Stefanie Pieper has been found dead, nearly a week after going missing while heading home from a Christmas party.
According to Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung, the 31-year-old beauty influencer was discovered dead in a Slovenian woodland after detectives claimed her ex-boyfriend, also 31, admitted to strangling her and led police to where he had put Pieper’s body inside a suitcase.
Pieper went missing on November 23 while heading home from a Christmas celebration, according to the Styrian State Police. While she was said to have gotten out of a taxi with a friend when she arrived at her flat, family members notified authorities after she failed to show up for a scheduled picture session.
In a Nov. 26 announcement, authorities confirmed Pieper’s disappearance after she failed to show up for work and “could not be reached.” They also revealed that her ex-boyfriend had been arrested in connection with her disappearance.
“The man is thought to have been to Slovenia multiple times in his automobile. “The investigating police were unable to contact him,” authorities noted. “On Monday evening, November 24, 2025, Slovenian police reported that a car was on fire in the parking area of a casino near the border. This was the 31-year-old man’s vehicle. Slovenian police apprehended him after discovering him in close proximity to the blazing vehicle. “Extradition to Austria has been requested.
According to local sources Oe24 and 20 Minuten, Pieper allegedly texted a pal on WhatsApp that she had reached home safely. She did, however, send another message shortly afterwards, expressing her belief that someone was in her stairs. According to Kleine Zeitung, neighbors overheard the argument and apparently saw her ex-boyfriend.
The following day, the Styrian State Police said in an update that two of Pieper’s ex-boyfriend’s family members had also been arrested.
“The detainees are in police custody and are being questioned,” officials stated at the time. “Forensic examination of the ex-boyfriend’s car yielded no clues as to the missing woman’s whereabouts.”
“Investigations are being conducted in both Slovenia and Austria, and there is close cooperation between the two authorities,” said the spokesperson. “Search operations carried out in Slovenia have so far been unsuccessful; these will continue tomorrow.”
