Jennifer Dulos‘ estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, died on January 30, 2020, two days after his attempted suicide, as per NBC News. Earlier that same month, prosecutors had charged him with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping charges in connection with Jennifer’s May 2019 missing case. Authorities alleged that the duo were in the midst of a bitter custody battle over their five children at the time of the disappearance.
Fotis Dulos attempted to commit suicide at his Farmington home while under house arrest on January 28, 2020. The New York Times stated that he inhaled poisonous carbon monoxide and also allegedly wrote a suicide note proclaiming his innocence. He also maintained the innocence of others facing charges in connection with Jennifer’s disappearance. The accused died at a New York City hospital two days later.
A second individual, Fotis’ then-girlfriend Michelle Troconis, is also facing charges such as conspiracy to commit murder, among other counts. She was accused of covering up the crime. Troconis’ trial began on January 11, 2024, and will last about six weeks, stated AP News. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges and maintains her innocence in the case.
True crime shows such as Dateline NBC and CBS 48 Hours have chronicled Jennifer Dulos’ case. Additionally, a series titled Beyond the Headlines: The Jennifer Dulos Story also covers the shocking case.
Was Fotis Dulos a suspect in Jennifer Dulos’ disappearance & alleged murder?
Jennifer Dulos’ estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was the main suspect in her disappearance and suspected murder. The 50-year-old went missing on May 24, 2019, while in a custody battle with Fotis over their five children. She had just returned to her wealthy New Canaan home after dropping the kids off at school when she disappeared. In October 2023, a Connecticut court declared the missing woman dead after four years.
Authorities suspected foul play when they found what appeared to be blood on the garage floor and in Jennifer’s SUV. The NBC News report stated that police suggested Fotis was “lying in wait” at Jennifer’s home the day she disappeared. Investigators found evidence against him, including his DNA, in multiple garbage bags. These bags consisted of incriminating items such as zip ties, gloves, cleaning supplies, and clothes.
Surveillance footage captured Fotis and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, disposing of these bags in trash bins in Hartford. The footage was from the same day Jennifer Dulos went missing. A second NBC News report mentions that police found blood at Jennifer’s house along with “evidence of attempts to clean the crime scene.” Investigators also found the mother’s blood on items in the garbage bags.
The report stated that Jennifer Dulos had filed for divorce from Fotis Dulos in 2017. The pair were embroiled in a bitter divorce and child custody battle for two years when the mother-of-five disappeared. Moreover, she wrote in her 2017 custody application, “I am afraid of my husband. I know that filing for divorce, and filing this motion will enrage him. I know he will retaliate by trying to harm me in some way.”
At the time of Jennifer’s disappearance, CBS reported that Fotis was living at his home in Farmington, Connecticut, with his girlfriend Michelle Troconis and her daughter. He had once shared the same house with the victim and their five children.
The outlet reported that Troconis, 49, is now on trial. She is facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of conspiracy to tamper with physical evidence, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, and second-degree hindering prosecution.
A third individual, Fotis Dulos’ friend and lawyer Kent Mawhinney, is also facing a conspiracy to commit murder charge. He pleaded not guilty and is currently awaiting trial.
