Missing Influencer from Graz Found Dead: Ex-Boyfriend Buried Her in Suitcase in the Woods

Buried in a suitcase in the forest - this is how the Slovenian police found the body of the woman from Graz on Saturday, who had been missing for almost a week. Previously, her ex-boyfriend had confessed that he killed her and took her abroad. On Sunday morning, the Styrian and Slovenian authorities announced the investigation results so far at a press conference. The brother and stepfather of the suspect have already been released from pre-trial detention.

Body of Missing 31-Year-Old Discovered in Slovenia

Markus Haas from the State Criminal Police Office of Styria outlined the events of the past week based on the current investigation results: A friend of the victim expressed his concern to the police on Sunday evening because the 31-year-old did not show up for an appointment at 2:00 PM as agreed. When a patrol arrived at the woman's apartment, only her ex-boyfriend was there. He claimed that he was just taking care of his former partner's dog. At this point, the influencer had probably been dead for hours.

Blood Traces in Apartment - Ex-Boyfriend Feigned Ignorance

"Minor blood traces were found on the door frame," said Haas. A forensic investigation was conducted, but no further evidence of a violent crime was found in the apartment. Subsequently, the woman's mobile phone was located and found in the Graz district of Eggenberg. However, there was still no trace of the woman. Neighbors told the police that they heard a loud argument in the woman's apartment around 8:00 AM on Sunday morning. Another witness observed the ex-boyfriend leaving the apartment building just two hours after the argument, around 10:00 AM, "with something like a tarp or carpet on his shoulder."

Suspect Fled: Car Set on Fire at Border

Since the 31-year-old was now a suspect, the police searched for him. However, he was no longer found in the Graz woman's apartment. In his mother's apartment, where he had last slept, only his mobile phone was found. He was finally located on Monday evening - in the parking lot of a casino at the border in Spielfeld. His car was on fire.

The suspect was arrested but initially denied having anything to do with the woman's disappearance. However, previous investigations show that he likely transported her body across the border to Slovenia on the back seat of his car on Sunday. Shortly thereafter, he returned to Austria and to his victim's apartment. There, he was encountered by the police and claimed that he had the keys to the apartment because he occasionally took care of the dog.

Since he knew that the police were already searching for the woman, he likely decided to cover his tracks right on Monday. At the casino parking lot, which is located on Slovenian territory, he poured an accelerant into the interior of his car and set it on fire, said Stanko Vidovič from the police in Maribor. Then he went into the casino and asked employees to help extinguish the flames. All of this did not go unnoticed by the police: A Slovenian patrol arrested the man, against whom a warrant had already been issued.

31-Year-Old Confessed to Killing and Led Police to Body

However, the suspect did not provide any information to the Slovenian officers. It was only when he was extradited to the Austrian police on Friday that he broke his silence. Likely also because the investigators were able to present a series of incriminating evidence - partly on secured data carriers. The 31-year-old finally confessed to having killed the woman. The motive and the exact circumstances are not yet clear. These are still being reviewed, said investigator Haas. On Saturday, the native Slovenian finally showed the officers on a digital map the place where he had buried the body. And there, the Slovenian investigators found it on Saturday afternoon.

Autopsy in Graz to Determine Cause of Death

The remains of the 31-year-old are now being examined at the forensic medicine in Graz to determine the exact cause of death, reported Christian Kroschl, spokesperson for the Graz public prosecutor's office, at the press conference. He said that the two detained relatives of the suspect were already released from custody on Saturday evening. "The risk of collusion was eliminated," said Kroschl, as the body was found and the suspect confessed. According to Haas, however, there are indications that the brother and stepfather knew about the killing and hiding of the body. Direct involvement in the crime is almost ruled out. The 31-year-old ex-boyfriend of the Graz woman has meanwhile been taken to the Graz-Jakomini prison. Pre-trial detention could be imposed on him as early as Sunday.

Regarding the relationship of the former couple, it is known so far that it was likely an on-off relationship - the two were together on and off, but also separated again. At the time of the Graz woman's death, the two were separated, confirmed the police in response to media inquiries.

Crime Occurs During "16 Days Against Violence" Campaign

State Police Director Gerald Ortner expressed his concern: "It is now a sad certainty" that the 31-year-old is dead. Particularly shocking is that the crime falls exactly during the international campaign "16 Days Against Violence." He, as well as the other participants of the press conference, emphasized the excellent cooperation of the Slovenian and Styrian authorities, which significantly contributed to the rapid resolution.

(APA/Red)

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