Austrian prosecutors have charged the former boyfriend of beauty influencer Stefanie Pieper with murder after accusing him of strangling and stabbing her, forcing her into a suitcase, driving her body across the border into Slovenia and burying the suitcase in a remote forest.
Pieper, a 31-year-old makeup artist, singer and social media influencer from Graz, Austria, disappeared on November 23, 2025. Her remains were recovered several days later from a suitcase buried in Slovenia. Her former boyfriend, a 31-year-old Slovenian man identified in European reporting as Patrick M., now faces murder and a second charge involving the treatment of Pieper’s remains.
What Is Stefanie Pieper’s Ex-Boyfriend Charged With?
On September 21, 2026, the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had formally indicted Pieper’s former partner on two charges:
- Murder
- Disturbing the peace of the dead, an Austrian offense covering certain forms of mistreatment, removal or desecration of human remains
The case was filed with the Regional Criminal Court in Graz.
According to prosecutors, the defendant deliberately killed Pieper on November 23, 2025, inside her Graz apartment by intensely strangling her and inflicting stab and cut wounds to her neck.
Prosecutors allege that he then forced Pieper into a travel suitcase, placed it in his car, drove from Austria to Slovenia and buried the suitcase in an isolated wooded area.
[Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office] [ORF]
What Happened To Stefanie Pieper?
Pieper spent the night of November 22 into November 23, 2025, celebrating a friend’s birthday at a venue in Graz, according to investigators’ reconstruction of her final hours.
She left the gathering early in the morning and returned to her apartment by taxi. At approximately 6:38 a.m., Pieper communicated with a friend through WhatsApp, followed by a voice message at 7:06 a.m.
Investigators believe her former boyfriend arrived at the apartment shortly afterward.
A neighbor later told investigators that she heard loud screaming and doors slamming at around 8 a.m. Another witness reportedly saw Pieper’s former partner leaving the building at approximately 10 a.m. carrying something described as resembling a tarp or carpet.
How Did Stefanie Pieper Disappear?
Concern grew after Pieper failed to appear for a scheduled appointment or photo shoot.
When authorities began investigating her disappearance, suspicion increasingly focused on her former boyfriend.
Investigators found small traces of blood inside Pieper’s apartment and began piecing together witness accounts, phone records and the movements of her former partner.
Pieper’s ex initially denied involvement in her disappearance, according to Austrian reporting.
How Was Stefanie Pieper’s Ex-Boyfriend Arrested?
Investigators determined that Pieper’s former partner traveled into Slovenia after her disappearance.
He was detained near a casino around the Austrian-Slovenian border after authorities found him close to his burning vehicle.
Austrian investigators later said they believed the car fire was connected to an attempt to destroy evidence.
The man was extradited from Slovenia back to Austria and questioned by investigators.
How Was Stefanie Pieper’s Body Found?
After initially denying involvement, the suspect provided investigators with information about where Pieper’s remains had been taken.
On November 29, 2025, Slovenian authorities searching near Majšperk located a suitcase that had been buried in a wooded area.
Pieper’s body was inside.
Investigators said it was immediately apparent that she had suffered a violent death.
The suspect acknowledged transporting Pieper in a suitcase from Graz to Slovenia and burying her, an admission he continues to make even while denying the murder charge.
[Kurier] [Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office]
What Did Stefanie Pieper’s Autopsy Find?
A preliminary autopsy found that Pieper suffered massive violence to her neck and concluded that strangulation was responsible for her death.
Forensic examiners also documented significant injuries to Pieper’s head and face, including bruising around her nose and cheek.
Later reporting indicated that Pieper also suffered a wound to the neck, although authorities said the neck compression was the principal fatal injury.
Was Stefanie Pieper Buried Alive?
Investigators have not established that Pieper was buried alive.
The possibility became part of the case because forensic examiners could not determine precisely when Pieper died in relation to when she was placed inside the suitcase.
Graz prosecutor Christian Kroschl said in March 2026 that it was possible Pieper was still alive when she was placed in the suitcase, while also emphasizing that it was possible she had already died from strangulation.
