Husband accused of brutally murdering Miss Switzerland finalist says he 'loved her'

A husband accused of murdering his wife, a former Miss Switzerland finalist and beauty queen, told a murder trial that he "loved" her. Kristina Joksimovic's husband Marc Rieben , 43, has been accused of horrifically taking a knife, jigsaw tool and garden shears to his partner and hacking at her body. The man is also said to have "pureed" her remains in a blender. Rieben appeared in court and the trial opened with the husband holding back tears as he claimed Kristina's death was "an accident " and he "loved" her with "all my heart". The father-of-two has been charged with murdering his then 38-year-old wife, in February 2024, and could face life behind bars if found guilty. The trial opened on Monday and Rieben appeared in court to open with a statement, in which he said he "loved" his wife but admitted to her "dying at my hands", as he held back tears. 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." The husband said leading up to his wife's horror death "the arguments were the main focus" but said people shouldn't forget "we had a passion", according to the Daily Mail . Rieben said he "admired" Kristina and her "entrepreneurial success and her ambitions" but revealed the pair, who had married in 2017, had been going to counselling since 2018. The husband also revealed to the court that he paid his two children and Kristina's parents over £94,000. He said: "It would be wonderful if you could use it to do something that brings some lightness into your lives." Rieben was then asked by the court why he offered that money today and not earlier, to which he replied: "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." Kristina was killed in the quiet village of in Binnigen, near Basel, and this trial, over two years on from her death, is expected to end on May 13. The mother's father discovered parts of her body at her home, after she failed to pick up her kids. The indictment reportedly claims the motive for the shocking killing was Kristina asking for a divorce and her husband refusing. The indictment also reportedly claimed Rieben grabbed Kristina by the neck and shoved her against a wall while using a "ribbon-like" device around her neck. Prosecutors claimed the man punched his wife while strangling her, adding she died an "agonising death". The document also claimed the man had 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". Due to Switzerland's privacy laws, the victim and accused have been named as Thomas L and Ivana L in local media. The trial continues.