US shooting case settled

Beckenridge to come to take him away from his mother and her partner, Mr Russell.

Mike told Mr Beckenridge he was misbehaving so he could be sent back to live with his stepfather. He also called the police on one occasion, saying his mother had assaulted him, in the hope he would get sent back to Queenstown.

On March 20 Mr Beckenridge’s friends began receiving ‘‘concerning’’ texts from him, stating the ‘‘Gestapo’’ was after him and Mike, and they would soon be getting on the ‘‘Midnight Express’’ for departure.

On March 22, items belonging to the Beckenridges, such as clothes and car parts, washed ashore in the Curio Bay area. Soon after Mr Beckenridge’s vehicle was found at the bottom of the cliff in the water.

The police national dive squad was able to dive on the wreckage of the vehicle on March 29 but it was not until May 6 that the vehicle was able to be recovered. No bodies were ever found.

To date, police have had 60 suspected sightings of the Beckenridges or their vehicle, some of which have been deemed unlikely or eliminated.

Information about possible sightings , both in New Zealand and overseas, continues to be reported.

The hearing before Mr Elliot continues.

Lawyers for the family of a Christchurchborn man shot dead by US police say they have reached a $US19 million

($NZ30 million) settlement in the case.

Two police officers were facing criminal charges after Christian Glass was shot five times in his car during an apparent mental health crisis near Denver last June.

Lawyers for Simon and Sally Glass say they have reached agreements to settle all claims relating to the death of their son with Clear Creek County, the state of Colorado, the town of Georgetown and the city of Idaho Springs.

The lawyers say the size of the settlement reflects the immense wrong and injustice committed by the officers who killed Christian. — RNZ