Sightings in Christchurch, NAME_1 and... Minecraft? One of New Zealand's most baffling disappearances: did NAME_2 and his stepson NAME_3 fake their deaths to run away and start a new life?
Disappearance
NAME_4

NAME_4 was 11 years old, living in Invercargill New Zealand with his mother NAME_5, and her new partner, NAME_6, at the time of his disappearance. An avid gamer, NAME_3's relationship with his mother was fractured to say the least; on the contrary, he loved his stepfather NAME_2 and his relationship with him was described as 'inseparable.' So in February 2015, when NAME_7 divorced NAME_8 and won full custody of her son (who was living with NAME_8 in Queenstown at the time), NAME_3 was devastated. In fact, just 2 days after moving in with his mother, NAME_3 alleged to police that she had assaulted him but later retracted this statement. NAME_3 told police he was going to keep behaving badly so he could move back to Queenstown with his stepfather NAME_8.



NAME_2

NAME_2 was 64 years old, a helicopter pilot from Switzerland, and living in Queenstown New Zealand at the time of he and his stepson's disappearance. NAME_8 had met his ex-wife NAME_5 in Afghanistan in 2006, where NAME_7 was working as a waitress. At the time, NAME_3 was just a baby back in China being cared for by NAME_7's parents. NAME_8 fell in love with NAME_7 and the two, along with baby NAME_3, moved to Queenstown New Zealand where they resided for many years before their relationship broke down around 2014. At the time, NAME_7 moved to Invercargill with her new partner NAME_9 while NAME_3 stayed with NAME_8 in Queenstown until NAME_7 won custody of him.



Leading up to the disappearance

While NAME_3's disdain for his mother and her new partner were not a secret, the emails he used to communicate with his stepfather were. In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, NAME_3 detailed how miserable he was living with his mother and NAME_9;

"How my life is shit... I hate my mom in fact she is not even my mom she fucked my life up so bad i hate her I have no love for, I hope she die painfully"

"I have so much to ask u dad but Mum never will let me talk to u I want to kill myself from NAME_3 much love to u "

“Find me dad and u said we could do that thing”

"... I miss us so much and I love u please come here and we start kill? I realise u will not read this until night time that is when u check it all the time but I love u and I miss love from NAME_3"

Many of these emails were sent on the day of or following