Stefanie Pieper, a 32‑year‑old Austrian influencer and professional makeup artist, was found dead in a suitcase in a forest in November. Authorities say a prosecutor has reported that the autopsy could not definitively establish when she died and left open the possibility she may have been buried alive.
Autopsy findings
Dr. Christian Kroschl, the prosecutor overseeing the case, told Austrian outlet Bild that the autopsy did not determine a precise time of death. “The autopsy could not definitively determine when the young woman died,” Kroschl said. He added that “it is entirely possible that she was still alive when she was placed in the suitcase. However, it is equally possible that she was killed by strangulation beforehand.”
Patricia Weber, deputy head of media relations at the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office, previously told People that an earlier autopsy confirmed Pieper “had been subjected to violence” prior to her death. Authorities have not released a confirmed cause of death.
Investigation and arrest
According to police releases, Pieper was reported missing on Nov. 23 by a colleague after she failed to appear for a scheduled photoshoot. On Nov. 28, authorities said Pieper’s ex‑boyfriend — who had been extradited from Slovenia to Graz, Austria — confessed to the crime and directed police to search for the missing woman. She was later located in a forest, buried in a suitcase.
Officials have stated that the ex‑boyfriend is in custody. E! News reported that the Graz Public Prosecutor’s Office has been contacted for further comment.
Career and public response
Pieper worked as a professional makeup artist and shared lifestyle content with an audience of more than 40,000 followers. Her final Instagram post, dated Nov. 9, featured a vlog of a trip to get a pedicure.
In the days after her death, many followers posted condolences beneath her social posts. One comment quoted under her Instagram account read: “I am deeply sorry that we have failed structurally as a society to such an extent that women pay for the end of a relationship at worst with their lives. My voice will be louder and clearer from now on. We owe this to you and all the other victims!” (comment referenced on Instagram).
The investigation remains active, and prosecutors have emphasized that some questions about the circumstances of Pieper’s death remain unanswered.
Image Referance: https://www.eonline.com/news/1429964/stefanie-pieper-dead-may-have-been-buried-alive-prosecutor-says