10 Photos of Kristina Joksimovic: Ex-Miss Switzerland Chopped, Pureed, Husband Formally Charged

The life of Kristina Joksimovic, a former Miss Switzerland finalist and catwalk coach, has been brought into sharp, tragic focus following the formal indictment of her husband for her murder.

Swiss authorities announced Wednesday that Joksimovic's husband, who goes by the alias 'Thomas' due to Swiss privacy laws, was formally charged with her murder. Thomas is accused of strangling the former beauty queen-turned model mentor, before dismembering her body and attempting to discard her remains.

As Swiss authorities reveal the gruesome details of her death—including allegations of strangulation and dismemberment—the public is left to reconcile the image of a vibrant mother of two with the devastating end she met at the hands of her partner.

Life And Career

Joksimovic was crowned Miss Northwest Switzerland and became a finalist for Miss Switzerland in 2007. She later became a catwalk coach, mentoring models and pageant contestants alike. One of her mentees was Dominique Rinderknecht, whom she coached ahead of her Miss Universe appearance in 2013.

The former beauty queen married her husband, identified only as 'Thomas' due to Swiss privacy laws, in 2017. They share two daughters.

The Scene of the Murder

The investigation began after Joksimovic's body was discovered at the couple's home in Binningen in February 2024. According to authorities, Thomas had initially claimed that he acted in self-defence, alleging Joksimovic had tried to attack him with a knife.

However, forensics experts found no evidence to support his claims. Instead, the official autopsy report and court documents revealed a gruesome sequence of events. The post-mortem examination concluded that Joksimovic was strangled, citing the 'red throttle mark' on her neck.

Following her death, her body was dismembered with a jigsaw knife and garden shears. The former beauty queen's uterus was removed by Thomas during the dismemberment, before he chopped parts of her body using an industrial blender. Some remains were believed to be 'pureed' and dissolved in chemicals.

Authorities later recovered the blender Thomas used. In it, they discovered skin flaps with muscle tissue and bone fragments. The autopsy also found that Thomas allegedly snapped her hip joints, removed limbs, severed her spine, and ultimately decapitated her. Investigators assigned to the case said that Joksimovic's body was almost unrecognisable.

How Joksimovic's Body Was Found

Joksimovic's father was reportedly the first to find her body. He spotted strands of blonde hair sticking out of a black bag in their home's laundry room, according to a family friend. At the time, Thomas claimed to have arrived home to see her dead. But in March 2024, he eventually admitted to murdering her.

The prosecution's case paints a picture of a man exhibiting extreme psychopathy. Court documents found that Thomas was watching YouTube videos as he dismembered his wife. The police noted in the filings that Thomas showed a 'remarkably high level of criminal energy, lack of empathy, and cold-bloodedness after killing his wife.'

A Swiss court referred to Thomas's act of removing Joksimovic's uterus as a 'deliberate mutilation or ritualised degradation of the body,' further referencing Thomas's mental capabilities.

Thomas remains in police custody, and the Basel-Landschaft Public Prosecutor's Office said that he is charged with murder and disturbing the peace of the dead. A trial date has yet to be determined. Thomas previously requested to be released from police custody but was denied by a federal judge.

Under Swiss law, a murder conviction requires proof of a particularly ruthless or deceitful motive, distinguishing it from intentional homicide. The prosecution will likely argue that the methodical dismemberment and the removal of the uterus demonstrate the 'special unscrupulousness' necessary to meet this high legal bar.

Community in Mourning

The brutal nature of the crime has shocked the Swiss pageant community. Former Miss Switzerland Christa Rigozzi shared how devastated she was.

'I'm really shocked,' Rigozzi told a Swiss newspaper back in February 2024. 'I'm thinking of her two daughters. She was such a beautiful and kind-hearted woman.'