Police believe a plank of wood was used to assault a 66-year-old man who later died in hospital.
A murder inquiry was launched after Peter Seaman was attacked while walking his dog in the Cornish village of Dobwalls on Thursday.
The retired heating engineer was taken to hospital with serious head injuries but later died.
A 20-year-old man from the Looe area has been arrested on suspicion of assault.
Mr Seaman, who lived in the village, had been walking his terrier dog along Duloe road at about 1640 BST on Thursday afternoon when he was attacked near a bus shelter.
Police officers have since recovered a length of timber from the scene.
His family paid tribute to him saying: "He was a lovely, lovely man who lived for his grandchildren"
On Friday bouquets of flowers were left next to the shelter where Mr Seaman was found injured.
Parish councillor Joanne Thorn said the murder had put dog walkers "on edge".
"He was a quiet, inoffensive chap, he wouldn't do any harm to anybody, a really nice fellow," she told BBC News.
"It shatters me he was only three years older than I am. It's so, so sad."
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