Remains in France identified as missing woman Delphine Jubillar

Human remains found in southern France last week have been identified as those of Delphine Jubillar, a woman missing since 2020, Toulouse prosecutor Nicolas Jacquet said on Sunday.

The remains were found during searches on agricultural land in Mailhoc, in the Tarn department, about 10 kilometres from the former home of Delphine Jubillar and her husband, Cedric Jubillar. Jacquet said DNA analysis at a laboratory outside Paris confirmed the identification.

Cedric Jubillar, 38, was sentenced in October to 30 years in prison for murdering Delphine Jubillar, 33. Her body had not been found before the recent searches, and he had maintained his innocence during the trial.

Earlier this month, before his appeal trial, Cedric Jubillar confessed for the first time to involvement and said he would lead investigators to the place where the body was hidden, according to his legal team. The searches that followed lasted two days.

The prosecutor said Delphine Jubillar’s body was likely scattered accidentally during agricultural work. Cedric Jubillar was convicted on the basis of several pieces of corroborating evidence, despite the absence of a body at the time and without DNA evidence linking him to the crime.

The trial heard that Delphine Jubillar had asked for a divorce and had been seeking to start a new life with another man. Lawyers for the couple’s two children said they hoped the latest developments could help the children find some closure.

Commentators have suggested Cedric Jubillar may be changing his approach before the appeal trial by admitting to killing Delphine while portraying the death as an accident during a domestic dispute, in the hope of receiving a shorter sentence.