The ex-boyfriend of Austrian influencer Stefanie Pieper has been charged with her murder after her body was found buried in woodland in Slovenia days after she disappeared.
Pieper, 31, went missing from Austria on November 23, 2025, after attending a Christmas party. Her disappearance sparked a major search after she failed to turn up for a scheduled photoshoot.
Austrian prosecutors have now charged her former boyfriend, identified as Patrick M, with murder and interfering with a corpse.
Patrick M is accused of strangling Pieper until she lost consciousness before allegedly stabbing her several times at her flat in Graz.
Prosecutors allege he then placed her body inside a suitcase, drove across the border into Slovenia and buried it in a remote wooded area.
Pieper’s remains were discovered on November 29 after Patrick M reportedly provided police with information about the burial site.
A post-mortem examination reportedly raised the possibility that Pieper may still have been alive when she was buried.
Local media previously reported that Patrick M had confessed to killing Pieper after his arrest, allegedly telling investigators that jealousy was the motive.
However, the Graz public prosecutor’s office said he now denies murdering Pieper, although he admits transporting and burying her body.
Police launched their investigation after blood traces were reportedly discovered inside Pieper’s flat. Neighbours also said they heard a loud argument, while another witness allegedly saw Patrick M leaving the building carrying an object resembling sheets or a carpet.
His red Volkswagen Golf was later found burned near the Slovenian border, while Pieper’s mobile phone was recovered in Graz.
Pieper had around 48,000 followers online and worked as a make-up artist. She had also campaigned publicly to raise awareness about violence against women.
Before her disappearance, Pieper reportedly sent a WhatsApp message saying she had noticed a “creep in the stairwell”.
Prosecutors have since dropped their investigation into Patrick M’s brother and stepfather, who had previously been suspected of helping transport the body.
Patrick M faces between 10 and 20 years in prison or a life sentence if convicted of murder. A trial date has not yet been set.
