This article contains one or more duplicated citations. The reason given is: DuplicateReferences script detected: (October 2025)
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| Banner displayed by friends of Delphine Jubillar during searches and court proceedings | |
| Date | 15–16 December 2020 (disappearance); verdict on 17 October 2025 |
|---|---|
| Location | Cagnac-les-Mines (Tarn), France (disappearance); Albi, Cour d'assises du Tarn (trial) |
| Type | Missing person case; homicide prosecution (conviction without body) |
| Participants | Delphine Jubillar (victim); Cédric Jubillar (defendant); National Gendarmerie; investigating magistrates in Albi; Cour d'assises du Tarn |
| Outcome | Cédric Jubillar convicted of the murder of his wife and sentenced to 30 years' imprisonment; defense immediately announced an appeal. [1] [2] [3] |
The disappearance of Delphine Jubillar concerns a 33-year-old French nurse and mother of two who went missing from Cagnac-les-Mines, near Albi, in December 2020. In June 2021 her husband, was arrested and charged with her murder; he has consistently denied any involvement. A jury trial opened at the Tarn assizes court in Albi on 22 September 2025. On 17 October 2025, the court found her husband, Cédric Jubillar, guilty of murder and sentenced him to 30 years' imprisonment; his lawyers immediately announced an appeal. [4] [5]
The case has attracted intense national media attention, in part because Delphine Jubillar’s body has never been recovered and because aspects of the early investigation, including the conduct of first-responding gendarmes and other procedural decisions, have repeatedly been questioned in press reporting and expert commentary. [6] [7]
Delphine Jubillar (née Aussaguel) lived with her husband, Cédric Jubillar, and two young children in Cagnac-les-Mines, Tarn, where she worked as a nurse. Delphine had reportedly sought a separation and the couple were said to be in the process of an amicable divorce, a point repeatedly raised by the defence during the 2025 trial. [8] [9] [10] In the months before her disappearance Delphine had begun an extramarital relationship; the man described in the press as her lover and his partner were questioned by investigators, and while the liaison was examined as a potential line of inquiry it did not ultimately produce evidence linking them to the disappearance. [11] [9] [12] Her disappearance in December 2020 prompted extensive searches and widespread media coverage across France. [13] [14] At the time of her disappearance (night of 15–16 December 2020), France was no longer in full lockdown: the second national lockdown ended on 15 December and a nationwide nightly COVID-19 curfew (20:00–06:00) came into force; daytime and inter-regional travel were again permitted, while exemptions/attestations were required during curfew hours. [15] [16] In the days before her disappearance Delphine was on leave from her night-shift nursing post and found living at the family's under-renovation home on rue Yves-Montand increasingly difficult. [17]
Delphine was last seen at the family home on the night of 15–16 December 2020. A missing-person investigation was opened after Cédric Jubillar reported her disappearance the following morning. Large-scale searches in the Tarn department and neighbouring areas did not locate the missing woman. [14]
| Date / time | Event |
|---|---|
| 15 December 2020 – morning | Delphine dropped her son at school and the couple's 18-month-old daughter at the nanny's. [17] |
| 15 December 2020 – midday/afternoon | After lunch with a friend, Delphine visits her bank in Albi to request a PIN change on her card, asking that the new code not be mailed; a follow-up appointment is set for 18 December 2020. [17] |
| 15 December 2020 – ~17:30 | Delphine returns home driving the couple's Peugeot 207; her husband, Cédric Jubillar, arrives from a job site about an hour and a quarter later (≈18:45). [17] |
| 15 December 2020 – 22:19 | First SMS from Delphine to her lover. [18] |
| 15 December 2020 – 22:30 | Cédric Jubillar goes to bed; Delphine and the couple's son go back to watch television ( La France a un incroyable talent ). [18] |
| 15 December 2020 – 22:55 | The couple's son goes to bed. [18] |
| 15 December 2020 – 22:58 | Last message from Delphine to her lover. [18] |
| 15 December 2020 – 23:07 | Loud screams heard by two neighbours coming from the direction of the home (time disputed by the defence). [18] |
| 15 December 2020 – 23:53 | Husband logs into a dating site. [18] |
| 16 December 2020 – 00:07 and 00:09 | Technical activations of Delphine's phone during the night. [19] |
| 16 December 2020 – 00:11 | WhatsApp connection on Delphine's phone. [18] |
| 16 December 2020 – 01:33 | Activation of the camera/interface of Delphine's phone. [18] [19] |
