A Frenchman convicted of the murder of his wife, who disappeared more than five years ago and whose body was never found, confessed from prison to having killed her, according to his lawyer.

Cedric Jubillar, 38, was sentenced in October to 30 years in prison for the murder of Delphine Jubillar, 33, after a trial that shocked France, but in which he always maintained his innocence.

Delphine disappeared in a rural area in the south of France in December 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During four weeks of hearings in the southern city of Albi, the defense argued that since his wife's body was never found, there was no certainty that a crime had been committed, BBC News reported.

However, the jury, composed of six civilians and three magistrates, decided that there was sufficient circumstantial evidence to conclude that Jubillar was guilty of murder.

But in an unexpected twist, just over two months before the scheduled date for the hearing of his appeal, Jubillar wrote a “confession” admitting his participation, according to his lawyer, Pierre Debuisson, at a press conference.

Jubillar is willing to “cooperate fully with the judicial authorities” and tell investigators where the body is located, after having hidden it on the night of December 15 to 16, 2020, he stated.

He expressed hope that Jubillar's decision will allow his two young children to “grieve and give Delphine a dignified burial,” adding that his client “deeply regrets” his actions.

“It was the worst thing he has done in his life,” added the lawyer. The circumstances of Delphine Jubillar's death are still unknown. In his confession letter, he mentions a dispute between the couple, but does not elaborate.

His legal team now believes it is impossible for the appeal trial to take place as scheduled in September, as their client will have to be questioned again and searches will be carried out for the body.

Debuisson indicated that Jubillar will provide more details during questioning.