A new book has revived the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Michael Rockefeller, the 23-year-old son of New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller, who vanished in 1961 in what was then Dutch New Guinea. Author Carl Hoffman, in his work 'Savage Harvest,' claims that Rockefeller was murdered and eaten by local tribesmen from the Asmat region.
Officials originally declared that Rockefeller had been lost at sea after his boat capsized while he was filming a documentary. However, rumours of cannibalism began circulating shortly after his disappearance. Hoffman retraced Rockefeller's steps in the area, now part of Indonesia's Papua province, to uncover previously undiscovered clues.
The book seeks to solve one of America's most enduring mysteries, challenging the official account and suggesting a grisly end for the heir to a vast family fortune. The Asmat people were known for their former practice of headhunting and cannibalism, though such rites had largely ceased by the time of Rockefeller's visit.
