Marc Rieben: Man who pureed remains of his Miss Switzerland finalist wife learns fate
The devastated parents of a Swiss beauty queen wept openly in court as the man who killed her, dismembered her and purified her remains was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Marc Rieben showed no emotion as he was found guilty of the heinous murder and desecration of the body of his wife Kristina Joksimovic, but was seen stumbling slightly as the verdict was read. Daily Mail reported.
The father of two previously confessed to the murder in February 2024, but the court rejected his claim of self-defense.
During Rieben’s trial at the Basel-Landschaft Criminal Court in Muttenz, harrowing details of the crime that made global headlines were revealed.
Prosecutors told the court that Rieben grabbed his wife by the neck and used a “tape-shaped strangulation device” to strangle her, leaving her to suffocate “excruciatingly”.
Rieben spent hours covering his tracks, using a jigsaw, garden shears, a knife and then the family blender to dismember and dispose of Joksimovic’s body.
The court was also told that Rieben, who an expert diagnosed with narcissistic traits and obsessive-compulsive disorder, removed Ms Joksimovic’s womb while carrying out his gruesome task.
Ms. Joksimovic’s father found parts of her body in her home in an upscale village of Basel. He went to look for her because he couldn’t pick up his children from school.
While sentencing Rieben, Judge Daniel Schmid said, “There are cases that turn fiction into reality. This case changed our reality.” Daily Mail reported.
“No court decision can fill the void created by losing a loved one. We, as the court, will never forget you and will carry you in our hearts.”
Judge Schmid also ordered Rieben to pay 100,000 Swiss francs in compensation to the couple’s two daughters, aged five and six, while Joksimovic’s father was awarded 120,000 Swiss francs, his mother 100,000 and his sister 60,000 francs.
The sentence was met with applause from the crowd gathered outside the court.
Due to its gruesome nature, strict conditions were imposed during the trial. Media organizations had to follow the hearing via a video link; Only judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, defendants and family members were allowed into the courtroom.
