Austrian beauty influencer Stefanie Pieper found dead in suitcase in Slovenian forest

Dubai: In a case that has shocked Austria and Slovenia, 31-year-old Austrian beauty influencer Stefanie Pieper was found dead five days after she vanished following an early Christmas party.

Her disappearance spiralled into a chilling cross-border investigation involving a burning car, multiple arrests, and a confession that led police to her body in a remote forest.

Pieper was last seen on November 23 after attending a festive gathering. She texted friends that night saying “There’s a creep in the stairwell… a dark figure”, raising fears that she may have been stalked or followed home. When she failed to respond the next day, police officially declared her unreachable and launched a search.

The case took a dark turn on November 24, when Slovenian police discovered a red Volkswagen Golf engulfed in flames in a casino parking lot near the border.

A man was found lingering near the burning vehicle — later identified as Peter M., Pieper’s ex-boyfriend, a 31-year-old nightclub security guard. He offered no clear explanation for the fire, fuelling immediate suspicion. Authorities detained him on the spot, and Austria swiftly requested his extradition.

Back in Austria, investigators zeroed in on Peter M.’s movements and questioned his family members. His brother and stepfather were also taken into custody at Graz-Jakomini correctional facility on suspicion of potential obstruction of justice.

Witnesses reported seeing Peter M. at Pieper’s apartment building around the time she disappeared — one even recalled him carrying a “suspicious roll of fabric”, later believed to be connected to the disposal of her body.

Heated argument

Over the next 48 hours, the pressure mounted. After hours of interrogation, Peter M. finally broke. According to police, he confessed to killing Pieper, saying a heated argument had erupted after the Christmas party and escalated into violence. He allegedly strangled her, stuffed her body inside a suitcase, and drove across the border into Slovenia, as reported by TMZ.

Armed with his confession, police carried out a coordinated search in the rugged forests near Majsperk, Slovenia.

On November 28, officers discovered a suitcase buried in the undergrowth. Inside were Pieper’s remains — confirming the worst fears of her family, followers, and the thousands who had been sharing pleas for her safe return.

Authorities say Peter M. fled to Slovenia immediately after the killing, possibly intending to destroy evidence. Burning his car may have been the final attempt to erase traces of the crime. But the suspicious circumstances — a burning vehicle, erratic behaviour, and conflicting statements — ultimately collapsed his defence.

Austrian and Slovenian investigators are now reconstructing Pieper’s final hours and examining digital traces, including her last messages. Police are also probing whether the two family members acted as accomplices or attempted to cover up the crime.

What began as a missing-person case has now become one of Austria’s most disturbing recent homicides — a gruesome combination of domestic violence, possible premeditation, and a frantic attempt to evade capture.