Austrian Influencer Found Strangled in Slovenia, Ex Confesses

Austrian beauty influencer Stefanie Pieper, 31, was found dead in a remote forest in Slovenia, strangled and hidden in a suitcase, authorities confirmed this week. Her ex-boyfriend, also 31, allegedly confessed to the killing and led investigators to the location after his arrest near the Austria-Slovenia border.

Pieper was last seen early Sunday morning in Graz, Austria's second-largest city, as she stepped out of a taxi with a friend following a holiday gathering. She had sent a WhatsApp message to a friend stating she had arrived home safely, but soon followed up with another expressing concern over a dark figure she spotted in her apartment building's stairwell. Neighbors later reported hearing loud noises and arguing from her residence that morning.

When Pieper failed to appear for a scheduled modeling photoshoot the next day, colleagues raised the alarm. A photographer who went to her building to check on her encountered her on-and-off partner, identified as Peter M., a part-time security guard. He allowed the photographer inside but provided no clear explanation for her absence, prompting the man to contact police immediately. Officers arrived and discovered her phone...