A Swiss businessman has been sentenced to life in prison for the brutal murder of his wife, Kristina Joksimovic, a former Miss Switzerland finalist. The 38-year-old mother of two was killed in their home in Binningen, near Basel, in February 2024.
The Crime
Marc Rieben, 43, used a jigsaw, knife, and garden scissors to dismember his wife's body after an argument. Prosecutors revealed that he then used a blender to dispose of her remains. The victim's father discovered the remains. Rieben had studied an Atlas of Human Anatomy to learn how to dismember the body.
Motive and Trial
Joksimovic had reportedly told her husband she wanted a divorce, along with financial support and custody of their children. Prosecutors stated that Rieben acted 'knowingly and intentionally' and in 'full awareness of his actions.' He claimed self-defense, alleging his wife threatened him with a knife, but forensic evidence contradicted this.
An expert witness, Professor Frank Urbaniok, diagnosed Rieben with narcissistic traits and obsessive-compulsive disorder. He noted that Rieben acted with 'meticulous precision' and even had dinner with their two young daughters after the murder, pretending nothing had happened.
Victim Impact
In a heart-wrenching statement read in court, the victim's mother said: 'I stand here today as a mother who has lost her daughter. Whose children miss their mummy every day. She was loving, protective of her children, and gave them everything.'
The couple's eldest daughter, then four years old, told police that their father was 'lying' when he claimed the death was accidental.
Sentencing and Compensation
Judge Daniel Schmid sentenced Rieben to life imprisonment, ordering him to pay approximately £94,600 to the couple's daughters (now aged five and six) and over £264,000 to Joksimovic's family. The judge remarked: 'There are cases that make fiction become reality. This case has changed our reality.'
Protesters gathered outside the court in Muttenz, with extra police present. The case has highlighted Switzerland's domestic violence epidemic.
Joksimovic, winner of the Miss Northwest Switzerland title, worked as a modelling coach and was well-known in the community. Her children now live with her parents.
