Victoria Cilliers’ parachute ruptured during a 4,000-foot jump in 2015

In April 2015, Victoria Cilliers was reported to have died after a 4,000-foot jump at a skydiving center known as the Army Parachute Association in Wiltshire, England. First responders and a body bag were waiting for him on the ground at Netheravon Airfield after his parachute and reserve failed, The Guardian reported, citing authorities.

An experienced skydiving instructor, Victoria miraculously survived – authorities believe this was due to her small size – but was seriously injured when she landed in the recently plowed field. The 41-year-old suffered a broken spine, fractured ribs and pelvis, according to the media outlet.

Years later, Victoria spoke about her survival in a documentary.

“I think it was a mix of things,” Victoria said, according to an October 2024 article published by The Independent. “It was a combination of luck (and) trying to slow him down as much as possible.”

But was it an accident? After Victoria’s near-fatal fall, the Army Parachute Association quickly suspected foul play and contacted police, according to a report from The Independent. An investigation led police to focus on Victoria’s sergeant husband, Emile Cilliers.

The two, who both served in the British military, met in 2010 and married the following year before having two children together, the outlet reported. But in the years that follow, Emile’s dark side will reveal itself.

Authorities said Emile twice tried to kill his wife, the first being a gas leak he orchestrated at the couple’s home less than a week before the near-fatal skydiving incident, authorities say . The Independent.

But why would he try to kill his wife? A judge at Winchester Crown Court presiding over Emile’s trial said his motive was the insurance policy he would receive when his wife died, allowing him to pursue a relationship with another woman. BBC News reported. The judge also said Emile believed his wife’s status as a senior army officer would threaten his own military career, according to the outlet.

According to BBC Newsauthorities said the life insurance policy was worth about £120,000, the equivalent of about $155,000.

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Emile was ultimately convicted of two counts of attempted murder in May 2018, then sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 18 years to serve, The Guardian reported.

At his sentencing hearing, he was described by the judge as someone “of quite exceptional callousness and a person who would stop at nothing to satisfy his own desires”, BBC News reported.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or go to thehotline.org. All calls are free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

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