| 16 December 2020 – 03:45 | According to Cédric, he wakes up and notices Delphine is absent. [18] |
| 16 December 2020 – 03:53 | Cédric Jubillar's phone reactivates after being off at the end the previous evening (per forensic analysis presented at trial). [20] |
| 16 December 2020 – 04:09 | Cédric Jubillar calls the gendarmerie to report the disappearance. [21] |
| 16 December 2020 – 04:50 | Gendarmes arrive at the couple's home. [18] |
| 16 December 2020 – ~05:30 | Motorist Jérôme V. reports a car stopped with its interior light on near Chemin du Pignès; defence says this could support an alternative track.[ clarification needed ] [20] [22] |
| 16 December 2020 – ~05:45 | Witness Deborah D. sees a car with its interior lights on on Chemin du Pignès, noting this was unusual at that hour. [20] |
| 16 December 2020 – ~06:00 | Taxi driver testifies to seeing a silhouette in a beige down jacket walking toward Gaillac around dawn. [23] |
| 16 December 2020 – 06:52 | Unlock event recorded on Delphine's phone (per network/cybersecurity expert testimony at trial). [24] |
| 16 December 2020 – 06:54 | "Discover" notification observed.[ clarification needed ] Expert noted it was not necessarily linked to human activity and proved difficult to reproduce. [24] |
| 16 December 2020 – morning | Gendarmes find identity documents, a bank card and Delphine's car at the home; the disappearance is considered worrying. [21] |
| 16 December 2020 – 07:12 | Gaming activity on Cédric Jubillar's phone. [18] |
| 16 December 2020 – 07:48 | Delphine's phone switches to voicemail (no further responses). [18] |
| 16 December 2020 – ~08:00 | A poorly parked car in Cagnac is identified as a rental; checks lead investigators to Delphine's lover in Montauban (Donat-Jean Macquet), about 80 kilometers away. [20] |
| 16 December 2020 – 08:15 | The Tarn company commander arrives in Cagnac-les-Mines and mobilizes significant resources (SR Toulouse, reserve units, aerial and ground searches). [20] |
| 16 December 2020 – 10:10 and 15:15 | Police dog "Maya" tracks Delphine's scent in a loop around the house; the handler deems such a < 24h track reliable. [20] |
| 16 December 2020 – evening | Investigators place a GPS tracker under Delphine's car as part of the monitoring measures. [20] |
| 17 December 2020 | The couple's duvet is found in the washing machine drum (later finding cited by the defence). [18] |
| 17 December 2020 | During a search warrant, gendarmes note a broken pair of glasses and seize a duvet that was running in the washing machine. [20] |
| 23 December 2020 | Opening of a judicial investigation for "abduction and sequestration" by the Toulouse prosecutor's office. [25] |
| 24 December 2020 | A commission rogatory for "kidnapping and sequestration" is issued; the house is placed under seal. [20] |
| 29 December 2020 | During a new search, the missing stem of the broken glasses is found behind the sofa; technical exams of the car reveal nothing probative. [20] |
| 23 December 2020 | Two "citizen search parties" in Cagnac-les-Mines gather ~1,000 people; several objects are discovered and sealed. [26] |
| 29 January 2022 | Investigators obtain via Google geolocation data of Cédric Jubillar's phone; searches are reoriented. [27] |
| 21 September 2022 | New analyses: Delphine's phone "never left the couple's home" (refinement of cell-site analysis). [28] |
| 13 December 2022 | Judicial re-enactment of the night of the disappearance at the couple's home, in the presence of Cédric Jubillar. [29] |
| 26 September 2024 | Cédric Jubillar is sent to trial before the assize court for the murder of his wife. [30] |
| 22 September 2025 | Opening of the trial at the Tarn assizes (Albi). [31] |
| 24 September 2025 | Court bans any further filming of the accused inside the courtroom for the rest of the trial after a Quotidien (TMC) segment; media accreditations for the show are withdrawn. [32] [33] |
| 30 September 2025 | Forensic DNA expert testifies about traces examined on seized items; press reports state the analyses did not produce an indisputable link implicating the accused. [34] |
| 30 September 2025 | A previously, unreleased - and carried out without the consent of the Cédric Jubillar - audio recording from 17 December 2020 is played in court. [35] |
| 2 October 2025 | Ex-companion of Delphine's lover is heard as a witness; the court adjourns until Monday. [36] |
| 2 October 2025 | Cédric Jubillar acknowledges having previously made death threats against Delphine, stating they were made "in anger". [37] |
| 3 October 2025 | Testimony of Delphine's lover, Jean M. (Donat-Jean Macquet), who detailed the circumstances of their extramarital relationship, including how they met and any confidences shared with Delphine. [38] |
