Murder Trial Grips France Despite No Body, Little Evidence

A high-profile murder trial has gripped France, not because of shocking violence or dramatic confessions, but for its stubborn central mystery: the absence of a body. Monday saw the start of the trial of Cédric Jubillar, a 38-year-old painter-decorator from southern France who is accused of killing his wife, Delphine, who vanished in December 2020. Despite years of searching, police have found no trace of her—no body, no blood, and no clear evidence, the BBC reports.

The couple's unhappy marriage, marked by drug use, financial strain, and infidelity, quickly drew public scrutiny. Delphine, then 33 and a nurse, was contemplating divorce. On the night she disappeared, Cédric reported her missing, but investigators soon grew suspicious. While a neighbor claims to have heard screams and broken glasses found at the scene suggested a struggle, the evidence remains circumstantial. Jubilar himself told the packed courtroom Monday that he denies the allegations, Le Monde reports.

The lack of physical proof hasn't deterred either side. Prosecutors present motive—impending divorce—and point to Cédric's alleged threatening behavior. They also cite two acquaintances who claim Cédric privately confessed, though the defense challenges their credibility and insists nothing directly ties him to the crime. Meanwhile, the case has become a national obsession, with social media "sleuths" flooding forums and chat groups to trade theories—frustrating police and families alike. As the trial unfolds in Albi, it promises weeks of testimony and analysis.