Jennifer Dulos Case: New Updates As Mystery Remains Unsolved

NEW CANAAN, CT — It has been a year since Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared from her New Canaan home on the morning of May 24, 2019. She had just dropped her children off at school and had a doctor's appointment in New York a couple of hours later.

Unbeknownst to her, according to law enforcement, her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was waiting for her in the garage of her home, having clandestinely driven to New Canaan from his Farmington home early that morning.

The couple were in the midst of a contentious divorce and custody battle over their five children, a two-year battle at that point. She had packed up, taken the children and moved to New Canaan from Farmington in 2017, and according to court documents, Jennifer Dulos said she feared her husband. She said he had been abusive, even violent, toward her and their children, court documents state.

And on that day, May 24, 2019, Fotis Dulos attacked, kidnapped and killed his estranged wife, according to law enforcement. How exactly he did it remains a mystery, because he took his own life in January in the garage of the Farmington home he and Jennifer once shared.

Authorities believe this much, that Jennifer Farber Dulos was the victim of a violent attack that morning. Blood evidence and signs of a struggle were found in the garage of the home, and authorities said that it looked as if someone had tried to clean up the mess, according to arrest warrants.

"New Canaan Police checked the residence of Jennifer after the initial call came in that she was missing," said Police Chief Leon Krolikowski in a statement marking the one-year anniversary of Jennifer Dulos' disappearance. "No contact was made with Jennifer at her home. A short time later, an officer located Jennifer's 2017 Chevy Suburban on Lapham Road near Waveny Park [in New Canaan]. Subsequently, an investigation was launched that became the most far-reaching and complex case our Department has ever handled."

A year later, the case is far from over.

There are still a host of unanswered questions; two suspected accomplices still have not gone to trial; and Jennifer Farber Dulos' final resting place remains a mystery.

The Crime

Inside the garage of the New Canaan home, police found "several [blood] stains on the garage floor and on a vehicle parked in the garage, which had the appearance of bloodstains," according to Fotis Dulos' arrest warrant.

Additionally, blood splatter was found in parts of the garage, but the crime scene also showed signs that someone had tried to clean it up.

"Based upon the crime scene processing, investigators came to the consensus that a serious physical assault had occurred at the scene, and Jennifer Dulos was the suspected victim," the warrant states.

The blood tested was found to match that of Jennifer Dulos, police said.

Authorities believe Fotis Dulos likely killed Jennifer at the house and bundled her up with zipties for transport to another location, the warrants state.

To move her, Fotis is believed to have used a pickup truck that he borrowed from an employee of his luxury home building business, The Fore Group, authorities said.

The attack occurred around 8 a.m. Authorities believe Fotis drove from Farmington to New Canaan in the borrowed pickup truck, which he left at Waveny Park, according to the warrants. He then used an old bicycle of his to ride to Jennifer's house and attacked her, documents state. He then bundled her into her Suburban, drove to Waveny, moved her into the pickup truck and drove away, authorities said.

All of that, including the attempted clean up, happened in the span of about two hours, according to the warrants. Surveillance video shows the pickup leaving New Canaan just before 10:30 a.m. and arriving back at Fotis' home in Farmington roughly two hours later, police said.

What happened to Jennifer Dulos during that period remains unknown, other than there is evidence that her body was in the Suburban and then in the pickup truck at some point, according to the warrants.

Fotis Dulos had the pickup truck cleaned, and he insisted the seats in it be switched with seats from one of his vehicles, police said. The original seats were turned over to police by the employee. The seats were tested, and they revealed a "bloodlike substance" that had DNA that matched that of Jennifer Dulos, the warrants state.

On the evening of May 24, two people matching the descriptions of Fotis Dulos and his then girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were seen in a different pickup truck — one similar to one owned by Fotis — driving along Albany Avenue in Hartford, according to authorities. The truck made several stops and disposed of garbage bags, which authorities discovered through surveillance footage, the warrants state.

Many of those bags were recovered by police, and inside were bloody sponges, articles of clothing matching clothing that Jennifer Dulos had owned, and other items that tested positive for her blood, according to the warrants.

Police also found a discarded doctored license plate that once belonged to one of Fotis Dulos' vehicles, and later found parts of a bicycle that they believe he used during the crime, according to the warrants.

