Stefanie Pieper, an Austrian beauty influencer from Graz, was found dead inside a suitcase buried in a Slovenian forest. Her ex-boyfriend, identified as Patrick M., admitted to killing and burying her, Austrian police said.
Pieper missed an important appointment on November 23, and when she did not show up her friend alerted police. On November 24 her mother posted on Facebook, “My daughter Stefanie P. has been missing since yesterday morning,” noting Stefanie had her mother’s first name tattooed on her left forearm.
A week-long investigation focused on her ex-boyfriend. On the evening of November 23 police went to Pieper’s apartment and found Patrick and her dog; he told officers he was looking after the dog. Traces of blood were found on the door frame, but police said this alone did not implicate him. Witnesses reported hearing an argument at about 8 a.m. that day and seeing a man leave the apartment carrying a tarp or carpet, Kronen Zeitung reported.
The day after Pieper disappeared, Patrick was arrested near the Austrian-Slovenian Spielfeld border after his car was found burning near a casino; authorities say this was an attempt to destroy evidence. Slovenian officials impounded the vehicle and handed him over to Austrian police.
After several rounds of questioning, the 31-year-old admitted he strangled Pieper, put her body in a suitcase, and buried it in a wooded area in Slovenia. His brother and stepfather were briefly arrested and later released after police confirmed they were not involved.
Following the week-long search, police located Pieper’s body in the Slovenian forest. The accused faces up to 20 years or life imprisonment.
