Police believe a devoted father-of-five was murdered soon after getting into a silver car at a shopping centre.
Kyal Scanlon found in a bush grave in the Dandenongs has been described as a terrific dad, his partner says.
The missing Kilsyth man was found at Olinda in the Dandenong Ranges on Saturday.
Police are treating the death as murder.
Forensics tests conducted yesterday confirmed the identity of the body, which a walker found covered with branches.
Partner Kristy Coyne told the Herald Sun that Mr Scanlon, 28, was a hero to their children, Kieren, Curtis, Daniel, Lindy and Tori.
"He would do anything for them. They're pretty upset," Ms Coyne said of her partner of 13 years.
"He was a good dad. He would take them fishing on their birthdays. He'd buy them lots of stuff and on Christmas."
Speaking to the media today, the distraught family said they had no idea why anyone would want Mr Scanlon dead.
Ms Coyne said she spoke to him minutes before he was last seen, to check he had obtained some food vouchers for the family.
"I said, did you get the vouchers? and he said, ‘Yep'."
"And I said are you on your way home and he said, ‘Yep', and then the phone cut out."
He was last seen getting into a silver car outside the Salvation Army in Mooroolbark about 1.30pm.
While Kyal was last seen getting into the small hatchback, police today wouldn't detail how Mr Scanlon died, and said they have not established whether he was killed near the shopping centre or somewhere else.
But Homicide Squad Det-Inspector John Potter said there were several locked gates in the 1km along the track and his body was found 50m into the bush, which would make it very difficult to shift a body that distance.
He said someone may have noticed a car parked in the area about the time Mr Scanlon went missing.
Police confirmed Mr Scanlon was wearing the same clothes he was wearing when he was last seen.Ms Coyne said she was coping as best she could.
"If I was angry he always tried to make me laugh," she said.
"We just want to find out who did this to him. I think someone hurt him. I don't know (why)."
Heraldsun.com.au has been told Mr Scanlon was a keen Hawthorn fan and fisherman.
One friend described him "a nice guy who found himself getting into trouble".
Ms Coyne confirmed Mr Scanlon, who didn't work, was due to face the Ringwood Magistrates' Court next month for drink-driving without a licence.
Mr Scanlon's sister Casey O'Connell said the family knew "something bad had happened" when he didn't return home on March 7.
Police believe Mr Scanlon's body, found about 1km from Georges Track, may have been there for up to two weeks.
Investigators were called to the grim discovery in the Olinda Creek Rd area about 7.30pm on Saturday.
"We knew something terrible had happened because he wouldn't not come home to his kids and his girlfriend," Mrs O'Connell said.
"He went to get the food vouchers because they had no money."
Mrs O'Connell said her brother was "the nicest guy I've met in my life".
When asked if someone would have a bone to pick with him, she said: "Possibly, but we wouldn't know."
"I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to hurt him.
A police spokesman said detectives urged anyone with information about Mr Scanlon to come forward.
"They would also like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed any suspicious activity, in the vicinity of Olinda Creek Rd, near Georges Track, during the last three weeks," he said.
"Investigators are also interested in any information regarding a small hatch back-type vehicle seen in the Olinda area."

- By Amelia Harris, Herald Sun, March 22, 2011