It was in 2009, that thousands of Coloradans and millions other watching on TV nationally were fearing for the life of a little boy in Fort Collins that had floated off in a balloon.

One of the more famous hoaxes in Colorado history, the boy was never in the balloon and his parents, Richard and Mayumi Heene, were brought up on charges.

The father pleaded guilty to 'Influencing a Public Servant,' and the mother pleaded guilty to 'False Reporting' involving the hoax that even made the international news. The story still lives on today. 'Balloon Boy' is a part of the Northern Colorado lexicon.

But now the parents involved in the incident were pardoned by Colorado Governor Jared Polis on Wednesday (Dec. 23).

In a press release regarding the pardons Polis said:

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.

[Source: 9News]

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