A 31-year-old Austrian influencer, Stefanie Pieper, has been found dead in a suitcase in Slovenia after sending a chilling final text about a 'creep in the stairwell'. The make-up artist and beauty influencer, who had over 42,000 Instagram followers, disappeared after a night out at a Christmas party in Graz on 23 November.
Stefanie had returned home to walk her Golden Retriever, Marlow, and sent a WhatsApp message to a friend saying 'there's a creep in the stairwell', describing a 'dark figure' she saw. She was due to attend a photoshoot the following Monday, but when she didn't show up and failed to answer her phone, a concerned photographer went to her flat. He was let in by her on-off boyfriend, 31-year-old Peter M, but grew uneasy and called police.
Police found Stefanie's phone in a bush nearby and heard from neighbours about 'loud noises' from her flat on Sunday. A week later, her body was discovered in a forest near Majsperk, Slovenia, stuffed into a suitcase. Peter M was arrested in Slovenia trying to cross the border, with his red Volkswagen Golf found burned out nearby. He allegedly confessed to strangling Stefanie after a noisy argument and led police to her body.
Two other men, believed to be the suspect's brother and stepfather, have also been arrested in connection with the crime. Stefanie's mother, Csilla Legenstein, had issued a heartbreaking appeal for information. The case has shocked Austria and Slovenia, with authorities cooperating closely in the investigation.
