A man whose dismembered body was found in five countryside locations died of a stab wound to the back, police said today.
The man’s torso, right arm and upper left arm were found in a ditch on Saturday evening, the latest in a series of discoveries across Leicestershire and Hertfordshire.
The badly decomposed remains were spotted by a walker in Gore Lane, near the old A10 in Standon, in east Hertfordshire.
Police believe the killer, or killers, drove several hundred miles across the two counties dumping body parts along the way.
Despite the long drive, little effort was made to hide the body parts, which were discovered over three weeks from late last month.
On March 22nd a left leg and foot were found in a green holdall in a lay-by on the A507 in Cottered, Hertfordshire.
A week later an arm, dismembered at the elbow and wrist, was discovered on a grass verge in Wheathampstead, about a 40-minute drive from Cottered.
Two days later, on March 31st, a farmer discovered the head near a cemetery in Asfordby, Leicestershire - about 95 miles from Wheathampstead via the M1 and A606.
A motorist then found a right leg in a lay-by near the A10 Puckeridge bypass in Hertfordshire on April 7th.
From the physical evidence, police have created a picture of a man who suffered poor health before his death. He had eczema, “bleaching” discoloration to the skin around his ankle and toenails disfigured with a fungal infection.
Officers said the man was missing two front teeth and had been for several years. He was between 5ft 6in and 5ft 10in with feet sized seven to nine.
More than 100 officers are working on the investigation, known as Operation Athena, including detectives from Leicestershire and the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire major crime units.
Detective Chief Inspector Michael Hanlon said it was one of the “most horrific” crimes he had dealt with.
Mr Hanlon said the man was aged between his mid-40s and early 60s and was of large build, weighing between 16 and 17 stone. The detective added the man was killed with a large knife driven into his back, piercing his body cavity and causing a fatal wound.
Mr Hanlon said he believed the victim was killed in the 48 hours before the first discovery of a body part on March 22nd.
PA