Thomas initially claimed he “found his wife dead” by the stairs, but later changed his story, saying he strangled her in self-defense after she “suddenly attacked him with a knife”…
The 41-year-old Thomas was charged with brutality murder wives Kristine Joksimovićfinalists of the Miss Switzerlandwho, as is suspected, he first strangled, then dismembered her body, removed her uterus and ground the body parts in an industrial blender.
Her mutilated body was found in their home in Binningen near Basel on February 13 last year, and according to neighbors, their two young children also lived in the house, writes the Daily Mail.
The public prosecutor’s office of the canton of Basel-Landschaft has closed the criminal investigation, but the date for the start of the trial has not yet been set.
Details from the autopsy
According to court documents obtained by the media in September of last year, the husband killed Joksimović and dismembered the body with a saw, knife and garden shears. The autopsy determined that the cause of death was suffocation, and a “reddish mark of strangulation” was found on the neck.
The body also showed signs of trauma suffered before death, including facial cuts and numerous bruises. A detailed examination of the head revealed wounds that indicated that part of her hair had been pulled out.
The autopsy report also revealed that Thomas had removed her uterus. It is believed that he then put some parts of the body into a powerful industrial blender, while trying to dissolve others in a chemical solution. Investigators discovered that while dismembering the body of the mother of his two children, he was watching YouTube videos on his cell phone.
Claims of the Defense
Thomas initially claimed he “found his wife dead” by the stairs, but later changed his story, saying he strangled her in self-defense after she “suddenly attacked him with a knife.” Describing the events, he said they had a “positive” conversation before the attack.
The court, however, rejected his claims, pointing out that the autopsy report clearly contradicted the story of self-defense.
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“His planned and systematic approach over several hours in dismembering and attempting to dispose of the body using special tools and chemicals, as well as in destroying and manipulating traces, contradicts the claim of a panic reaction,” the prosecution said.
“Signs of deliberate mutilation or ritualized degradation of the body also suggest that Thomas may have had a mental disorder,” court documents state. Medical experts concluded that the goal of his actions was to “dispose” of the body.
The motive of the crime
A source close to Kristina Joksimović revealed last year that the possible motive for the murder was her plan to leave her husband. “She wanted a divorce, but she was afraid of him,” a source told the 20 Minuten portal.
The partner of one of her friends told Blick that the relationship had been “in crisis for months”, adding that the police had previously intervened in their home due to reports of physical violence. The crime happened just weeks after Kristina posted photos on social media from an idyllic “romantic getaway” on Lake Lucerne.
Kristina was a girl originally from Bosnia and Herzegovina, more precisely from Vrnjak near Modriča. She was born in Binningen, and won the title of Miss Northwest Switzerland and was a finalist in the Miss Switzerland 2008 contest, writes Fokus.ba.
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