Murder of Delphine Jubillar: her husband Cédric Jubillar sentenced to 30 years in prison, his lawyers are appealing
Found guilty of the murder of his wife Delphine, who disappeared in December 2020, Cédric Jubillar was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment this Friday. His lawyers, Me Franck and Me Martin, immediately announced their intention to appeal the decision handed down by the Tarn assize court.
Cédric Jubillar Credit photos ABACA/Shutterstock
After five weeks of a highly publicized trial, the verdict was delivered. Cédric Jubillar, a 37-year-old former plasterer, was found guilty of murdering his wife, Delphine, a nurse and mother of two, who disappeared on the night of December 15-16, 2020 in Cagnac-les-Mines, in the Tarn. The assize court sentenced him to 30 years’ imprisonment for “murder by a spouse,” a particularly aggravating qualification.
The emotion was palpable when the verdict was read. The defendant, who continued to proclaim his innocence throughout the trial, received the decision without a word. A few minutes later, his lawyers, Alexandre Martin and Jean-Baptiste Alary, announced they would appeal the sentence, calling the decision “unjust and disproportionate.”
For nearly five years, the Delphine Jubillar case has haunted French public opinion. The 33-year-old nurse vanished on the night of December 15-16, 2020, leaving no trace. Despite months of searches, digs and forensic examinations, her body has never been found. Placed in police custody in June 2021, Cédric Jubillar, who had alerted the gendarmerie after his wife’s disappearance, quickly became the main suspect for investigators.
The investigation, marked by numerous twists, rests on a body of circumstantial evidence including tensions within the couple, the husband’s contradictory statements, and material elements deemed troubling by the prosecution. But no direct evidence has formally established his guilt, which continues to fuel debate around this extraordinary case. Pending a new appeals trial, Cédric Jubillar remains in prison.