The Beckenridge mystery: Mike’s mother still believes her missing son is alive

More than 11 years after Michael “Mike” Zhao-Beckenridge disappeared with his stepfather, his mother still believes the boy is alive. A private investigator has now been informed of a possible new sighting.

Mike and John Beckenridge vanished on March 13, 2015, in a case that has become one of New Zealand’s enduring mysteries. The disappearance left Mike’s mother searching for answers while holding on to the belief that her son survived.

Coroner Elliott ruled that the pair died after their vehicle drove off a cliff in Southland, concluding the case was a murder-suicide. Mike’s mother has not accepted that conclusion and continues to look for evidence that he may still be alive.