Police have said they are confident they had identified a corpse reportedly found dismembered.
Hertfordshire Constabulary said they believed John Finney had been forcibly taken from his vehicle before being killed.
The Mitsubishi Pajero was found abandoned in Ickleford, near Hitchin, by a member of the public on Friday.
A post-mortem examination on the body failed to determine the cause of death, but media reports suggested Mr Finney was found headless and armless.
Further forensic tests will now take place to establish what killed the 42-year-old.
The detective leading the inquiry said he believed it was a targeted attack, and appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Detective Chief Inspector Bill Jephson said: "I am also appealing to people living in Ickleford or anyone who has passed through the area in the last two weeks and believes they have seen anything suspicious, or if they have any information to assist with our investigation, to contact the incident room.
"This is a very traumatic time for John's family, our thoughts are with them."
Anyone with information should call the incident room on 01707 355666 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
