A husband who is on trial in Switzerland, accused of murdering his former beauty queen wife, told a court he ‘loved her’ and regretted killing her.
Marc Rieben, 43, is said to have used a jigsaw tool, a knife and garden shears on Kristina Joksimovic’s body before ‘pureeing’ her remains in a blender.
The father of two, a five and six-year-old, is charged with murdering his then 38-year-old wife and desecration of the dead. He faces life in prison if found guilty.
Rieben – dressed in a dark suit and wearing a white shirt – was followed into the courtroom by two of his three-person legal team, Christina Von Wartburg and Sina Selman, this morning.
Following a break in proceedings, the judge ruled no further defence witnesses could be called as they were not present at the time and would have no relevance.
The trial then opened properly with Rieben addressing the court and making a statement, blinking back tears as he claimed he ‘loved’ Kristina and her death was ‘an accident’, although he admitted grabbing her by the throat.
He said: ‘I have caused my family immeasurable suffering. Why? Why did I fail? Why couldn’t I prevent it? Why couldn’t I stop her from dying at my hands? I loved my wife with all my heart and believed in a future together.
‘It haunts me day and night. What I did is absolutely unforgivable, and I take full responsibility. I deeply regret it, and I apologise.’
He also revealed that, as a sign of his remorse, he had paid his two children and Kristina’s parents £94,218. ‘It would be wonderful if you could use it to do something that brings some lightness into your lives,’ he said in front of the court.
Marc Rieben, 43, is said to have used a jigsaw tool, a knife and garden shears on Kristina Joksimovic’s body before ‘pureeing’ the remains in the blender
Kristina, 38, was a model and a former Miss Switzerland finalist. Her parents, the couple’s two children, and a women’s rights group have been named as civil plaintiffs in the case
The court asked Rieben why the monetary offer was only being made today, following two years of proceedings.
The husband responded: ‘Because this is the first opportunity I’ll have to see the bereaved. This offer is made regardless of what the court decides. I simply want to show my support. It’s a gesture.
‘Human lives cannot be replaced; I can only offer my sympathy,’ he continued.
‘I would like to express my deepest sympathy to all those affected for their suffering. [Kristina] is gone. Her cool zest for life, her radiant smile – simply gone. The world has collapsed’.
Speaking of the time leading up to Kristina’s gruesome death, he explained that although ‘the arguments were the main foucs’, people should not forget ‘we had a passion’.
He said he ‘admired’ his wife and celebrated her ‘entrepreneurial success and her ambitions’.
Continuing, Rieben revealed that the pair had been attending couples counselling since 2018, after only being married since 2017, and ‘were ready to work on ourselves’.
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In his account, he recalled: ‘In this bar in 2016, we agreed that we would go through everything together. I told her it wouldn’t be easy. But we agreed: ‘We’re going all in’.’
Under cross examination from his legal team Rieben was asked if he ‘regretted’ what happened and replied: ‘It was an accident. I didn’t want it to happen, I didn’t choose for it to happen.
‘I didn’t go into the kitchen and get a knife. In the end she died in my arms. It’s tragic and unforgivable.
‘Maybe with hindsight I should have just tried to dodge the knife.’
When asked again why didn’t call paramedics he replied: ‘Because there was just no time. It all happened so fast, there was no opportunity, there was no stopping.’
Rieben was also asked by his lawyer why the court should believe him and his claim of self-defence and he replied: ‘Because that’s how it happened.’
At one point there were also raised eyebrows as Rieben painted a picture of home he was a caring and thoughtful husband as he described how he ‘would get up with the children in the middle of the night’ so Katrina could rest.
His lawyer described him as the ‘ideal husband’ and Rieben said he was ‘just trying to help and look after his wife’.
Rieben went on to explain that following his arrest he was in solitary confinement and that he was allowed to write to his children and see his parents, but he added: ‘One day I would like to play with my children again.’
The trial is expected to last all week, and a verdict is expected on May 13. The defendant was led into court wearing handcuffs.
The grim crime is said to have happened in February 2024 in Binnigen, a well-to-do village close to Basel
Kristina and Rieben on their wedding day in 2017
The case has made headlines around the world and is so graphic that the public has been excluded from the courthouse in Muttenz, which has been ringed by police and security.
The grim crime is said to have taken place in February 2024 in Binnigen, a well-to-do village close to Basel. Kristina’s parents, the couple’s two children, and a women’s rights group have been named as civil plaintiffs in the case.
It was Kristina’s father who made the horrific discovery after he became concerned when his daughter failed to collect the children, and he found parts of her body while looking for her at her home.
Because of strict Swiss privacy laws, Rieben is being referred to in local media coverage as Thomas L, while Kristina – a former Miss Switzerland finalist – is Ivana L.
Due to the gruesome details, the indictment was not made available as usual to the general public, and only accredited media have been allowed to consult it, with no copies allowed to be photographed.
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The husband who had it all… then ‘snapped and pureed his Miss Switzerland finalist wife’
The Daily Mail has seen a copy, and it claims that the motive for the twisted killing was Rieben’s refusal to divorce Kristina – and it goes on to detail his ‘blatant, cold-hearted and ruthless contempt for life’.
It also alleges how successful businessman Rieben grabbed his wife by the neck, pushed her against a wall and choked her using a ‘ribbon-like’ device around her neck.
Prosecutors claim he also punched and kicked Kristina as he strangled her ‘perfidiously, cruelly and in cold blood’ with his victim suffering an ‘agonising’ death.
He is then said to have set about disposing of her body in the underground laundry room of the couple’s home using the jigsaw, garden shears, knife and then ultimately the blender.
According to the indictment, while disposing of her body, he is also said to have removed her uterus, and because of the chilling way he disposed of the corpse, the unusual charge of desecration of the dead has been added.
The indictment from the prosecution adds that Rieben acted ‘knowingly and intentionally, in full awareness and from a selfish attitude and mindset characterised by a need for control, resentment, revenge and massive anger’.
Witnesses will include friends of Kristina who will reveal how she had disclosed to them her seven-year marriage was floundering in the weeks leading up to the murder.
Kristina coached the next generation of models for pageants, as well as businesswomen
While another witness will be a former partner of Rieben, who says she was also attacked by him during their relationship, and he had a ‘violent temper’.
Rieben has been in custody since his arrest, and through his lawyers, has confessed but said he acted in self-defence because Kristina had attacked him and he was worried for their two children.
In a previous ruling, a court said Rieben had a ‘massive propensity for violence’.
He also ‘exhibits sadistic-sociopathic traits, a low frustration tolerance and poor impulse control’.
Media outlets are following the trial via a video link, with only judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers, defendants and family members allowed in the courtroom itself.
In an early move, Ms Von Wartburg tried to have live coverage of the trial banned, but his request was ruled out by the judge, who said that ‘as the public were excluded, the media had an important job’.
Rieben denies all the charges against him.
