Beckenridge mystery: Stepfather, boy used code names in texts, witness says

John Beckenridge, left, disappeared with his stepson Mike Zhao-Beckenridge, right, in March 2015.

By RNZ

The Coroner’s hearing looking into the disappearance of John Beckenridge and his stepson has been told about two code names used in text messages sent by the former.

The 64-year-old man and Mike Zhao-Beckenridge, 11, went missing in March 2015.

Beckenridge’s four-wheel drive was later found in the sea at the bottom of a cliff in the Catlins, but their bodies have never been found.

The hearing, before Coroner Marcus Elliot at the Christchurch District Court, is to determine if Beckenridge and Mike are missing or dead.

Detective Aaron Dempsey looked into communication from the boy and his stepfather in the leadup to and after their disappearance.

He said prior to their disappearance a phone used by Beckenridge sent some cryptic messages:

• “Falcon, the one that has 603 at the end. Ozprey.”
• “Remember check the phone list. Either Falcon or Ozprey. The one that ends on 603, okay.”

The 603 number seemed to refer to the phone Beckenridge used, the hearing was told.

Dempsey said he believed Beckenridge and Mike were Ozprey and Falcon, and the former was sending messages to his stepson.

Dempsey said he had also looked into reports from a friend of Mike’s that he had been shown on several occasions what Beckenridge had described as a satellite phone. The friend’s father had also been shown the phone.

Dempsey said he made inquiries, including looking into whether Beckenridge was paying for a subscription with any satellite phone providers, but felt confident he did not have one.

He said Beckenridge had an air-to-ground phone that looked very similar to a satellite phone, but sold it in 2014.

When shown a picture of the air-to-ground phone Mike Beckenridge’s friend agreed it did look like the phone he was shown.