18-9-2024 (BERN) A chilling tale of domestic violence has unfolded in Switzerland, as the gruesome details of the murder of Kristina Joksimovic, a 38-year-old former Miss Switzerland finalist, come to light. The case has sent shockwaves through the quiet suburbs of Basel, leaving a community grappling with the horrific nature of the crime.
On 13 February, in a scene that could have been plucked from the darkest of crime novels, Joksimovic’s father made a heart-wrenching discovery. Concerned by his daughter’s unexplained absence, he searched her home, only to find her decapitated head concealed in a bin bag in the laundry room. The grim find was made all the more disturbing by the presence of Joksimovic’s two young children, who were playing innocently in an adjacent room.
The victim’s husband, identified only as Thomas in local media, stands accused of this heinous act. According to reports, he allegedly strangled his wife before dismembering her body and using a blender to “puree” some of the remains. The Swiss authorities have painted a picture of a crime scene that defies comprehension, with FM1 Today reporting that “according to the autopsy report, the body was dismembered in the laundry room with a jigsaw power tool, knife and secateurs”.
The events leading up to the discovery paint a chilling portrait of deception. Joksimovic’s parents, alerted by a call from their grandchildren’s nursery reporting her failure to collect the children, arrived at the family home to investigate. Thomas reportedly feigned ignorance of his wife’s whereabouts, even going so far as to prepare dinner and put the children to bed while his in-laws searched for their daughter.
A family friend, speaking to MailOnline, described the surreal atmosphere in the house: “For hours, he pretended as if nothing was wrong, chatting to her father and making dinner for everyone before tucking the children into their beds.” It was only when Joksimovic’s father returned from collecting his wife that he made the horrifying discovery, reportedly running from the garage “screaming” and asking a passer-by to alert the authorities.
The autopsy revealed strangulation as the cause of death, with evidence of previous blunt force trauma. In a particularly disturbing twist, investigators found that some of Joksimovic’s remains had been dissolved in chemicals, suggesting a calculated attempt to conceal evidence.
Thomas, who has reportedly confessed to the killing, had his appeal for release from custody denied by the Federal Court. His defence claims self-defence, while prosecutors argue that his actions demonstrate “a lack of empathy and cold-bloodedness”. The ongoing investigation has uncovered “concrete indications of mental illness” that may have played a role in the tragedy.
As the legal proceedings unfold, friends of Joksimovic are left to grapple with the horrific details emerging in court. One friend shared, “The last week, in particular, was really hard for us, her friends, after these awful details came out in court. Since she died, we have just been functioning and we have moments where all we can do is cry.”
