Bones Found in the Jubillar Case: Investigators Examine Possible Human Remains

Villeneuve-sur-Vere – 16.07.2026: Investigators have discovered bones during renewed searches in a remote area of the Tarn which, according to the judicial authorities, may be of human origin. The site is near Villeneuve-sur-Vere, around ten kilometres from Cagnac-les-Mines. This is where Delphine Aussaguel, who was known as Delphine Jubillar, had lived with her husband until her disappearance in December 2020.

The Gendarmerie searched the area on Thursday in the presence of Cedric Jubillar. The 38-year-old is said to have told investigators where he had left his wife’s body. Prosecutor General Nicolas Jacquet confirmed the discovery of bones to the AFP news agency. However, identification is still pending; the judicial authorities therefore explicitly do not yet refer to them as Delphine Aussaguel’s remains.

The search follows a new development on 15 July. The presiding judge of the Haute-Garonne Assize Court had Cedric Jubillar questioned in Toulouse and ordered further investigations. The basis is Article 283 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure, which allows the court to gather additional evidence before appeal proceedings. An investigating judge at the Toulouse Judicial Court was entrusted with the measures in the Tarn.

Cedric Jubillar was sentenced to 30 years in prison by the Assize Court in Albi in October 2025 for murdering his wife. He appealed the ruling. At the beginning of July 2026, his lawyers said that their client had admitted in a handwritten letter that he was responsible for his wife’s death. According to them, he initially wished to explain the exact circumstances only to the judicial authorities.

Delphine Aussaguel disappeared during the night of 15 to 16 December 2020 from the couple’s home in Cagnac-les-Mines. The 33-year-old nurse left behind two children. Despite years of extensive search operations, her body had never been found. For that reason, the case attracted attention far beyond the Tarn and left relatives for years without a final place to mourn.

For forensic experts and investigators, the crucial but often lengthy work now begins. The bones must be secured, examined and, if necessary, genetically compared. Only then can it be reliably determined to whom they belong and what findings they may provide about the circumstances of death. The discovery changes the situation in the proceedings, but it does not replace the ongoing analyses or judicial review.