Beauty influencer Stefanie Pieper’s death in November 2025 devastated her loved ones and followers, and many questions were left unanswered months after the tragedy. While the case initially seemed to be at a standstill, her ex-boyfriend was officially pressed with formal charges in her murder 10 months after her body was discovered inside of a suitcase that was buried in a forest.
Us breaks down everything to know about Pieper’s death, her ex-boyfriend’s arrest and what prosecutors have said about the case, below.
Stefanie Pieper’s Ex-Boyfriend Formally Charged With Murder
The ex-boyfriend of Pieper, identified only as Patrick M, was formally charged with murder in September 2026, 10 months after the 31-year-old content creator was killed.
Patrick is accused of strangling and stabbing Pieper in her apartment in Austria in November 2025 before allegedly stuffing her body in a suitcase, which was eventually buried in a forest near the border of Slovenia.
Patrick had previously admitted to killing Pieper amid alleged jealousy following their split, but per the Bild report, he later walked back his initial confession and only admitted to burying her body.
Patrick was arrested in Šentilj, Slovenia, before being extradited to Austria. It is not currently clear if he has entered a plea or retained legal counsel following his arrest.
Patrick’s brother and stepfather were also accused of helping him move Pieper’s body, but they are reportedly not expected to be charged.
What Happened the Night Stefanie Pieper Disappeared?
Pieper was last seen at a Christmas party on November 23, 2025. After leaving the gathering in Graz, Austria, she initially checked in with friends. Then she got back in touch to express concern that someone was in her stairwell — later sending texts about “a creep in the stairwell.”
Pieper was reported missing the following day, November 24, 2025, when she did not show up for a scheduled modeling photo shoot. Loved ones immediately reached out to authorities.
How Investigators Zeroed In on Stefanie Pieper’s Ex
Austria’s Styrian State Police quickly identified Pieper’s ex as a person of interest.
“Subsequent investigations led to the suspicion that the woman’s 31-year-old ex-boyfriend might be connected to her disappearance,” Styrian State Police said in a statement at the time. “The man is believed to have traveled to Slovenia several times in his car. He could not be contacted by the investigating police.”
On November 24, 2025, Slovenian police were notified that “a car had caught fire in the parking lot of a casino near the border” in Šentilj. German newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported that the vehicle belonged to Pieper’s ex.
“This was the 31-year-old man’s car,” police said at the time. “He was found in the immediate vicinity of the burning vehicle and arrested by the Slovenian police. Extradition to Austria has been requested.”
How Stefanie Pieper’s Body Was Found
After being taken into custody, the suspect reportedly confessed to strangling Pieper and led authorities to a nearby forest where her remains were hidden inside a suitcase. She was found less than one week after her disappearance, on November 29, 2025.
Two additional arrests followed. On November 29, 2025, Austrian state police confirmed that two of the suspect’s male relatives had been detained at the Graz-Jakomini correctional facility due to a risk of obstruction of justice.
Local media later identified them as the suspect’s brother and stepfather.
“Two more men from the suspect’s family circle were arrested in Austria. The detainees are in police custody and are being questioned,” police said in a statement.
At that time, Austrian police conducted a “forensic examination of the ex-boyfriend’s car [that] yielded no clues” about the alleged murder. Officials also cautioned against unverified reports circulating online.
“Rumors are circulating in various media outlets and online platforms that the missing woman has been found in Slovenia. Several media inquiries refer to this rumor. The Styrian police cannot confirm this rumor,” police said before her remains were officially recovered.
The Styrian State Police also emphasized cross-border cooperation: “The investigation is being conducted in both Slovenia and Austria, and there is close cooperation between the two authorities.”
Prosecutors Theorize Stefanie Pieper May Have Been Buried Alive
Pieper’s autopsy report confirmed that she died as a result of strangulation to her neck, according to a report from Bild. But forensic pathologists also found she suffered from “severe facial injuries,” which could have been caused by either punches or being transported in the suitcase.
A spokesperson for the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office told Bild in March 2026 that investigators are not ruling out the possibility that she was alive when she was placed inside the suitcase, as Us previously reported.
“The autopsy could not definitively determine when the young woman died,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “It is entirely possible that she was still alive when she was placed in the suitcase. However, it is equally possible that she was killed by strangulation beforehand.”
Authorities said Pieper had facial injuries that she may have sustained while trying to get out of the suitcase.
Inside Stefanie Pieper’s Life as an Austrian Influencer
Pieper was best known for being an influencer, makeup artist and aspiring singer in her native Austria. She had amassed more than 47,000 followers on Instagram, where she regularly shared her go-to beauty tips and tricks.
News broke of her death in late November 2025, when Kronen Zeitung reported that her ex-boyfriend had been apprehended in Slovenia in the vicinity of his burning car. Representatives for Austrian and Slovenian police and the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office, held a joint press conference on November 30, 2025, to share updates on the case.
What’s Next in the Stefanie Pieper’s Murder Case?
Pieper’s ex remains in pretrial detention in Austria, where his trial is scheduled to take place, per Bild. He faces life in prison if convicted.
While Patrick has walked back the specifics of his initial confession and now only admits to burying Pieper’s body, prosecutors have moved forward with the full murder charge. A motive beyond alleged jealousy following the couple’s split has not been publicly established by authorities.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
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