Bones found after Cédric Jubillar confesses to wife's murder and guides police to burial site in southern France
The discovery in the Tarn region follows his admission to killing Delphine Aussaguel after five years of denial, just weeks before his appeal trial.
The path to confession
Cédric Jubillar, a 38-year-old painter and plasterer, had maintained his innocence since his wife Delphine Aussaguel, a 33-year-old nurse and mother of their two children, disappeared from their home in Cagnac-les-Mines in December 2020. She was about to leave him for another man. In October 2025, the Tarn assize court found him guilty of her murder and sentenced him to 30 years in prison. Jubillar immediately appealed, with a new trial scheduled to open on 21 September 2026 before the Haute-Garonne assize court.
On 6 July 2026, his lawyers revealed a letter in which Jubillar admitted his "responsibility" for her death and declared he was ready to collaborate with justice. The Toulouse court of appeal stated it had learned of the letter only through press reports, not from the defence directly. Jubillar was subsequently summoned and, on 15 July, appeared before an investigating magistrate. He formally confessed and offered to guide investigators to the burial site.
Cédric Jubillar acknowledged being responsible for the death of Delphine Aussaguel and indicated that he could guide investigators to locate the body.
The search operation
On the morning of 16 July, a large-scale operation was launched in the Tarn near Villeneuve-sur-Vère, close to Cagnac-les-Mines where the couple lived. More than 100 gendarmes were deployed, including specialised canine teams, along with earth-moving machinery. The perimeter was secured and the RD600 road closed. Cédric Jubillar, accompanied by his lawyers Pierre and Guy Debuisson, was present at the site. The search was conducted by the Toulouse research section and criminal investigation technicians under the authority of a judge appointed by the presiding judge of the Haute-Garonne assize court.
Bones recovered
During the excavation, human remains were discovered at the location Jubillar had indicated. According to multiple French news outlets including BFMTV, RTL and France Info, the bones are undergoing forensic analysis to confirm whether they belong to Delphine Aussaguel. No formal identification has been made public. The remains represent the first physical evidence in a case that until now has relied heavily on circumstantial proof.
Legal implications
The confession and the discovery of remains occur just over two months before Jubillar's appeal is set to begin. His lawyers had previously suggested that the trial date might be impossible to meet given the new developments. The appeal court has yet to comment on scheduling. The Toulouse prosecutor general's office noted that the supplementary judicial investigation ordered after the letter will continue.
- Delphine Aussaguel disappears from the couple's home in Cagnac-les-Mines.
- Cédric Jubillar is convicted and sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Tarn assize court.
- Jubillar's lawyers reveal a letter in which he admits responsibility for the death.
- Jubillar formally confesses before an investigating magistrate and offers to guide the search.
- Bones are found during a search operation near Cagnac-les-Mines; analysis begins.
