Are they still alive?
That's the question facing the coroner after hearing oral submissions on the mysterious disappearance of John Beckenridge and his stepson, Mike, eight years ago in Southland.
Today, police outlined their position that it was a murder-suicide — but the family, after hearing the evidence, still maintain it was all a ruse and the pair are hiding overseas.
Police say a car that plummeted 75m into the sea in the Catlins had both John and Mike inside when it hit the rough seas.
Investigators believe John was a "depressed and desperate man" who had run out of options.
Police are confident it was a murder suicide, while the family maintains it was all a ruse. (Source: 1News)
"The police case, sir, is that this is exactly how it appears on the evidence," police lawyer Deidre Elsmore said in court.
"This was a depressed and desperate man who'd run out of options, and he's done the unimaginable.
"And it's exactly that, the fact that this act is unimaginable, that has made the evidence so difficult to accept."
Mike was just 11 at the time of the pair's disappearance. He had been pleading with his stepfather to come and get him after his mother was granted full custody.
Police say what happened next was a cruel act of spite and a textbook case of filicide, where a parent kills a child.
"Two further motivators, which are seen very clearly in the evidence," Elsmore said.
"Altruism, which can take many forms, but one form is a rescue fantasy, a child who needs to be rescued, and spousal revenge, and [redacted] thought both of these were applicable in this instance."
But the private investigator hired by Mike's family, Mark Templeman, maintains they're hiding overseas.
"Evidence of this planning is the calendar police located at John's home, where he is counting down the days on the calendar," he said.
"I submit it is far more likely that you would countdown on a calendar for an escape as opposed to committing suicide."
The family suggests the pair left the clifftop scene on foot, evaded police in a getaway vehicle, and found safe passage on a yacht — reminiscent of the movies they're said to have watched together.
"There was only one person who knew John's absolute makeup, and some of the videos he used to hire and watch were this exact sort of scene that has happened," Peter Russell said.
"He used to watch those videos with Mike and take great delight in working out how they could actually have beaten the police in any situation and always considered himself a James Bond personality."
The family made a final plea to the coroner against declaring the two dead.
"It would be dangerous to conclude that John and Mike Breckenridge are deceased as all international monitoring would cease, which is exactly what John wanted to happen."
The coroner has reserved his decision, all while suspected sightings of the duo continue to be reported to police.
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