Heading back home in a taxi after attending a festive gathering, Stefanie Pieper messaged a friend to confirm her safe return to her apartment. This routine text, familiar to many women, sadly became one of her final communications.
A popular makeup artist and beauty influencer with a substantial Instagram following of over 42,000, Stefanie had been out clubbing on a Saturday night and was scheduled for a photoshoot the following Monday. Concern arose when she failed to show up and stopped responding to calls, prompting a worried photographer to take action.
Upon visiting Stefanie’s residence to check on her well-being, the photographer encountered her on-and-off boyfriend, Peter M, a 31-year-old described locally as a part-time nightclub security guard and unsuccessful poker player. Despite granting entry to the photographer, Peter M’s demeanor did not alleviate suspicions.
As anxieties about Stefanie’s whereabouts escalated, the photographer contacted the police, who located her phone in a nearby bush. Neighbors reported hearing “loud noises” emanating from Stefanie’s flat in Graz, Austria, on Sunday. Subsequently, law enforcement uncovered Stefanie’s alarming final messages.
In an early Sunday morning WhatsApp message to a friend, Stefanie expressed encountering a “creep in the stairwell,” describing a “dark figure” she spotted upon returning home after walking her Golden Retriever, Marlow. Troubled by the presence of the mysterious individual near her residence, Stefanie raised an alarm before falling silent. Her ex-partner was apprehended in neighboring Slovenia while attempting to cross the border.
A frantic search effort ensued, with authorities employing drones and sniffer dogs to locate the missing influencer. Multiple properties linked to the ex-boyfriend’s family, including his grandmother’s garden, were searched in the pursuit of clues.
Stefanie’s mother, Csilla Legenstein, whose name was tattooed on Stefanie’s arm, made a heart-wrenching plea for information, stating, “My daughter has been missing since [Sunday] morning. Any useful information will be rewarded. Please assist me in finding my daughter.”
Tragically, a week after her disappearance, Stefanie’s body was discovered buried in the woods in Slovenia, concealed in a suitcase. Reports indicate that her ex-boyfriend confessed to strangling her and led authorities to her hidden remains, as detailed by Austrian news outlet Kronen Zeitung.
Initially uncooperative, the suspect eventually divulged details after hours of interrogation, admitting to ambushing Stefanie after the Christmas party and fatally assaulting her following a heated argument.
Witnesses allegedly sighted Peter M at the residence carrying a roll of fabric, and his red Volkswagen Golf was found burned out in Šentilj, south of Slovenia’s border with Austria. Authorities noted his arrest by Slovenian police in close proximity to the burning vehicle, with extradition to Austria requested.
Slovenian reports mentioned the discovery of Stefanie’s body near the town of Majsperk, leading to the arrests of two other individuals related to the crime, reportedly the suspect’s brother and stepfather. Police have detained these individuals for questioning.
“As forensic examination of the ex-boyfriend’s car yielded no clues to the missing woman’s whereabouts,” ongoing investigations in both Slovenia and Austria are ongoing, with collaborative efforts between the two authorities.
Describing herself as a makeup artist and singer on her verified Instagram account, where she shared beauty tips with a vast audience, Stefanie’s final posts and videos have been inundated with tributes from grieving fans expressing condolences and remembrances.
For those in need of confidential support, the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline is available at 0808 2000 247, and further assistance can be sought from AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) for those affected by fatal domestic abuse incidents.