Jubillar appeal: Decision on September trial expected this week

Toulouse – 20/07/2026: In the case of murdered nurse Delphine Aussaguel, the appeal trial against her husband Cedric Jubillar is facing a new, sensitive turning point. Before the end of this week, a decision is expected on whether the hearing will begin in Toulouse as scheduled on September 21, 2026, or be postponed due to recent developments.

The trigger was the discovery of human remains last week in the Tarn department. Forensic examinations by the Gendarmerie’s Institute of Criminal Research in Pontoise confirmed on Sunday, July 19, according to the Toulouse public prosecutor general’s office, that the remains were those of Delphine Aussaguel. She had disappeared during the night of December 15-16, 2020.

Cedric Jubillar was sentenced at first instance in October 2025 to 30 years in prison for murder. He appealed the ruling, meaning the decision is not yet final. The second trial was scheduled to last four weeks and was due to begin on September 21 before the criminal court in Toulouse. The new evidence could now have significant implications for the course and preparation of the proceedings.

According to reports in French media, Jubillar admitted to his defense lawyers for the first time in early July that he was responsible for his wife’s death. He was heard at the Toulouse Court of Appeal on July 15. Investigators then conducted searches in the area he had identified. It is not yet fully known what additional forensic and medico-legal examinations will result.

Before making her decision, the presiding judge in the appeal proceedings intends first to hear the representatives of the couple’s two children, as well as the lawyers for the family of Delphine Aussaguel. For the relatives and the children in particular, this is not merely a date on the court calendar. Proceedings must allow room for new findings while also offering those involved a reliable perspective after years of uncertainty.

A postponement would not mean the end of the appeal proceedings, but would create time for further investigations and for reviewing new expert reports. If the September date is maintained, the court will have to determine how the new findings can be incorporated into the hearing in an orderly manner. According to current information, a formal decision is expected by Friday, July 24, 2026.

The case had occupied France for years, also because there had long been no trace of Delphine Aussaguel. The now-confirmed discovery changes this story both legally and humanly. However, guilt, sentencing and the legal assessment of all new findings will only be decided by the Court of Appeal in due process.