James Fleet, 25, and his uncle Raymond Fleet, 51, were last seen nearly two weeks ago and were reported missing on Wednesday August 9.
Last Thursday night police announced they had found two bodies in the Mamaku Forest.
A police spokeswoman said today post mortem results were not yet being made available and official identification of the bodies was yet to place. However, police have said it was believed they were Raymond and James Fleet.
Police said on Friday they had not ruled out drug or gang connections from the men's deaths but would not confirm whether either were involved.
Meanwhile on social media, friends paid tribute to the pair, saying they would miss them forever.
"My bro Ray I love you bro will miss your cheaky [sic] smile," one friend wrote.
Another said they were sickened by what had happened, "way too close to home".
Several people close to James shared stories about time she'd helped them, remembering him as a caring and devoted friend.
One man said when his son got sick, it was James who drove them to and from the hospital in peak-hour traffic.
"James my brotha I will never forget nor will I leave u out of our future I hope to make it to your home meet the whanau," he wrote.
Another remembered a similar story, saying James had also been there for her and her partner when her child was born, "ready to do whatever he needed him to even if it was just a hug".
One man close to James said he hadn't been able to sleep since the news broke.
"Rest in peace my brother," he wrote.
Rotorua MP Todd McClay said his thoughts were with Ray and James' families and their whanau deserved answers.
"It's very concerning and I know the police are focused on solving this crime," he said.
Someone knew what had happened and he encouraged anyone who did to call police and share that information.
"The family members and the children of the men who have been killed deserve to know what happened."
It seemed likely the men were murdered, which was a shock for Rotorua, Mr McClay said.
"It's always very shocking when someone from a small community goes missing and even more so when there's a death."
Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said the situation was "extremely serious, extremely worrying".
However he did not think it was wise to speculate about what might have caused the men's deaths.
"You can only have absolute sympathy for what the whanau of the two men are going through."
He echoed McClay's calls for anyone with information about the case to talk to police.
"It's important they can get to the bottom of the matter. That's the only way we as a society can move forward."
