Where is Jennifer Dulos? Connecticut mother's disappearance remains a mystery after 13 days
A mother-of-five in Connecticut, 50-year-old Jennifer Dulos, filed for divorce from her husband Fotis Dulos in 2017 after alleging she felt unsafe with Fotis. Jennifer's family could not have imagined the tragedy that would unfold two years later — Jennifer disappeared in May 2019 and has not yet been found.
The events began unfolding in 2017 when the mother of five filed an emergency order for full custody of their five children. She was eventually denied, according to court records, and was granted shared custody of the children until the divorce proceedings ended. Jennifer alleged her husband had exhibited “irrational, unsafe, bullying, threatening and controlling behavior."
She said she felt unsafe and worried about the physical safety of her children. She also alleged that Fotis threatened to kidnap their children in May 2017 if she did not agree to his terms in the divorce settlement, stating he had purchased a gun that year.
Jennifer, in her filings, alleged that Fotis, on June 3, 2017, had "became enraged, appeared out of control, and blamed me for scheduling activities for the children on a Saturday morning. … I was scared and tried to leave the room. He followed me upstairs and into a bedroom, where he shut the door and blocked it so that I was trapped as he verbally attacked me and physically intimidated me.”
“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," Jennifer claimed, according to ABC Radio. Fotis, however, stepped in with an amended reply to the motion, claiming he had legally bought the gun for home security and denied exhibiting the kind of behavior alleged by Jennifer.
He also stated he never threatened to kidnap their children, nor did he threaten or assault his wife. He claimed his wife called him a psychopath and told their children he does not care about them. Fotis alleged his wife had once told the children: "I will make sure this divorce takes two and a half years,” and “I can have the Mafia break your dad’s legs with a baseball bat.” Nearly two years after the estranged couple's contentious filings, Jennifer disappeared May 24.
She was reportedly last heard from when she was dropping her children to school. Hours after, her friends could not get in touch with her, they alerted the authorities. According to police, she was driving her 2017 black Chevrolet Suburban at the time and her vehicle was later found near Waveny Park in New Canaan with no sign of her. After an initial investigation, officials concluded Jennifer had suffered a "serious physical assault" in her garage, where they found blood spatters, blood stains and evidence of a clean-up attempt.
Days after Jennifer's disappearance, New Canaan officers asked residents to save surveillance camera footage from May 22 to May 25 as it could assist them in the search. Officials finally found a break two weeks later when they discovered Fotis and his live-in girlfriend Michelle Troconis tampering with evidence in surveillance footage.
The duo was promptly arrested. According to the arrest warrant, Fotis and Troconis were caught on surveillance footage dumping old license plates and garbage bags filled with items that were splattered with Jennifer's blood at more than 30 locations across the area. The couple appeared in front of a judge for the first time at Norwalk Courthouse Monday, June 3, as prosecutors said more charges are likely to be leveled against them. Their next court appearance is due on June 11.
Meanwhile, Jennifer’s mother, Gloria Farber, has filed a motion for custody of her daughter’s five children. It is not yet clear where the children are now but according to a family spokesperson they are safe and "well-cared for" while a search for their mother has intensified with authorities fearing the worst.