Ex-boyfriend of influencer, 31, who was ‘still alive when she was forced into suitcase & buried’ charged with murder

NewsWorld News THE ex-boyfriend of an influencer who may have still been alive when she was buried in a suitcase has been charged with her murder. Stefanie Pieper, 31, was found buried in the woods in Slovenia days after she disappeared from Austria in November last year. Influencer Stefanie Pieper went missing on November 23 2025 Credit: Newsflash Stefanie was last seen alive at a Christmas party Credit: Jam Press Now prosecutors in Austria have charged the influencer’s ex-boyfriend, identified only as Patrick M, with murder and interfering with a corpse. Patrick M is accused of strangling Stefanie until she lost consciousness and stabbing her multiple times in her flat in Graz. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! It’s alleged he then put her in a suitcase and drove her across the border to bury her in remote woodland. A post-mortem examination reportedly raised the possibility that Stefanie was still alive when she was buried. A major search was launched to find Pieper after she didn’t show up to an appointment Credit: Newsflash A post-mortem examination has suggested Pieper was still alive when she was buried Credit: Jam Press A man known only as Patrick M has been charged with her murder Credit: BILD Fotoservice Stefanie Pieper’s body was transported across the border and found in the Slovenian woods Credit: Jam Press Her remains were found on November 29 after Patrick M reportedly gave police information about where she was buried. Local media reported that Patrick M had confessed to the killing after his arrest, claiming he was motivated by jealousy. But the Graz public prosecutor’s office has said he now denies murdering Stefanie, while admitting to transporting and burying her body. Stefanie’s disappearance was discovered after she failed to turn up to a planned photoshoot and police discovered traces of blood in her flat. Most read in The Sun Neighbours reported hearing a loud argument, and another witness reportedly saw Patrick M leaving the building carrying an object resembling sheets or a carpet. Patrick M’s red Volkswagen Golf was later found burned near the Slovenian border, while Stefanie’s phone was found in Graz. The influencer had about 48,000 followers and worked as a make-up artist. She had also campaigned to raise awareness about violence against women. Stefanie was last seen alive getting out of a taxi with her friend, on her way home from a Christmas party. Her disappearance sparked a major search effort. In a WhatsApp message sent before she vanished, Stefanie said she had spotted a “creep in the stairwell”. Austrian prosecutors have dropped an investigation against Patrick M’s brother and stepfather, who had been suspected of helping him transport the body. Patrick M faces between 10 and 20 years in prison or a life sentence if he is convicted of murder. A trial date is yet to be set. Comment now