Bones corresponding to the lower part of a body were discovered this Thursday in the Tarn region. at the exact location indicated by Cédric Jubillar. Two femurs and a tibia are among the remains found. These very partial and badly degraded remains must now be analyzed to determine if they belong to Delphine Jubillar, who has been missing since December 2020.
Skeletal remains buried under a mound of earth
The discovery was made in a field located between the towns of Mailhoc and Villeneuve-sur-Vère, northwest of Cagnac-les-Mines. Investigators unearthed several skeletal remains under a mound of earth, about ten kilometers from the former home of the Jubillar couple.
Initial examinations indicate that the bones are primarily those of the lower body. Two femurs and at least one tibia have been recovered. No evidence yet confirms that the remains are those of Delphine Jubillar. Forensic and genetic analyses are underway.
The bones were badly damaged and probably scattered.
The remains discovered are particularly deteriorated after more than five years in the wild. Their condition complicates the work of the specialists tasked with reconstructing the skeleton, establishing the human origin of the various fragments, and carrying out a formal identification.
Investigators are also examining the possibility that animals may have moved some of the bones. This hypothesis could explain the dispersal of the remains and the absence, at this stage, of several skeletal parts. The search continues around the area where the first bones were discovered.
An area that had never been searched
The area indicated by Cédric Jubillar had never been searched since his wife's disappearance. Despite numerous operations organized around Cagnac-les-Mines since December 2020, investigators had never yet visited this specific plot of land.
The area has been completely cordoned off to protect any traces and evidence. Access is prohibited to local residents and journalists for the duration of the operation. Police are inspecting the ground around the mound to find other bone fragments, clothing, personal belongings, or anything else that could confirm the victim's identity.
Cédric Jubillar led the investigators to the scene
Cédric Jubillar, who is incarcerated at the Toulouse-Seysses prison, was taken from his cell and brought to the scene. Accompanied by his lawyers, he gave investigators precise directions to the location where he claims to have left his wife's body at the end of 2020.
The day before, Wednesday, July 15, he had admitted in court to causing the death of Delphine Aussaguel, after having denied the facts for more than five years. He had initially sent a handwritten letter to his lawyer at the beginning of July, before confirming his confession during his interrogation.
Cédric Jubillar claims that his wife's death occurred during a marital dispute. He later admitted to moving her body and hiding it several kilometers from the family home. The exact circumstances of her death still need to be confirmed by the forensic findings and the convicted man's detailed statements.
More than 100 gendarmes and five canine units mobilized
More than 100 gendarmes are participating in the search, including the Toulouse research section, the Tarn gendarmerie group, a mobile gendarmerie squadron, and technicians specializing in criminal investigations. Five canine teams trained to detect human remains have also been deployed.
Seven specialists from the National Gendarmerie's Criminal Research Institute are working directly on site. Their mission is to collect the fragments, record their exact location, preserve any potential biological traces, and prepare their transfer to laboratories. An anti-drone team is also monitoring the area.
Identification could take several days
The remains must undergo anthropological and genetic examinations. Specialists will seek to determine the sex, approximate age, and height of the individual. A DNA profile can then be compared to the genetic material of Delphine Jubillar or her relatives.
The results could be available within the next few hours or take several days, depending on the condition of the fragments and the amount of usable material. Fieldwork will continue throughout the collection phase to recover as many skeletal elements as possible.
A disappearance during the night of December 15-16, 2020
Delphine Jubillar, a 33-year-old nurse, disappeared from her home in Cagnac-les-Mines during the night of December 15-16, 2020. Her cell phone stopped transmitting during the night, and no trace of the young woman was found despite several years of searching.
Cédric Jubillar was sentenced in October 2025 to 30 years in prison for the murder of his wife. His appeal trial is scheduled to begin on September 21, 2026. His confession, followed by the discovery of bones at the location he indicated, now constitute the central elements of the case.
