Balloon Dad’s Former Partner Says He Was “Always Scheming”

Scott Stevens, who used to work as a storm chaser with Richard Heene (right), says what happened to Balloon Dad’s son was likely a publicity stunt.

“I believe that Richard had a plan to send this craft aloft,” said Scott Stevens, who used to work as a “storm chaser” with Heene. “Whether it was to leave the illusion that there was a boy on board, I don’t know. [But] I believe it was a premeditated launch.”

Not just a co-worker at the Science Detective Research Group in Fort Collins, Colo., Stevens said he was friends with Heene until the two had a falling out over Heene’s insistence that his three young boys join them on dangerous storm searches where they “just did not need to be.”

“I just thought he was beginning to push them into some things that were ethically on the edge. … I knew at some point he would create a situation that would bring attention like he’s having right now. I didn’t want to be a part of that,” Stevens said.

Stevens theorizes that Heene didn’t want the idea for his hot air balloon creation stolen, so he did this stunt on purpose.

“[Richard] is always thinking and always scheming to accomplish his goals,” Stevens said. “He’s had some wonderful ideas that he’s had stolen from him. … He thinks that if he can have this attention on him and share his ideas, he could get something out of it,” Stevens said.

By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.