The disappearance of a 32-year-old Austrian influencer has taken a sinister turn, with police revealing her final, chilling text messages and arresting her on-off boyfriend.
A Failed Photoshoot and a Blood-Stained Flat
The alarm was raised on Monday when Stephanie Pieper failed to arrive for a scheduled photoshoot. The concerned photographer, growing anxious, decided to visit her home in the city of Graz to check on her wellbeing.
Upon arrival, he was greeted by Pieper's boyfriend, described as a 31-year-old Slovenian national, who allowed him inside. It was there that the photographer made a horrifying discovery: the flat was spattered with blood stains. Fearing for her safety, he immediately contacted the police.
The Investigation and Chilling Digital Trail
Officers swiftly descended on the area and began an investigation. During a search of the vicinity, they found a critical piece of evidence: Stephanie's mobile phone had been discarded in a bush.
By examining her device, police uncovered her final, terrifying messages. In a WhatsApp conversation with a friend, sent as she was returning to her flat in the early hours of November 23, she wrote: 'There's a creep in the stairwell'. She added that the person she saw cut a 'dark figure'.
Pieper was last seen at 7am on November 23. She was returning from a nightclub, where her boyfriend was also present, though local media report the two apparently did not see each other there. She informed a friend she was taking a cab home to walk her Golden Retriever, Marlow. After sending the messages about the dark figure, all contact ceased.
Arrests and an Ongoing Search
The investigation led to the arrest of her boyfriend in neighbouring Slovenia, where he was allegedly attempting to cross the border. Authorities found his red Volkswagen Golf burned out near the Mond Casino in Šentilj, a town just south of the Slovenian-Austrian border.
The man is currently in custody awaiting an extradition hearing. Meanwhile, local police confirmed that two other men are also under investigation, though it is not known if they are in custody.
As the search for Stephanie continues, her mother, Csilla Legenstein, has made a public appeal for information. 'My daughter has been missing since [Sunday] morning. Any helpful information will be financially rewarded,' she said. 'Please help me find my daughter.'
Stephanie Pieper is described as being around 5ft 9in tall, with a slim build and shoulder-length, dark blonde hair. A distinctive tattoo of her mother's name, 'Csilla', is inked on her left forearm.
