By the time the hunter’s car was tracked down, he was found dead in woods near the village of Dillingen. Reports carried by AP say he had gunshot wounds to his upper body. A weapon was found with the body and a second one in the car.

The horror film style story has shocked officers who are now trying to track down the killers of the 48-year-old local man. He had called the emergency number on Sunday afternoon, saying he had been on his way home from shooting in the woods, when he stopped to pick up a hitchhiker.

The hitcher held a knife to his neck and forced him to stop at a particular spot, where a second man was waiting, the man said. The pair overpowered him and put him in the boot of the car – where he called police on his mobile phone.

A huge search was launched, but after discovering the body officers have now shifted resources to finding the killers.