Richard Heene has spoken out after Sheriff Jim Aldernan's press conference. He's currently "seeking counsel" and got teary as he told the AP that "this thing has become so convoluted." He's pretty on point in that regard.

For the first time, 25-year-old researcher Robert Thomas reveals to Gawker how earlier this year he and Richard Heene drew up a master plan to generate a massive media controversy using a weather balloon. To get famous, of course.

Just in time for Balloon Boy's all-but-complete disappearance from the national spotlight, the computer geeks at 4chan apparently had a pizza delivered to the kid and his dysfunctional family. Now they're in hiding from the media.

More evidence emerged this morning that yesterday's Balloon Boy escapade was either a deliberate hoax or the result of galactic idiocy, and local authorities have begun investigating whether it was staged.

If Balloon Boy and his family were looking for publicity, they'll find it's fleeting. There's a new amazing tot on the horizon, and this one survived being hit by a train.

Well, all the naysayers seem to have been right. Little Falcon Heene, who will now forever be immortalized as the balloon boy who sparked a media sensation, appeared on Larry King tonight and spilled the beans: it was a ruse!

At this hour, the Heene family are still giddy celebrating their child not being smashed to bits on the side of a mountain. But for us the good news means no annoying pause before blame can be assigned.

Update: TV news is reporting that six-year-old Falcon Heene was found safe in his home. He was never actually the balloon. Now the hoax questions begin.

Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of Falcon, who is missing after having apparently floated away in a helium balloon-craft built by his parents, have left a long and wide internet trail. Here's what we know.

CNN is carrying footage of the balloon after it landed in a field in Brighton, Colo. and TV news is reporting that six-year-old Falcon Heene is not in the compartment. We're still updating on this post.

It's happening in Colorado right now. A boy climbed into an helium balloon that his parents were building, untied the rope, and took off. No one knows how to get him down. Updates in comments, boy's missing after balloon lands