A man is accused of brutally killing his ex-wife, a former Miss Switzerland, allegedly because he could not accept her decision to seek a divorce. Marc Rieben, aged 43, reportedly insisted on having full custody of their two children and refused to provide any financial support to his wife, Kristina Joksimovic, during their separation negotiations, as per charges filed by the Baselland Public Prosecutor’s Office. This tragic incident unfolded against a backdrop of ongoing abuse, with reports of a history of violence directed at Kristina by Rieben.

The fatal attack occurred in February 2024, when Rieben purportedly murdered Kristina in a fit of rage. Subsequently, he dismembered her body, with some body parts reportedly being blended in an industrial machine, according to the autopsy report. The examination revealed signs of blunt force trauma, bruises on the legs, facial cuts, and hair forcibly removed from Kristina’s body.

Allegedly, the killing took place following a heated argument over their divorce proceedings, leading Rieben to strangle Kristina to death with a ribbon-like object. The gruesome act continued as her body parts were dismembered using various tools, including garden shears, a knife, and a jigsaw, while videos played on Rieben’s phone during the chilling ordeal. Investigators also claimed that he deliberately removed Kristina’s womb, suggesting a deliberate act of mutilation or ritualistic degradation.

As Rieben’s trial approaches, close friends of Kristina have shed light on their troubled relationship. Descriptions portray Rieben as critical, arrogant, and controlling, with reports of his disdain for femininity and refusal to engage in therapy sessions during their tumultuous marriage. The horrifying discovery of Kristina’s remains was made by her father, who found her severed head in a black bin bag in the basement of their home in Basel.

Despite Rieben’s claim of self-defense and panic leading to the mutilation of Kristina’s body, a forensic psychologist dismissed his narrative, highlighting inconsistencies in his story. The trial is set to commence in Muttenz, Switzerland, with an anticipated duration of five-and-a-half days.