One day, Cody McGannon was just another 10-year-old grounded for telling a lie.
Now, the fourth-grader has a pardon from the governor - and offers from the Phil Donahue and Jay Leno shows."Can you believe this? I know I can't," Cody's mother, Elisabeth Jones, said Thursday. "Donahue wants to fly Cody and I out to New York City. Then Jay Leno's office called last night. And he was in The Washington Post yesterday."
Cody captured all the attention when he wrote to Gov. Mel Carnahan, asking for "amnesty" from being grounded.
The crime: telling his mom and stepfather he hadn't opened his bedroom window when he had. Jones said it was simply a matter of principle.
The punishment: no privileges for one week. That meant no allowance, no television, no bike riding, no visiting friends and no guests.
"No way. Unreasonable," said Cody.
If he didn't like it, maybe he should take it up with the governor, Cody's stepfather, Alex Jones, told him.
Fine, Cody said.
After serving four days of his punishment, Cody wrote a two-paragraph, handwritten letter to Carnahan, dated Jan. 19, and explained what happened.
"I hope you will grant me amnesty on Saturday, January 21, 1995. Love, Cody."
Elisabeth Jones faxed Cody's letter to the governor Jan. 20 from her job as a trucking company dispatcher. She included a cover letter saying she was impressed by Cody's commitment and sincerity.
Carnahan faxed back a response that day: Pardon granted.
"I hope the authorities (your parents) are not too upset with me, and that they decide to accept my act of clemency in the same spirit of good will in which it was given," the governor wrote.