s time for all of us to move on. It’s time to no longer let a permanent criminal record from the balloon boy saga follow and drag down the parents for the rest of their lives.''

Trainwreck: Balloon Boy- Exploring details of the 2009 incident

The latest episode of Trainwreck features one of the most bizarre headlines from 2009, the Balloon Boy hoax. After Richard Heene informed the authorities about his six-year-old son taking flight in a helium balloon, National Guard helicopters and local police teamed up to pursue the balloon and bring the child to safety.

In about 90 minutes of its flight, the balloon had already reached 7,000 feet, and families around the area flocked out of their homes to get a peek at the Balloon Boy.

Trainwreck: Balloon Boy features the frenzy around this headline and how the National Guard spent their precious time and resources in rescuing young Falcon. However, when the balloon landed 12 miles from Denver International Airport, Falcon was not found inside, creating a wave of hysteria.

After a careful sweep of the Heenes' house, Falcon was finally found hiding in his attic, and the boy claimed that he had been there the whole time, which further confirmed the suspicions of a hoax.

In October 2009, Larimer County Sheriff Jim Alderden finally concluded that the incident was a hoax.

Trainwreck: Balloon Boy is now streaming on Netflix.

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