Feeling somewhat overshadowed by his labels as an oil magnate, real estate mogul, and philanthropist, Rockefeller eventually decided to focus on making a dramatic mark.
Politician Nelson, as Johnny Carson once quipped, met his end while engaging in his favorite pastime with aide Megan Marshack.
Yet, the tragic story of Nelson’s son, Michael Rockefeller, added a haunting twist to the family’s narrative—one that includes the word “devoured.”
Michael’s tale has regained attention with the recent reopening of the Michael C. Rockefeller wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which underwent a four-year renovation costing $70 million.
The 40,000-square-foot space, originally launched in 1982, proudly showcases 1,726 artifacts, including pieces from the former Museum of Primitive Arts, utilizing cutting-edge research and techniques.
According to Wing curator Alisa Lagamma, “We aim for the highest standard of art research focusing on sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and Ancient America.”
The exhibit also features over 400 items gathered by Michael during his travels, although there’s still some uncertainty as to whether these include artworks from tribes possibly connected to his fate.
Back in March 1961, Michael, already the son of the New York governor and a new Harvard scholarship recipient, joined the Harvard Pierbody expedition to New Guinea to study the Ndani people in a remote valley. However, at 23, he had a different agenda—he was eager to trade fish hooks and other goods for exceptional tribal art.
This art was destined for his father’s progressive Museum of Primitive Arts, an innovative project at the Townhouse Mansion, designed to elevate African, American, Asian, and Oceanic artifacts to new heights in the art world.
In September of that year, Michael returned to New Guinea with Dutch anthropologist Rene Wassing, exploring deeper into the South Papua swamps, home to the Asmato people known for their intricate wood carvings.
Tragically, on November 19, 1961, their boat capsized as they navigated the Asmato coast. Wassing couldn’t swim, but Michael believed he could reach safety using makeshift flotation. He never resurfaced.
Officially, it’s widely believed that Michael drowned, with a Westchester County judge ruling in 1964 that John D. Rockefeller’s descendants were legally presumed dead.
Analysis points to strong currents and turbulent waters, suggesting Michael was roughly ten miles offshore when he attempted to swim.
However, more tantalizing narratives emerged almost immediately, suggesting he had survived and integrated into local culture. In 1962, a missionary alleged to have encountered a villager who confessed to killing him in Ochanep.
Spokesman R. Courihay recalls that this became a cocktail party conversation piece for years, claiming that in his youth, he heard adults joke about a cannibal potentially eating Michael.
In 1977, a documentary filmmaker claimed to have located a person who had devoured Michael. Additionally, a detective named Frank Monte spread stories that he had found Michael’s skull and sold it to the Rockefellers. This became a topic of interest, including a TV special hosted by Leonard Nimoy.
A plethora of books, documentaries, and podcasts have since sought to delve into the cannibalism theory, while fiction inspired by his story has flourished.
Notably, journalist Carl Hoffman provides a well-researched viewpoint in his 2014 book, Savage Harvest, suggesting that Michael was likely killed and consumed by three Asmato tribes.
Hoffman writes, “In a twisted way, the demise of this American figure—a blend of power and privilege—was not just a loss but apparently one that involved deeper, darker dimensions.”
