A Frenchman went on trial on Monday accused of murdering his wife in a case that has gripped the country since her disappearance in December 2020, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Cedric Jubillar, 38, denied killing his wife Delphine, a nurse whose body has never been found. The trial, expected to run for four weeks, opened in Albi under intense media scrutiny, with Jubillar appearing in the dock in jeans and a tracksuit top.
Delphine’s family expressed deep apprehension ahead of proceedings. Their lawyer, Mourad Battikh, said they hoped the trial would push the accused “to his limits in the face of his contradictions” and shed light on the truth.
Prosecutors allege Jubillar killed his wife in Cagnac-les-Mines after she planned to leave him for another man. They cited broken glasses, screams heard by neighbours, and testimony from the couple’s son as signs of a violent dispute. They also pointed to Jubillar’s limited role in the search and threatening remarks made before witnesses.
However, investigators found no blood, no crime scene, and no body. Jubillar’s lawyers argue the case rests on “prejudice” and a “constructed story” lacking solid evidence.