The tagline "Where's Uwe?" has floated around the Web since February, with everything from kidnapping to tax evasion speculated as the reason behind the disappearance of Uwe Gemballa, founder of famous tuning house Gemballa. The sad conclusion to the story came yesterday when Gemballa's body was found in South Africa.

Gemballa was murdered, shot in the back of the head with his hands bound behind his back. The killing smacks of an execution after a kidnapping/hostage taking gone wrong.

Gemballa's legacy, the tuning firm that bears his name, closed for business shortly after his disappearance, but has since reopened.

A murder investigation has been opened, and German police are assisting South African officials in attempting to find those responsible for Gemballa's death.