Michael Zhao - John Beckenridge mystery: Coroner to decide whether missing pair are likely alive or dead

By RNZ

A coroner’s hearing this week will look into the 2015 disappearance of John Beckenridge and his stepson Mike Zhao-Beckenridge, and determine if there is enough evidence to indicate the pair are dead.

During the hearing, Coroner Marcus Elliot will hear from a number of witnesses, and determine if he has jurisdiction to hold an inquest at a later date. An inquest would only be held if it was determined that it is likely that the pair are dead.

On 13 March, 2015, Queenstown-based Beckenridge picked up his 11-year-old stepson Mike from his new school in Invercargill, in breach of a parenting order.

In the following days there were reports of the pair being spotted in the remote Catlins area, at the southern-most point of the South Island.

Eleven days after their disappearance police discovered the wreckage of Beckenridge’s car at the bottom of a cliff in the Catlins.

John Beckenridge (left) disappeared with his stepson Mike Zhao-Beckenridge (right) in March 2015. Photo / Supplied

Initial indications by police divers were that there were no bodies in the car but the car was not able to be recovered until May 6 due to rough conditions at the site.

Their bodies were never found.

In 2015, police said they feared Beckenridge had committed a murder-suicide, but hoped the pair had gone into hiding.

In 2016, private investigator Ron McQuilter said he thought it was likely the pair were still alive, especially as Beckenridge had five aliases and access to several passports.

In the same year, Acting Detective Senior Sergeant Stu Harvey said border alerts remained in place, and police were speaking to associates of Beckenridge who lived overseas.

Police wound up their investigation into the pair’s disappearance in 2019, and referred the case to the coroner.

At the time police said there had never been any evidence to back up the numerous sightings people had reported of the pair.

The coroner’s hearing is scheduled to take two weeks to complete.