| 3 October 2025 | Revelation of the testimony of the couple's son Louis (aged 6 at the time of the disappearance): He reported hearing cries from his room and witnessing his parents in a violent dispute through a partially open door, in front of a decorated Christmas tree (consistent with surveillance footage of Delphine buying decorations that day). Louis, now 11, was interviewed three times by investigators but was not called to testify directly to protect him; recordings of his statements were played in court. [39] |
| 4 October 2025 | Day ten of the trial; proceedings continue with remaining witnesses amid reports of repetitive testimonies and public frustration over the lack of a body or crime scene. Verdict expected around 17 October 2025. [40] |
| 6 October 2025 | Two neighbours (a mother and her teenage daughter) testify that they heard "cries of fear"/"chilling cries" coming from the direction of the Jubillar home shortly after 23:00 on 15 December 2020; the defence challenges their recollections. The day also features renewed debate over the Peugeot 207's parking orientation and other contested details. [41] [42] |
| 7 October 2025 | Under questioning, the accused acknowledges having "got it wrong" on some points regarding the car's parking direction; a gendarme admits a "copy-paste" error that had wrongly suggested the lover's phone pinged near Cagnac-les-Mines; an expert explains the broken eyeglasses are compatible with a violent shock rather than an accidental break. [43] |
| 8 October 2025 | Testimony from the accused's mother and ex-companions paints an unfavourable portrait; the court also hears from former co-detainees of the accused, whose credibility is discussed. [44] |
| 14 October 2025 | Civil-party pleadings (plaidoiries des parties civiles): counsel for Delphine's relatives argue the accused's lies and behaviour point to his responsibility; the defence contests their characterisations. [45] |
| 15 October 2025 | Prosecution requisitions: the advocates general request 30 years' imprisonment for aggravated spousal murder, describing "indices graves et concordants". [46] [47] |
| 16 October 2025 | Defence closing arguments: the defence pleads acquittal, denouncing investigative shortcomings and maintaining the absence of body, crime scene or decisive forensic evidence. [47] |
| 17 October 2025 | Verdict: The Tarn assizes court in Albi finds Cédric Jubillar guilty of murdering Delphine and sentences him to 30 years' imprisonment; the defence announces an appeal. [4] [5] |
The inquiry, led by investigating magistrates in Albi, focused early on the couple's home and surroundings. In June 2021, police arrested Cédric Jubillar; he was later charged with the murder of his wife and remanded in custody. Investigators have not recovered a body, a weapon, or a definitive crime scene, and much of the case relies on circumstantial evidence and testimonial evidence reported in the press. The defence has contested the prosecution's narrative and asserted that the evidence is insufficient. [48] [49] [50]
The conduct of the first hours of the inquiry was debated at trial, with reporting highlighting the inexperience of the two first-responding gendarmes and inconsistencies in early notes. [51] The defence also focused on the couple's livret de famille , found on a street in Albi seven months after the disappearance, and criticized the absence of DNA sampling on the document. [52] [53]
Investigations into Delphine's Peugeot 207 included extensive expert testing. One report discusses condensation suggesting possible overnight presence in the car; however, no blood or incriminating traces were found in the vehicle. [54]
Reporting on testimony from the first responders raised a contradiction regarding a white van reportedly parked next to the couple's car on 15 December—a detail the gendarmes later said they did not recall. [55]
Expert testimony reviewed the couple's telephony and a specialist dog track ("Maya") that looped near the home; these technical elements were presented without producing a material crime scene. [56] [57] [58] During trial proceedings, the lead investigator referenced alleged confessions by the accused to a fellow detainee in prison and an ex-girlfriend, claiming he had admitted to killing Delphine. [59] Investigators also reported that the accused had attempted to geolocate his wife's phone before her disappearance, and that Google geolocation was deactivated after his attempt, preventing subsequent tracking of Delphine's phone. [60]
In 2022, French media reported that Google location data prompted fresh searches, although nothing conclusive was found. The lead formed part of the broader investigation but did not alter the status of the case. [61]
Media reports on forensic testing noted that analysis of the couple's washing-machine water found no trace of blood, and later examinations of the duvet and its cover detected no human hemoglobin; a 2025 recap also stated that water and siphon samples revealed "no blood nor urine trace" and no incriminating elements. [62] [63] [64]