That uncertainty led to headlines describing Pieper as potentially having been buried alive, but it should not be treated as an established fact.
The formal indictment filed in September takes a more specific position: prosecutors allege that Pieper was intentionally killed through strangulation and stab and cut injuries before her body was transported to Slovenia and buried.
[E! News] [Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office] [New York Post]
What Does Stefanie Pieper’s Ex-Boyfriend Say Happened?
The defendant’s account has changed during the investigation.
Police initially described him as confessing after investigators confronted him with evidence contradicting his denials. He subsequently gave an account in which he acknowledged putting Pieper in a chokehold during a confrontation but disputed that he deliberately murdered her.
According to Kurier, he claimed Pieper threatened to hurt herself with a kitchen knife during an argument and that she suffered a neck wound during a struggle. He claimed that he applied pressure to her neck while attempting to stop the bleeding.
Prosecutors have rejected that version of events and charged him with intentionally murdering Pieper.
As of the September 2026 indictment, the defendant formally denies the murder allegation. He does, however, admit transporting Pieper’s remains to Slovenia and burying them in the forest.
[Kurier] [Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office]
Did The Suspect Search ChatGPT About Strangulation?
Austrian outlet Heute reported that investigators examining the defendant’s phone found that he searched ChatGPT on the morning Pieper died for information about how quickly someone could lose consciousness during a chokehold and the risk that the person could die.
The reported search allegedly occurred at approximately 9:23 a.m., during the period investigators believe Pieper was being attacked inside her apartment.
The allegation concerning the phone search comes from reporting about the prosecution file and is not included in the Graz prosecutor’s short public announcement of the indictment.
What Happened To Stefanie Pieper’s Phone And Other Evidence?
According to reporting on the prosecution case, investigators believe the defendant attempted to remove or destroy evidence after Pieper’s death.
Heute reported that prosecutors allege he disposed of a bloodstained dog bed, a carpet and a knife and threw Pieper’s cellphone into bushes.
His car was later found burning in Slovenia. Austrian investigators previously said they believed the fire was intended to destroy traces and evidence connected to the case.
Were The Suspect’s Brother And Stepfather Charged?
No.
The defendant’s brother and stepfather were initially investigated on suspicion that they may have helped him transport or bury Pieper’s body.
The Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office ultimately closed the Austrian investigation against the two men because authorities said they found no evidence that the relatives participated in relevant acts inside Austria.
Any potentially criminal conduct that occurred exclusively in Slovenia would fall under Slovenian jurisdiction, and Austrian prosecutors said Slovenian authorities were considering whether to open their own proceedings.
[Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office] [ORF]
Who Was Stefanie Pieper?
Stefanie Pieper was an Austrian makeup artist, singer and social media personality based in Graz.
She developed a substantial following online through beauty, fashion and lifestyle content and was described in Austrian reporting as having tens of thousands of Instagram followers.
Pieper also worked professionally as a makeup artist and was expected at a work appointment when people close to her realized something was wrong and her disappearance was reported.
What Was Stefanie Pieper’s Relationship With The Suspect?
Pieper and the accused man reportedly met in 2020 and had an on-again, off-again relationship over several years.
By the fall of 2025, the romantic relationship had ended, although Austrian reporting said the former couple remained in contact in part because of a dog they shared.
Prosecutors have not publicly laid out a detailed motive in their September indictment announcement. Some Austrian and international reports have characterized jealousy following the breakup as a potential factor in the case.
What Penalty Could Stefanie Pieper’s Ex-Boyfriend Face?
Under Section 75 of Austria’s Criminal Code, a person convicted of murder can be sentenced to between 10 and 20 years in prison or to life imprisonment.
The Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that those are the potential penalties the defendant faces if convicted of Pieper’s murder.
The additional charge concerning disturbance of the peace of the dead is covered by Section 190 of Austria’s Criminal Code. That statute covers conduct including removing, mistreating or desecrating a corpse and can carry an additional custodial sentence or fine.
No trial date had been set when prosecutors announced the indictment on September 21, 2026.
[Austrian Criminal Code – Murder] [Austrian Criminal Code – Treatment Of Human Remains] [Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.