Austrian Beauty Influencer Stefanie Pieper, 31, Found Buried in Suitcase

Austrian beauty influencer Stefanie Pieper, 31, vanished after attending a Christmas party in Graz on November 23, 2025. Days later, her body was found buried inside a suitcase in a forest near Majsperk, Slovenia. Austrian authorities said her ex-boyfriend, identified as Patrick M., confessed to strangling her and led investigators to her remains. He was arrested and extradited back to Austria from Slovenia to face charges.

The Last Hours

In the hours before she disappeared, Pieper sent WhatsApp messages to a friend saying she had seen a “creep in the stairwell” - a “dark figure” lurking near her apartment building - after returning home from the Christmas party and taking her golden retriever, Marlow, for a walk. Neighbors reported hearing an argument and seeing Patrick M. near the building around the time she vanished. She had last been seen alive getting out of a taxi with a friend after the party. When she failed to show up for a scheduled photoshoot, the photographer went to her apartment and alerted police.

The Investigation

Patrick M. was initially found inside Pieper’s apartment with her dog. He denied knowing her whereabouts, claiming he only had a key to care for the dog. Witnesses reported seeing him at the apartment carrying a suspicious roll of fabric, believed to be the suitcase used to transport her body. He then fled to Slovenia, where his car was found burned in a parking lot near the border - a suspected attempt to destroy evidence. Two of his family members were also arrested and questioned in connection with the case.

Austrian and Slovenian authorities cooperated extensively in the search, deploying drones, sniffer dogs, and coordinated ground operations before recovering Pieper’s body. Charges against Patrick M. were pending at the time of reporting.

References: Beauty Influencer Stefanie Pieper, 31, Found Dead in Forest: Report | Chilling final texts of Stefanie Pieper before influencer was found dead in suitcase in forest