Up to that point, the search for Jennifer Dulos had been massive, with authorities looking for her throughout the state and in Westchester, NY, at private properties, parks, reservoirs and other locations.

But with the discoveries of bloody items in Hartford, authorities then launched a painstaking, weeks-long search for her remains in a refuse facility in Hartford.

Thus far, authorities have come up empty.

According to Krolikowski, among those involved in the search for Jennifer Dulos, and the ongoing criminal case, include:

• New Canaan Police Department Patrol Division and Investigations Division
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad
• Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad
• Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
• Connecticut Division of Scientific Services
• New York State Police
• Stamford/Norwalk State's Attorney's Office

The Suspects

Fotis Dulos initially was a suspect in his estranged wife's disappearance and was arrested on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering a prosecution about a week after Jennifer had vanished. Troconis was arrested on the same charges at the same time.

A few months after the initial charges, Fotis Dulos was charged with murder and kidnapping, and Troconis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

Also charged with conspiracy to commit murder is attorney Kent Mawhinney, a friend of Fotis'. Troconis currently is free on bond and is next scheduled to appear in court on June 11. Mawhinney remains in custody and next is scheduled to appear in court on June 2.

Fotis Dulos, however, is dead. He died by suicide in late January. According to the Hartford Courant, Dulos sealed his Farmington garage with Styrofoam, taped a hose to the tailpipe of his vehicle and started the engine.

He was supposed to appear in court on that day, Jan. 28, and spoke to one of his lawyers, a bail bondsman and his then new girlfriend, Anna Curry, that morning, never letting on to his plan to commit suicide, according to the police report obtained by the Courant.

When the GPS monitor he was wearing showed that he was still at home and not on the road to Stamford Superior Court that morning, police went to Dulos' home and found him. Efforts were made to revive him, but he had suffered too much carbon monoxide poisoning and died two days later.

At the court hearing Dulos was scheduled to attend, he was facing the prospect of having his bond revoked and being forced to go to prison.

In his suicide note, Dulos said that he was innocent, that he loved his children, and complained that he was being unfairly prosecuted.

Money appears to be among Dulos' motives to kill his estranged wife, because his "debt exposure" was about $7 million at the time of her disappearance, according to prosecutors.

In addition to the expensive divorce and custody fight, Fotis Dulos also was being sued by his mother-in-law, Gloria Farber, for millions of dollars that she claimed were loans that he never paid back. Fotis claimed the money was given to him as gifts from his late father-in-law, Hilliard Farber, a wealthy former banker.

Authorities believe that Dulos conspired with Troconis and Mawhinney in the murder, with Troconis and Dulos writing "alibi scripts" to try to coordinate their alibis, according to the warrants. Mawhinney was part of the alibi scheme, authorities believe, but there are questions as to whether he also may have helped dispose of Jennifer's body, the warrant states.

Both Troconis and Mawhinney have pleaded not guilty, and this week, Troconis issued her first public statement about the case. In it she proclaims her innocence, and says that while she doesn't know what happened to Jennifer, it was a mistake to have trusted Fotis.

Prosecutors also believe that Mawhinney may have stashed lime and dug a grave at a shooting club property in East Granby, though prosecutors reportedly do not believe Jennifer was ever placed in a human grave, according to the arrest warrant.

The Mystery

What happened to Jennifer Dulos remains a mystery. Prosecutors believe she is dead not only because of the evidence discovered at her home, but also because there has been no financial activity on her bank accounts since May 23, 2019; no calls from her cell phone since May 24; and no contact with any of her family and friends since the 24th, according to the warrants.

Where is her body? If he did it, how exactly did Fotis Dulos kill Jennifer Dulos, and how did he dispose of the body?

What roles, if any, did Troconis and Mawhinney play in the killing? Was anyone else involved in the scheme?

The New Canaan Police Department is still activity working on the case, and have checked out thousands of tips sent to detectives via the e-mail [email protected].

This week, the Courant broke the story that state police also had searched a little-known former home of Jennifer and Fotis' in Avon. The Duloses had lived there for a brief period in 2010.

To mark the one-year anniversary of Jennifer Dulos' disappearance, her family and friends released the following statement:

Statement from Carrie Luft, on Behalf of the Family and Friends of Jennifer Farber Dulos

We miss Jennifer beyond words. The ache of her absence doesn't go away. Countless questions remain unanswered. The brutality and inhumanity of her death and disappearance continue to haunt us, without subsiding.

