Child abduction expert doubts veracity of Beckenridge manhunt

An international child abduction expert has cast doubt on the veracity of an international manhunt for John Beckenridge, who disappeared with his stepson more than two years ago, and questioned whether New Zealand could extradite him if ever he was found.

Swedish-born helicopter pilot Beckenridge broke a court order on March 13, 2015 by picking up 11-year-old Hesong "Mike" Zhao-Beckenridge from his new Invercargill school.

The pair, who by all reports enjoyed a close relationship, camped at various spots in the Catlins before Beckenridge's dark-blue 4WD Volkswagen Touareg went off a 90m cliff near Curio Bay a week later.

It took police six weeks to recover the battered wreck from the treacherous waters. There was no sign of any bodies.

Friends and neighbours of Beckenridge, along with locals, believe he staged their deaths and that they are now hiding out either in New Zealand or overseas.

Top Australian private investigator Col Chapman first took a look at the unusual disappearance last year.

While police say there is no evidence of the pair ever leaving the Catlins area, the child recovery specialist, who has recovered more than 120 "parentally abducted" children in the past 26 years, from around the world including Brazil, Cambodia, China, Egypt, England, Israel, Lebanon, USA, and Zimbabwe, is adamant that they crept out of New Zealand undetected.

Police divers recover the remains of John Beckenridge's vehicle from Southland's Curio Bay in May 2015. No traces of bodies were found. Photo / Otago Daily Times

"John Beckenridge didn't pick Mike up from school and drive him over a cliff - that's not John Beckenridge," Chapman, 57, told the Herald today.

"He's obviously put a lot of thought into this. He has the intelligence, skills, wherewithal, and connections to get out of New Zealand - probably by sea, which the case of Alan Langdon showed is possible to do."

Experienced sailor Langdon, 49, disappeared with 6-year-old daughter Que on a catamaran from Waikato's Kawhia Harbour on December 17 last year.

Three weeks later, they were found at Ulladulla on the New South Wales south coast after crossing the Tasman Sea in the tiny vessel.

"It's very easy to get out of New Zealand on a boat of almost any description," Chapman says.

"New Zealand is concerned about what is leaving [the country] by water but its focus is on what is coming in."

Beckenridge, who was living in an upmarket Queenstown estate before disappearing, was an experienced, talented and popular commercial pilot, who had a contract flying in Papua New Guinea.

He had also flown in war-torn Afghanistan and is believed to have several aliases, including John Locke, John Robert Lundh, Knut Goran Roland Lundh and John Bradford.

Pacific Helicopters PNG chief executive Mal Smith, his former boss who has been interviewed by New Zealand police, earlier told the Herald he knew Beckenridge had been having "problems getting access to his kid but we didn't know it was to that extreme".

Swedish-born helicopter pilot John Beckenridge had the intelligence, skills, wherewithal, and connections to get out of NZ, says an international child abduction expert. Photo / Supplied

Criminologist and ex-con Greg Newbold said it was "definitely possible" to flee New Zealand by sea. Aviation expert Peter Clark has said it would be "improbable but not impossible" to escape by helicopter.

With Beckenridge's background, he could easily be back living in PNG or somewhere in Southeast Asia, Chapman believes.

"He has proved himself capable of acquiring alternative identities, and it isn't hard to acquire further alternative identities, so he could be living in a rented house, doing contract work, and assimilating into the local community, wherever that might be, very easily," Chapman says.

Chapman's inquiries suggest that Beckenridge has no criminal history but had investments offshore.

He also wonders what his true identity is and whether the aliases are hindering work by the authorities to find him.

"It must be a very frustrating case," he said.

"Beckenridge, again with his background, has shown he can think on his feet, has high survival skills and situational awareness, and is more than smart enough to avoid the authorities."

Detective Senior Sergeant Stu Harvey this week confirmed that police are still working with overseas agencies in what he called an "active investigation".

Border alerts remain in place at New Zealand ports while Interpol is assisting investigators.

However, Interpol has only issued a "Yellow Notice" for Mike which Chapman says amounts to a movement alert, rather than a stop and detain notice.

"There is no international manhunt for [Beckenridge]. There are no high alerts for him," Chapman said.

"If the PNG authorities or police or anybody trips over them, it's really up to the locals on how they handle it.

"And at the same time, would there be an extradition for John Beckenridge? I don't think so. It'd be interesting to see what charges they could bring up on him."

It all leads Chapman to think that the pair don't have to stay hiding underground for much longer.

The situation has been "totally devastating", Chapman says, for Mike's mother, Lu Feng Juan, known as Fiona.

She has never spoken publicly about her ordeal, but Chapman understands that she "blames herself" for what has happened.

Mike's biological father was recently released from prison in either China or Hong Kong, Chapman has been told.

There have been no confirmed sightings of the pair since they were seen at Tokanui garage on March 17, 2015.

Harvey this week said people are still helping police with the case.

In December, he confirmed that overseas associates of the Swedish mystery man were working with police to track the pair down.

Asked if police suspect anyone of helping Beckenridge disappear, Harvey replied: "No persons of interest have been identified at this time."