The husband of a former Miss Switzerland finalist has been charged with her murder after her dismembered body was discovered at their home near Basel in February 2024. Kristina Joksimovic, 38, a mother of two, was killed in a gruesome attack that has shocked Switzerland.
An autopsy revealed that a power tool, garden shears, a blender and chemicals were used on her remains. Her parents became concerned when the children's nursery reported she had not collected her daughters. Her father found parts of her body while searching the family home.
The 43-year-old suspect, identified only as 'Thomas' due to Swiss privacy laws, confessed to killing his wife in March 2024 but claimed self-defence, alleging she attacked him with a knife. However, a court ruling in September concluded she was strangled to death. Prosecutors described the suspect as demonstrating a “remarkably high level of criminal energy, lack of empathy, and cold-bloodedness”.
On Wednesday, the Basel-Landschaft Public Prosecutor's Office announced charges of murder and disturbing the peace of the dead. The accused remains in custody, presumed innocent until proven guilty, with a trial date yet to be set. The couple married in 2017 and lived in an affluent area of Basel.
Ms Joksimovic, a Binningen native with Serbian roots, won Miss Northwest Switzerland and was a Miss Switzerland finalist before becoming a coach. Former Miss Switzerland Christa Rigozzi paid tribute, calling her “a beautiful and warm-hearted woman”.
