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Mike Zhao-Beckenridge and his stepfather John Beckinridge went missing in March 2015, weeks before Beckenridge had lost custody of his stepson.
The coroner’s court has been read a series of “concerning” text messages sent by Mike Zhao-Beckenridge and John Beckenridge just before their disappearance.
The text messages were sent to friends, and to Mike’s mother Fiona Lu, saying “Bye from John and Mike”, that “the midnight express is leaving very shortly” and for people not to contact anyone after the texts.
Based on these text messages, sent between 1.41-1.45pm and on March 20, 2015, police inferred John was intending to take his life.
This was the last evidence to suggest the pair were alive.
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Eleven-year-old Mike was taken by John Beckenridge, 64, from his Invercargill school about lunchtime on March 13, 2015.
Apart from one sighting three days later, they were never seen again.Two months after they disappeared, Beckenridge’s car was pulled from the rough waters of Curio Bay in a remote area of Southland.
There was no evidence of their bodies found in the car but nor was there any evidence to suggest the pair ever left Southland, according to police.
After an extensive investigation, police referred the case to the coroner in 2019. The pair remain on the police’s missing persons list.
KAI SCHWOERER/Stuff
Coroner Marcus Elliot speaks during the coroner’s hearing into the disappearance of John Beckenridge and his stepson Mike Zhao-Beckenridge.
FINAL TEXTS
Among the final text messages sent by the pair included one message which purports to be sent by Mike Zhao-Beckenrige to his mother Fiona Lu.
He accused his mother of lying, not caring what Mike said and being under the influence of her new partner who Zhao-Beckenridge referred to as “Peter Cowshit”.
“You have caused this with Peter and you know it deep down. PS you do not deserve to be my mum or to be called Fiona and you certainly do not deserve my love. From Mike.”
A further text, sent just one minute later was sent from John Beckenridge, to his ex-wife accusing her of lying, deceiving and being controlled by her new partner.
“You have destroyed our family, my life and Mikes. Happy for what you done?” the text read.
“Me and Mike are leaving now on the Midnight Express 3 min for departure. Bye my love and thanks for everything. JB & MB”
John Hawkins
A helicopter and police divers helped to remove John Beckenridge’s car from the ocean in Curio Bay two months after the pair disappeared.
On Monday morning, Counsel Assisting the Coroner Lisa Preston KC opened the two-week hearing by outlining a fraught relationship between John Beckenridge and his ex-wife Fiona Lu.
In late February 2015, a family court decision gave Fiona Lu full custody of Mike Zhao-Beckenridge for the following three months.
The court heard how in their first few weeks apart, Zhao-Beckenridge continued to secretly communicate with his stepfather, saying how he hated his mum and her new parter and wished them dead, how he wanted to end his own life and how he missed John.
The hearing is set down for two weeks and Coroner Elliot is first tasked with deciding whether the pair are likely dead, before being able to establish any cause or circumstance of their death.
Coroner Elliot will hear from a number of witnesses including lawyers from the family court proceedings, police, a psycologist, a read statement from Mike’s mother Fiona Lu and from her partner Peter Russell.
Russell and Lu “firmly believe” that Mr Beckenridge staged the deaths and that the pair are still alive, Preston said.
KAI SCHWOERER/Stuff
Council Assisting Lisa Preston read the text messages during her opening remarks in the coroner’s hearing.