The Lost Boy
by Stuff Audio
One ordinary day almost a decade ago, John Beckenridge abducted his stepson, Mike, from school and vanished. Police investigated for four years, but with no proof of what happened, asked a court to make sense of the crime. That court heard dozens of hours of evidence, and tried to determine how a marriage breakdown became a manhunt and then a mystery. As well as a kidnapping, the story includes cryptic phone messages, a car plunging from an 80-metre cliff and allegations of secret bank accounts, criminal accomplices and illegal border crossings. We'll take you inside the courtroom as two opposing theories are put to the test. Are John and Mike alive or dead? From Stuff Audio, New Zealand’s leader in true crime podcasts, and The Press newspaper, this is the story of a calculating man with a dark past, the 11-year-old boy he controlled and the distraught mother left behind. Podcasts like this tak
Episodes
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The End of the Road
Nearly eleven years to the day a car plummeted off an 80-metre cliff, the wait for answers finally ends. Coroner Marcus Elliott delivers a 200-page decision that weighs the theory of a brilliant, staged escape against a tragic murder-suicide. This bonus episide was scripted, hosted and produced…
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Trailer: Quarantine Nation
A lethal virus. A drastic lockdown. A nation turned upside down. From the makers of acclaimed podcasts The Commune, True Story and Witi Underwater, this eight-part narrative series revisits the Covid-19 pandemic with the benefit of hindsight and powerful interviews. Adam Dudding and Eugene…
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'We helped them out - they're alive'
A bombshell revelation suggests a huge twist as the coroner's hearing resumes. But, amid highly unusual scenes, the evidence doesn't quite match what the courtroom was expecting. This bonus episide was scripted, hosted and produced by Michael Wright and Shannon Redstall. The audio editing and...
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An important update
Michael Wright checks in with some exciting news about the Beckenridge case.
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Bonus: 'I'm Confident My Son Is Still Alive': The Case Of The Lost Boy
Michael Wright, Co-host of The Lost Boy, joins Gemma Bath on True Crime Conversations to discuss The Lost Boy podcast and the disappearance of Mike Zhao-Beckenridge and John Beckenridge. Follow True Crime Conversations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Mamamia.
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Episode six - The case for being alive
Fiona and her new partner are convinced John and Mike are still alive. A private investigator uncovers new leads, including an international eye-witness, as he makes the case that John went to incredible lengths to fake their deaths and flee the country. Podcasts like this take lots of time and...
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Episode five - Knut and Anne
In 1987, a Swedish helicopter pilot meets a Danish nurse in Greenland. They move to Australia and have two children but their relationship deteriorates and the pilot disappears. Who is he, and what does he have to do with the disappearance of John and Mike? Podcasts like this take lots of time…
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Episode four - The case for being dead
At the foot of high cliffs on a remote and wind-lashed edge of New Zealand, expert divers discover the wreckage of John Beckenridge’s car. Washed-up nearby is Mike’s favourite soft toy. Police have little doubt they were in the car when it plunged into the sea. Podcasts like this take lots of…
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Episode three - Midnight Express
Police intensify their search as concerns about the wellbeing of John and Mike grow. The discovery of a swiftly abandoned campsite and a string of troubling text messages provide crucial leads. Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support…
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Episode two - Falcon and Osprey
Separated by a court, John and Mike assign each other code names as they swap secret messages. With Mike’s frustrations about his new life growing, John plots his next, shocking move. Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our work by...
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Episode one - He’s my son too
When Fiona Lu leaves her husband - and a relationship that began in war-torn Afghanistan - she has to leave her son too. Her departure prompts a furious note on a calendar and kickstarts a bitter custody dispute. Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd…
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Trailer - The Lost Boy
One ordinary day almost a decade ago, John Beckenridge abducted his stepson, Mike, from school and vanished. With no proof of what happened, police asked a court to make sense of the crime. Podcasts like this take lots of time and resources to produce, which is why we'd love you to support our…
more
About this show
One ordinary day almost a decade ago, John Beckenridge abducted his stepson, Mike, from school and vanished.
Police investigated for four years, but with no proof of what happened, asked a court to make sense of the crime.
That court heard dozens of hours of evidence, and tried to determine how a marriage breakdown became a manhunt and then a mystery.
As well as a kidnapping, the story includes cryptic phone messages, a car plunging from an 80-metre cliff and allegations of secret bank accounts, criminal accomplices and illegal border crossings.
We'll take you inside the courtroom as two opposing theories are put to the test. Are John and Mike alive or dead?
From Stuff Audio, New Zealand’s leader in true crime podcasts, and The Press newspaper, this is the story of a calculating man with a dark past, the 11-year-old boy he controlled and the distraught mother left behind.
Podcasts like this tak
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Stuff Audio
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