But the earth keeps spinning, and somehow an entire year has elapsed. We can see it, and measure it, in the growth of her children, who are taller, stronger, wiser, and more like their mom every day. And we continue to see and sense her in their expressions, their gestures, their laughter, their hugs.

It is a testament to her deeply loving influence as a parent that Jennifer's children are healthy and well. They are safe and surrounded by love and support. Gloria, their grandmother and guardian, is also healthy and well, for which we are so grateful during this precarious time.

In the past several months, the focus of the media has turned, as it should, to the life-threatening illness that has engulfed the globe. We know Jennifer has not been forgotten. The investigation into her death and disappearance is active and ongoing, and we remain extremely grateful to the Connecticut State Police and New Canaan Police for their commitment to Jennifer's case. Two people have been arrested for conspiracy to murder and have yet to stand trial. That day will come.

The calls for Justice for Jennifer are powerful and moving. We urge that their scope be extended to all victims of intimate partner violence, many of whose stories are never told and who are now even more at risk. Some community-based groups are organizing Candles for Jennifer on Sunday, May 24. Please support them—in Jennifer's honor, and in honor of all those who have died by intimate partner violence.

Likewise, for any who can afford to do so, we encourage donations to a local women's shelter, family shelter, or food bank. These vital organizations are struggling during the pandemic, at a time when their services are more crucial than ever.

Jennifer was a very private person; she would never have wanted the details of her life to be made public. When you read about her case, we ask that you keep that in mind. She was gentle, kind, brilliant, and courageous, and we still cannot believe she is gone.

Below is New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski's statement:

Sunday, May 24, 2020, marks one year since the New Canaan Police Department received a report that Jennifer Dulos, a New Canaan resident and mother of five, was missing. The last time anyone had contact with Jennifer was the morning of May 24, 2019, after Jennifer had dropped her children off at school.

New Canaan Police checked the residence of Jennifer after the initial call came in that she was missing. No contact was made with Jennifer at her home. A short time later, an officer located Jennifer’s 2017 Chevy Suburban on Lapham Road near Waveny Park. Subsequently, an investigation was launched that became the most far-reaching and complex case our Department has ever handled.

The investigation ultimately led to three defendants being criminally charged in connection with the disappearance of Jennifer. Two of these defendants have cases pending in the Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District.

Over the past twelve months, members of the New Canaan Police Department Patrol Division and Investigations Division, the F.B.I., the Connecticut State Police Western District Major Crime Squad, the Connecticut State Police Central District Major Crime Squad, the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the Connecticut Division of Scientific Services, the New York State Police, and the Stamford/Norwalk State’s Attorney’s Office have worked relentlessly to bring those responsible for the disappearance of Jennifer to justice. This robust team investigated countless tips, pursued all leads, gathered evidence, and searched by land, air, and water. We thank these law enforcement officials for their unwavering support and dedication.

We will never forget the impact this tragic case has had on Jennifer's mother, children, family, and friends.

On Sunday, May 24, 2020, please keep Jennifer, her mother, children, family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

We thank the entire New Canaan Community for their incredible support during very challenging times.

This case is an open and active investigation.

Anyone that has new and unreported information regarding this case should contact our tip line 203-594-3544 or e-mail [email protected]

We will not rest until we find Jennifer.

The Dulos case:

• Finding Jennifer Dulos Remains '#1 Focus' For Chief Prosecutor
• Fotis Dulos Dies After Suicide Attempt: Attorney
• Michelle Troconis Had Expired Passport, Contact With Fotis: State
• Jennifer Dulos Case Search Warrants: Fotis Tried To Run Her Over
• 6 Facts About Jennifer Dulos Murder Case
• Warrant Details Possible Motive On Why Jennifer Dulos Was Killed And Why Police Believe She Is Dead
• 2 Of 3 Suspects Bond Out In Jennifer Farber Dulos Murder Case
• The Haggling Over Fotis Dulos Estate Has Begun: Report
• CT Man Caught Trespassing At Fotis Dulos' Farmington Home: PD
• Jennifer Dulos' Killer Still At Large, Says Fotis Dulos' Family
• State Supreme Court Dismisses Dulos Gag Order Appeal
• How The State Is Building Its Case In The Jennifer Dulos Murder