Mr Rockefeller's "other life", which appears to have included a secret girlfriend and links to Melbourne's swingers scene, became a lot less private over the weekend.
Human remains found in the back yard of a run-down Housing Commission home in the Melbourne suburb of Glenroy are thought to be those of the 52-year-old former Brierley Investments executive, who disappeared nine days ago, Australian media reports say.
Bernadette Denny (41) and Mario Schembri (57) will appear in court today charged with his murder.
Police believe Mr Rockefeller led a secret double life, had a mystery girlfriend, and had allegedly met the pair charged with his murder through an internet site for swingers, or people who swap sexual partners.
He also secretly had five pre-paid mobile phones.
Police allege Mr Rockefeller was killed at Denny's home in Hadfield, and his body burned and buried in the back yard of a home in Glenroy.
The news has shocked family and friends in New Zealand.
Waikouaiti farmer and former Otago cricket captain Robbie Lawson, who is the nephew of Mr Rockefeller's wife, Vicky, said the behaviour attributed to his uncle was out of character for the man he knew.
"It's just the circumstances that surrounded his disappearance that have been a very big shock.
"But our thoughts are with Vicky and the children."
It was hard because they were a private family that had ended up with their most private moments very much in the spotlight, he said.
"The family's very strong behind her," Mr Lawson said.
"We're hoping that at some point they can move on, but it's just been such a lot of news."
His father, Jim Lawson, who is Mrs Rockefeller's brother, had been in Melbourne with his sister, but was expected to return home last night.
It also emerged at the weekend that Prime Minister John Key was a friend of Mr Rockefeller and attended his wedding in the 1990s.
Mr Key paid tribute to him as "a tremendous man; a good, loyal friend".
