Police have released CCTV footage of a Lower Hutt man on the night before he was found dead.

The CCTV footage shows Matthew Stevens at a Countdown supermarket at 10.38pm the night before the 32-year-old was discovered beaten and stabbed near his car on Paekakariki Hill Road on Friday morning.

Police believe a house in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni, where Mr Stevens was known to visit, may be connected to his death.

So far police say the former painter left his home in the suburb of Taita around 10pm. An half an hour later he was at the supermarket buying beer and police believe he was due to go to the house in Epuni, which is now a focus of the inquiry.

Police are reviewing forensic tests on his white Toyota Corolla and yesterday upgraded their investigation to homicide after a post mortem found he was stabbed several times in the stomach.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Sears says police know Mr Stevens was travelling in his vehicle earlier.

"We know he was in the Hutt Valley and mobile in his vehicle for some time. Those times are yet to be confirmed," he said.