- A Swiss man is accused of strangling his wife, Kristina Joksimovic, 38, before dismembering her in 2024
- The model's body was cut apart with jigsaw knife and garden shears, as per autopsy report and court documents
- Court documents say the man was watching YouTube videos on his phone while dismembering his wife
The husband of a former Miss Switzerland finalist has been charged with her murder, Swiss authorities announced Wednesday. The 43-year-old, named Thomas under Swiss privacy laws, is accused of strangling his wife, Kristina Joksimovic, 38, before dismembering her and attempting to dispose of her remains inside their home in Binningen in February 2024.
The model's body was cut apart with a jigsaw knife and garden shears, according to the autopsy report and court documents. Investigators say Thomas also removed her womb, the only organ taken from her torso, before chopping parts of her body with an industrial blender. Officials said some remains were “pureed” and dissolved in a chemical solution.
Police later recovered the blender, as well as skin flaps with muscle tissue attached and bone fragments, The Telegraph reported.
Court documents say Thomas was watching YouTube videos on his phone while dismembering his wife.
The autopsy further found that Thomas allegedly snapped her hip joints, removed multiple limbs, severed her spine, and ultimately decapitated her.
The model's remains were initially discovered by her father, who spotted blonde hair sticking out of a black bag in the home's laundry room, according to a friend, as per The NY Post.
Thomas initially claimed he found his wife dead, but admitted in March that he killed her, saying he acted in self-defence after she allegedly attacked him with a knife. Forensic experts found no evidence of that; they concluded her cause of death was strangulation.
Police wrote in court documents that Thomas displayed a “remarkably high level of criminal energy, lack of empathy, and cold-bloodedness after killing his wife.”
Authorities said the couple shared two daughters, and the suspect remained in custody.
The Basel-Landschaft Public Prosecutor's Office said he has now been charged with murder and disturbing the peace. A trial date hasn't been set yet.
Kristina Joksimovic was crowned Miss Northwest Switzerland and was a finalist for Miss Switzerland in 2007. She later became a catwalk coach and mentored several models, including Dominique Rinderknecht, ahead of her appearance at Miss Universe 2013.