Cédric Jubillar | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1987 (age 37–38) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | Plasterer–painter (plaquiste) [65] |
| Known for | Conviction for the murder of his wife, Delphine Jubillar [2] |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated; appeal announced [66] |
| Spouse | Delphine Aussaguel |
| Children | 2 |
| Conviction | Murder [66] |
| Criminal charge | Murder of spouse [67] |
| Trial | Disappearance of Delphine Jubillar (22 September 2025 [68] –17 October 2025 [66] ) |
| Penalty | 30 years' imprisonment [67] |
| Details | |
| Victims | 1 (his spouse, Delphine Jubillar) [67] |
| Date | 15–16 December 2020 [67] |
| Country | France |
| Locations | Cagnac-les-Mines, Tarn, France [67] |
Date apprehended | 16 June 2021 [65] |
| Imprisoned at | Maison d'arrêt de Seysses (pre-trial) [65] |
Following his June 2021 arrest, the suspect, Cédric Jubillar, was placed under formal investigation ( mise en examen ) for the murder of his spouse and held in pre-trial detention pending trial. His lawyers pursued multiple appeals against detention and investigative measures, all of which were ultimately rejected by French courts. [49]
The assizes trial opened in Albi on 22 September 2025 and was scheduled to run for approximately four weeks. On the first day, the accused declared his innocence and said he did not "understand" the case against him. The proceedings attracted significant national media interest, with daily coverage by French and international outlets. [48] [50] [14]
On day one, the court rejected civil-party applications from two former companions of the accused; coverage also underlined the absence of close supporters around him in the courtroom. [69] [70]
During the first week of hearings (22–25 September 2025), the court heard the lead investigator, who defended the inquiry and stated that "all the information gathered" pointed toward the accused; the session also featured technical witnesses (criminal analysis and a specialist dog handler) reviewing telephony and tracking work from the record. [71] [72] [73] A former policeman called by a civil-party lawyer for a "contre-expertise" on phone data was widely criticized by both prosecution and defense as non-probative. [74] Midweek, following the broadcast of a segment on TMC's Quotidien , the court president barred any new filming of the accused inside the courtroom for the remainder of the trial; coverage also reiterated that deliberations are expected around 17 October 2025. [32] [33] [75]
Lead investigator Major Bernard Lorvellec testified for seven hours on 24 September, defending the investigation's focus on the accused. He stated that "all the elements collected bring our attention back to Cédric Jubillar" and noted that from the first moments after the disappearance, Cédric Jubillar showed disinterest in search efforts and complained to a journalist: "Why is everyone interested in Delphine and not me?" [76]
On 29 September 2025 (day five), the court heard former Toulouse prosecutor Dominique Alzéari, who defended the context of his June 2021 press conference while acknowledging certain "imprecisions" but denying "errors"; civil-party lawyers criticized his appearance. Defence counsel argued that the 2021 remarks had spread inaccuracies and reiterated that "the duvet was not in the washing machine" and that the washer had not run. [24] Earlier that morning, the court watched the 18 June 2021 press conference in full; Alzéari told the court he had presented the "serious and consistent indications" then available and stressed that his remarks should be read in the context of 2021, while advocate general Pierre Aurignac questioned the usefulness of having him testify and noted it was rare to see a prosecutor called to the stand. [77] The same day, technical analysis of Delphine's phone data was presented, suggesting the device remained in or near the family home throughout the night of her disappearance. Experts noted activations and data extractions that raised questions but provided no conclusive proof of movement. [78] As of 4 October 2025, the trial continued without a body or established crime scene, captivating French media with its unresolved mysteries. [79]
Media schedules indicated roughly 18 sitting days through mid-October 2025, with about 65 witnesses and 11 experts; reporting also noted deliberations were expected around 17 October 2025. [80] [36]
