A talented singer and make-up artist vanished without a trace after a festive night out with her friend. When a colleague raised the alarm, police made a devastating discovery
Heading home in a taxi after enjoying a Christmas party, Stefanie Pieper sent a message to a friend to confirm she’d got back to her flat safe and sound. It’s a text that most women know all too well, but tragically, it would be one of her last.
The glamorous make-up artist and beauty influencer, with over 42,000 followers on Instagram, had been out clubbing that Saturday night and was due to attend a photoshoot the following Monday. When she didn’t turn up and failed to answer her phone, a concerned photographer decided to take action.
The colleague headed to Stefanie’s apartment to check that she was OK and was greeted by her on-off boyfriend, 31-year-old Peter M. The man, described locally as a part-time nightclub security guard and unsuccessful poker player, let the photographer inside, but it wasn’t enough to ease his concerns.
After growing increasingly uneasy about the 31-year-old’s whereabouts, the snapper called police a short time later, who found her phone in a bush nearby. Officers spoke to neighbours, who described hearing “loud noises” coming from her flat in Graz, Austria on Sunday. Then, police read Stefanie’s chilling final texts.
In a message to a friend on Whatsapp in the early hours of Sunday morning, November 23, she wrote “there’s a creep in the stairwell”, describing a “dark figure” she had seen as she headed inside after returning to walk her Golden Retriever, Marlow. Clearly concerned about the mysterious individual lurking near her home, Stefanie had raised the alarm. Then, silence. Her ex partner was arrested in neighbouring Slovenia, trying to cross the border.
A frantic police hunt ensued, with investigators using drones and sniffer dogs to try and find the vanished influencer. They also searched several properties belonging to the ex-boyfriend’s family, including his grandmother’s garden.
Stefanie’s mum, Csilla Legenstein, whose name was tattooed on her arm, issued a heartbreaking appeal. She said: “My daughter has been missing since [Sunday] morning. Any helpful information will be financially rewarded. Please help me find my daughter.”
A week after she went missing, the desperate search ended in tragedy, as Stefanie’s body was found buried in the woods in Slovenia. Police discovered her remains stuffed into a suitcase. Investigators say that her ex-boyfriend admitted to strangling her and led police to where he had hidden her body, Austrian news outlet Kronen Zeitung reports.
The suspect is said to have initially remained silent, but eventually cracked after hours of interrogation. The 31-year-old is alleged to have ambushed Stefanie after the Christmas party and killed her following a noisy argument.
Witnesses have reportedly claimed that they saw Peter M at the flat carrying a roll of fabric. The man’s red Volkswagen Golf was found burned out in Šentilj, a town just south of Slovenia’s border with Austria. Peter M reportedly could not explain why his car was on fire when he was arrested in his native country. “He was found in the immediate vicinity of the burning vehicle and arrested by the Slovenian police. Extradition to Austria has been requested,” officials said.
According to reports in Slovenia, Stefanie’s body was found in a forest near the Slovenian town of Majsperk. Two other men have been arrested in connection with the crime, The Sun reports. They are belived to be the suspect’s brother and stepfather. “The detainees are in police custody and are being questioned,” police wrote at the time.
“Forensic examination of the ex-boyfriend’s car yielded no clues as to the missing woman’s whereabouts.” “Investigations are being conducted in both Slovenia and Austria, and there is close cooperation between the two authorities,” they continued.
Stefanie described herself as a make-up artist and singer on her verified Instagram account, where thousands of people followed her beauty tips. In one video from 2023, pinned to the top of her page, the influencer can be seen emotionally singing to Lewis Capaldi’s song Forget Me, with the lyrics: “Cause I’m not ready, to find out you know how to forget me. I’d rather hear how much you regret me, and pray to God that you never met me, than forget me.”
Her last video, posted on November 9, showed the influencer taking her followers along with her to a pedicure appointment. Other photos shows her posing with her beloved dog Marlow, attending a beauty awards event, and posing in front of the eiffel tower on a trip to Paris.
Her account has been flooded with tributes from devastating fans. One wrote: “My sincere condolences to the family, and everyone who was close to her” while another said: “Rest in peace beautiful angel”. A third heartbroken follower said: “We mourn with you, we think of you, and we wish you endless strength and light in your darkness.”
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk.
If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk.