Anna Leask: NZ Herald senior crime reporter on the new developments that came out around the Beckenridge case

More questions have been raised after a twist in the disappearance of John and Mike Beckenridge in 2015.

The pair disappeared after John Beckenridge broke a court order and took his 11-year-old stepson from his Invercargill school. 

A coronal hearing into the case adjourned in 2023 - but has resumed with five new witnesses. 
 
A friend allegedly told people they'd assisted them, and that they're alive.

Senior NZ Herald crime reporter, Anna Leask, says police were made aware of the story mid-last year. 

"I think that's one of the big questions that will be asked - why did it come out when it did?"

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hear the duplessy Ellen, we have a twist in the
case of John and Mike Beckenridge's mysterious disappearance all those
years ago. A hearing is being held in christ Huge
this week. Now. This is two years after the initial
coronial hearing. Analiska is the Herald senior crime reporter. She's
been at the hearing and is with us. Now, Hey, Hannah, Hi, Heather. Okay,
so this new we have avid evidence as a chap
who reckons that his cousin helped the pair escape. Is

(00:20):
that right?

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Yes, We're going to hear more from this guy this week.
But apparently he told his cousin that he had helped
them and that they were alive, and that was reported
to police, we understand in sort of mid last year
and was investigated and is now back before the coroner.

Speaker 1 (00:37):
Why has it taken so long to be reported? I mean,
this case has made headlines for years now.

Speaker 2 (00:42):
Yeah. Look, well, I think we'll hear a bit more
about that this week. We're expecting to hear from the
guy who's allegedly said this and the people who said
it too. And I think that's one of the big
questions that we'll be asked, is why you know it
came out when it did? You know, we'll also hear
from another family, Remember about the dynamic between these two people.
So I think it's going to be quite interesting hearing

(01:05):
the two sides and seeing what the coroner makes.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
Of it ultimately what do we hope to get from this?
Like what is the coroner going to ultimately rule? Do
you think?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Look, the inquest was in twenty twenty three, and I
think that you know, this coming out, the coron has
got to have a look at it and see where
he can take it from here, if anywhere, you know,
obviously this is an exercise and getting everyone to the table,
you know, seeing who's saying what and what the veracity
is these claims and whether they can it can go
anywhere Another police have looked into it, and we'll hear

(01:36):
more about that in the next couple of days as well. So, Yeah,
it's going to be very interesting I think for everyone
to sort of hear this new information. But they're definitely
interesting for us to hear it this morning that there
was new evidence that.

Speaker 1 (01:47):
Was going to be tabled. Yeah, and have we got
anywhere closer to understanding whether this car could have actually
gone off the cliff without a driver.

Speaker 2 (01:55):
Yeah, we had an independent engineering expert who gave evidence today.
Now his evidence was sought I think sort of mid
twenty twenty three. They wanted to find someone that could
really really speak to you, an independent person to speak
to this. The police obviously are saying that no way
could have gone off without someone in it. This expert
today said that from what he's seen of the scene,

(02:17):
from the evidence there, there is no evidence that somebody
jumped out of the car at the last minute. He
said that, you know, to rig a car to go
over in the straight line that it did off that
cliff would take quite some if at an expense, there's
no evidence of that, and that, you know, his version
of events is the probability is very likely that there

(02:39):
was someone behind the wheel when that car went over. However,
the steering wheel and the brake pedal were never recovered,
so you know, it's a lot of We know that
the car was in an absolute state when they found it.
The bodies were not in the car, you know. So
we're looking at expert evidence of what could and couldn't
have happened, But whether we'll ever really know not sure.

Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, might be one of those. Hey Anna, thanks very much,
appreciate it. Analyask The Herald's senior crime reporter for more
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