An Austrian beauty influencer, Stefanie Pieper, has been missing since the early hours of Sunday 23 November 2025, triggering a cross-border criminal investigation after her ex-boyfriend and two of his relatives were arrested.
Pieper, a 31-year-old make-up artist from the city of Graz, was last seen leaving a taxi with a friend at around 7 a.m. after attending a Christmas party. She was expected at a photoshoot the following day but never appeared. Alarm grew when her dog was found alone in her apartment and her phone was switched off.
Authorities were alerted when a photographer, concerned by her unexplained absence, visited her flat at the request of family members. There he encountered her ex-boyfriend, identified by police only as 31-year-old “Peter M.” His presence raised immediate suspicions, prompting the involvement of the Styrian State Police.
Investigators quickly uncovered details that deepened concern. Neighbours reported hearing “loud noises” from Pieper’s apartment on the night of her disappearance and recalled seeing her arguing with Peter M. Before vanishing, Pieper sent a final chilling message to a friend: “there’s a creep in the stairwell,” referring to a “dark figure” she claimed to have glimpsed in her building’s entryway.
The case took a dramatic turn the next day when Peter M. was found in Slovenia, near the border with Austria. Police discovered his red Volkswagen Golf burning in the car park of a casino in Šentilj. He was detained by Slovenian authorities and extradition to Austria has been requested. Two of his relatives have also been arrested in connection with the case and are currently being questioned under police custody.
In a brief statement, the Styrian authorities confirmed that forensic examination of Peter M.’s burned-out vehicle produced no immediate clues as to Pieper’s whereabouts. Searches have extended beyond Austria, including locations in Slovenia, but so far have yielded no trace of her. Police dismissed circulating rumours that she had been found alive in Slovenia.
Pieper is described as about 5′9″ tall with dark-blonde shoulder-length hair and a slim build. She bears a tattoo of the name “Csilla”—her mother’s—in her left forearm. Her worried mother has issued a public appeal for information, even offering a financial reward for any leads that might help locate her daughter.
Investigators say they are keeping an open mind regarding what might have happened. They are analysing a growing body of evidence, including the WhatsApp messages Pieper sent that final night, statements from neighbours, forensic tests, and the movements of Peter M. and his family. Search dogs have been deployed to areas connected to the ex-boyfriend’s relatives, but police have cautioned that results remain inconclusive.
At this stage, the possibility of foul play has not been ruled out, though no formal charges relating to violent crime have yet been filed beyond the custody of the suspect and his family members. The investigation is ongoing, with cooperation between Austrian and Slovenian authorities.
For Pieper’s family, friends, and online followers, the uncertainty remains deeply distressing. What had begun as a routine night out has turned into a mystery and a growing fear that the worst may have happened. As police continue their efforts, public appeals for sightings, information, or tips remain open in the hope of revealing what became of the young influencer.
