It depends. Technically the kid did not have access to the media so was unaware that his disappearance was becoming international news. So you can't charge him for just hiding from his parents. He will get a stern warning from the sheriff and the national guard but that is about the extent of trouble he is with the authorities.

His parents that is another matter. Hiding from the media instead of searching the ENTIRE PREMISES cost the state a great deal of money. Instead of thinking about their next PR statement they ought to have make damn sure the theory about the kid hiding was proven false instead of assumed false. A fine is likely in order and if the rumor that this was a premeditated stunt is true they will serve jail time.

Bizarre story it live coverage over here as well. I'm voting for publicity stunt of some kind but I'm stuffed if I can work out what for.:hmmm:

CNN is doing an interview. It does make it more plausible that this all started due to a confused kid. Look I don't want to be too hard on them. Kids do not understand how much a search costs. How much fuel has to be expended as vehicles chase this craft. The resulting costs of repair and refurbishment of any damage done as a result of the search (Nobody cares about bumps and stress when there is a life in danger) The off duty units called up to assist in the search and the massive paperwork.

But geez luweez ALOT of stress could have been avoided if A) Falcon had woken up to all that commotion earlier or B) They truly searched the entire place.

If it was a stunt I totally agree, but if not I could certainly forgive the parents for not being thorough enough. After all their stress level must have been enormous and they fully believed he was aboard so it's understandable that they would have been totally focused in that direction.

After seeing this interview I guess I ought to let the authorities complete an investigation before saying things like that about the parents.

This reminds me of the time my little brother went missing about 3 years ago. It was around nine o clock when we realized we didn't know where he was, we checked all the rooms in the house. My mom who was at work sped to the house in her patrol car. We searched around the house and my parents plus several neighbors started to look for him around the neighborhood. I go into my parents bedroom again with a friend, and lift up the sheets. Lo and behold he was asleep in my parents bed.Because of the way he was it looked like the bed was empty unless you actually lifted the sheets. :rotfl2:

Ok the finishing of the interview was a little weird. I really dont know what to say.

First of all I would have ended the interview after the 3rd reference to the hoax theory. If I had been in his shoes and child had said something stupid like "It was for the show" then I personally would have asked him/her to explain what they meant by that just to clarify I would not have given a damn what the populace thought by it. The populace are not detectives the police are.

but he got way to defensive about it. Talking about the media on his lawn and interviews next week do not help his case. Again he ought to not give a damn but the whole thing is alot more suspicious because of that.

Frankly unless there are a bunch of hidden details it does not sound like book material. If it was a PR stunt it was a poorly crafted one.

I put this on the kids and a hoax in order to gain fame.

All in on this one :salute:

Well that conclusion is spreading through the net like wildfire right now. Most seem to now believe its a hoax.

Well I think the police will figure out if its a hoax or not. And no police do NOT take kindly to hoaxes that waste valuable funds. Arrests will be made if it is a hoax and the book will likely be thrown.

I'm just assuming that the kid's older brother and he concocted the thing as a prank that went too far and got way out of control. The older brother was the one who told everyone that he saw his younger brother get into the balloon before it took off. And he re-iterated that story to the police as well.

Somebody's DEFINITELY grounded in more ways than one in that household, I think.

I think that's my vote too.:shifty:

LOL check out this video by the father...

"Shape shifting Hillary Reptilian" :har:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu7Wwz5B9CE

A few things stynk about this.

Looking at the size of the balloon and the fact that it was filled with Helium, I would estimate that its effective payload would be about 10 pounds. The Balloon appeared only have enough gas to fill 1/2 of the envelope as the rest of the space would be for the expansion at altitude.

Watching the balloon in flight, it did not seem to have much ballast (weight) in the base.

In looking at the recovery imagery, there is no opening for the kid to get in to the base. That base looks like a foundation for mounting the instrument package to the bottom of the base.

Now that we have seen the lift off imagery, there is no instrumentation box attached to the foundation.

Something is rotten in the State of Denmark.

After seeing the baloon... there is NO way at all that thing could float with him in it...

The press confrence sounded a different tune as instead of saying they had no evidence of a hoax. They changed it to "Charges expected to be filed, Class 3 misdemeanor but working with feds to see if charges ought to be upgraded (One of them being the FAA)" While not announcing who or what charges are aimed at. There is NOBODY else other than the parents who could fit this description.

I will still say in my opinion but I do not think I will have to say that after tomorrow.

So in my opinion...

People its a hoax!

Just some more pathetic crap for publicity and celebrity status in a country that is so obsessed with celebrity its sick.

My understanding is that Child Protective Services has opened an investigation. Once those anti-family rights facists get involved don’t be suprised if a parent’s worst nightmare begins. So the class three midameanor won't be the worst of it.

People need to mind their own business and not freak out at the littlest thing.

The kid is fine, no need to involve anyone.

Now is not the time to be quoting Alex Jones CB....

This is not a case of taking children away for a few dirty dishes. This is a case where the parents likely tried to convince their children to perpetrate in a lie that would have likely have had to keep secret under intense media pressure for years. Likely forced them to participate in this scheme under penalty of punishment as well.

I dont want those kids anywhere near those nutjobs in my opinion they are already going to have to grow up being known as hoaxers.

Child abuse and neglect is not a family right.