During the second week of hearings (30 September–2 October 2025), a forensic genetics expert described numerous DNA examinations (including traces consistent with semen, possible saliva enzymes and micro-traces of blood) performed on items seized during the inquiry; coverage reported these analyses had not yielded any "preuve indéniable" directly implicating the accused. [34] [81] The court then heard relatives and friends of Delphine, whose testimonies—according to press accounts—expressed their conviction that he had "assassinated" her, a characterization challenged by the defence in court. [82] On 1 October 2025, during expert testimony on Delphine's phone data, a lawyer posed a disturbing hypothetical question about whether a severed finger could unlock the device, shocking the courtroom. [83] The children's lawyer stated that the elder son had expressed a wish not to see his father. [84] The following day, the ex-companion of Delphine's lover testified, describing him as a "perverse narcissist". [85] As of 3 October 2025, the trial remained ongoing, with media recaps highlighting key moments after two weeks of hearings, including family testimonies and unresolved mysteries surrounding the disappearance. [86] [87] On 2 October, the ex-companion of Delphine's lover appeared as a witness; the day's session concluded with the court adjourning until Monday. [36] The witness, identified as Cathy M., testified about discovering her partner's affair with Delphine Jubillar just days before the disappearance. She had found messages on her partner's phone and contacted Delphine on 13 December 2020, sending confrontational messages after discovering the relationship. [88]
On 3 October 2025 (day nine), the presiding judge intensified her direct questioning of the accused, prompting several heated exchanges in which the civil-party lawyers pressed him on earlier contradictions and a nanny's anecdote comparing the case to the Daval murder. Press accounts described the atmosphere as "crescendo", with the defendant replying that he had "nothing more to say" beyond proclaiming his innocence. [89] The same day, cross-examination of the accused became more confrontational. Reporters noted sharp exchanges as lawyers for the children pressed him about earlier statements, while a former nanny testified that he had once compared himself favorably to a high-profile spouse-killer in the Daval case. [89] Media also highlighted that the forthcoming week would feature two neighbours who claim to have heard "cris de peur" ("fearful screams") the night Delphine vanished—evidence the prosecution presents as pivotal and the defence contests. [90]
Cédric Jubillar acknowledged having said "I will kill her" before the disappearance, while telling the court this was uttered "in anger". [91] The accused stated during the trial that he did not understand his son's anger toward him. [92]
During the trial, an administrator in charge of the couple's children reported their words to the court. The daughter, Elyah, asked for her father "to say if her mom is alive or not," while the son, Louis, was said to be "convinced that his father is responsible" for his mother's disappearance. [93] The children's nanny also testified, recounting a conversation about the Daval murder where the accused allegedly commented: "He's not smart [...] I would have done better, she would never have been found," a statement the accused denied making. [94] The court also heard about other remarks made by the accused, including a statement to a friend, "Obviously, it was me who killed her," which he dismissed at the trial as inappropriate dark humor. [95] On 30 September, the accused admitted to having been violent towards his children, stating, "The children need to be afraid of the parents, otherwise you get eaten alive." [96]
On 17 October 2025, after deliberation, the Tarn assizes court convicted Cédric Jubillar of the murder of his wife and sentenced him to 30 years' imprisonment, in line with the prosecution's requisitions. His counsel immediately stated they would appeal. French outlets also reported that the guilty verdict was reached by a majority of seven votes out of nine, as required in first-instance assizes proceedings. [4] [5] [97]
French outlets highlighted the public interest in the proceedings: queues reportedly began forming as early as 06:00 outside the Albi courthouse, with only fifteen seats available in the main courtroom and the rest of the public redirected to an overflow room with a video feed. [98]
The disappearance and subsequent prosecution have been widely described as a high-profile case in France, drawing intense press scrutiny and public debate about the challenges of trying a murder case without a body or forensic evidence. [49] [48]
International media have characterized the case as France's "perfect murder" trial due to the absence of physical evidence. [99] The case has also been featured in documentary productions. [100]
Verdict-day reports described strong public interest and immediate reactions from civil parties and the defense following the 30-year sentence and announcement of an appeal. [5]