His friends said he had a "heart of gold" and the murder was completely out of character.
Others describe him as a person with a strange personality imbued with paranoia and anger.
Phillip Walker, Rickard's friend since 1996, said Rickard moved with his family to Dunedin in the 1990s after a long stint in prison in the North Island as a result of crimes committed while a gang member.
At the time, he changed his name from Matthew Te Anini.
Rickard and his former partner lived with their children in a house bus in Green Island and Rickard, who reportedly found religion, had "Jesus Christ said" tattooed on his forehead.
Rickard has since lived in Port Chalmers, Waikouaiti and Oamaru.
His children were returned by Child, Youth and Family to North Island family.
Rickard's ex-partner is also in the North Island.
Mr Walker and wife Irene Cotton were "majorly shocked" when they heard about the murder.
"This was not the Shiloh we all knew. He was easy-going.
"It wasn't in his nature at the time and I don't think it is now," Mr Walker said.
Rickard had always been there for them through their "fair share" of trouble, he said.
"He'd talk to anybody about getting on to the right track."
But former neighbours described him as a paranoid man who regularly confronted and verbally abused people and made constant challenges and accusations.
"There was constant tension when he was around. We used to have confrontations every day with Shiloh," a former neighbour said.
He spoke sometimes of Christianity, but people believed Rickard "only got religious to get out of jail".
He could be abusive and then apologetic in the same hour.
"He had lots of people who liked him because when people would get into trouble he would go and do things for them."
Rickard could also be charming and "very, very" polite when he wanted to.
"He was a strange mix of a man."
Mr Walker went to see Rickard in jail:
"He couldn't believe he was locked up for the murder. It didn't register with him. He was a bit remorseful."
Officer in charge of Rickard's case Detective Sergeant Rob Hanna said Rickard never gave police an explanation for his crime.
He co-operated with police after being caught, but tried to tell police that Vicki had stabbed herself to show her love for him (Rickard).
He was pleased for the family that Rickard had been sentenced and that the family was doing "as well as could be expected", Det Sgt Hanna said.
