Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders - What happened to Stephanie Parze?

Stephanie Parze, a 25-year-old makeup artist and influencer, went missing after visiting a psychic in October 2019. Her decomposed remains were found in Old Bridge, New Jersey, in January 2020.

The episode Hashtag Halloween Horror of The Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders will cover her story as it airs on July 1, 2024, at 9 p.m. EST.

The official synopsis reads—

"Meet Stephanie a feisty, loveable young woman from New Jersey. Online, she's building a brand as a bespoke makeup and SFX artist. But offline, her life becomes complicated and spirals into mystery when she vanishes into thin air on Halloween Eve."

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Who was Stephanie Parze?

Stephanie Nicole Parze was born on February 19, 1994, to parents Sharlene and Edward “Ed” Parze. She grew up in Freehold Township, New Jersey with her siblings - Brianna, Karissa, and Hailey. Stephanie spent time with her pet dog, Jasmine, and played hockey and softball growing up.

Parze also liked to spend her time bowling and shopping with her friends. She wanted to become a special effects makeup artist and had built a good follower base on Instagram. Edward Parze spoke to the press after her October 2019 disappearance and mentioned—

"She’s independent. She always has to have the last word. But she’s caring, she loved children,"

Stephanie had graduated from the Freehold Township High School. She had pursued her passion for cosmetology and art with experience as a wax specialist at the European Wax Center and as a professional makeup artist at L.A. Artistry. She worked as a nanny at her death, per Asbury Park Press.

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What happened to Stephanie Parze?

The 25-year-old social media influencer, Stephanie Parze, was last seen in Freehold Township around 10 p.m. local time on October 30, 2019, per Fox News. Around Halloween of 2019, Stephanie started fearing living alone owing to eerie events at her home.

Her father, Ed Parze, had reportedly shared with PEOPLE that Stephanie had believed her house was haunted and had seen the print of a hand on her bathroom mirror. He said—

“that looked like somebody put their hand on it and dragged their fingers down, like somebody was seeing a horror movie."

Stephanie found her pet parakeet dead at the bottom of its cage as well. She had been to a psychic medium with her family members in New Brunswick on the day of her disappearance, according to News 12 New Jersey.

Her last contact with her mother was when she was returning home from the place. Stephanie had sent her mother a Snapchat.

According to Fox 29 Philadelphia, Stephanie had stepped out with her sisters after she had returned home the same night. Sharlene Parze shared with News 12 New Jersey,

"She would never go out of the house without her phone. Everything is just not her. You know, and I had just left her. And she was supposed to text me when she got home and she never did, but we know that she made it home because her car was in the driveway."

Stephanie Parze family and loved ones found volunteers who participated in her search only for two teenage boys to find her decomposed remains after 87 days. Stephanie's body was found along Route 9 in Old Bridge, New Jersey, per CBS News.

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Catch all the details of Stephanie Parze's murder as Deadly Influence: The Social Media Murders airs on Investigation Discovery on July 1.