The Disappearance of Jennifer Farber Dulos
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Jennifer Farber Dulos is a 50-year-old mother of five from New Canaan, Connecticut. She was last seen on May 24th, 2019 around 8:00am after dropping her children off at New Canaan Country School. Jennifer was last seen on residential surveillance driving east toward her home on Welles Lane. Jennifer’s nanny, Lauren, entered her home around noon and found an unopened granola bar and a mug of tea on the counter. Jennifer missed two appointments during the day. Unable to reach Jennifer, Lauren took the five children to the apartment of Jennifer’s mother, Gloria Farber, in New York City. Jennifer was reported missing around 7pm and her 2017 black Chevrolet Suburban was found on a side street in a large park near both the school and her home shortly after.
When authorities searched Jennifer’s home, blood stains and signs of a “serious physical assault” were found in the garage. There were bloodstains on the Range Rover parked inside the garage - along the driver’s door, the driver’s side rear fender, the front of the vehicle, and the left front fender was wiped clean. Blood was smeared on the floor by the driver’s rear door, an area of concrete that appeared that someone tried to clean blood off of it, and bloody partial footprints on the concrete. There was also blood on both garbage cans in the garage and on one’s left handle. The DNA of her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was found mixed with Jennifer’s blood on the faucet in the kitchen of her New Canaan home. His DNA was also found on the inside doorknob of her mudroom. He had never previously been allowed inside of Jennifer’s home, as it was hers alone. In fact, the last time Fotis saw his children was two days before Jennifer’s disappearance, where they ate dinner outside for around an hour while Jennifer and Lauren were inside. Lauren told police that she noticed ten rolls of paper towels were missing. Also missing were camping pillows and a cleaning pail.
The day after Jennifer’s disappearance, Lauren told police that she had witnessed or been present during several altercations between Jennifer and Fotis. These include in June 2017 when she found Jennifer crying in the driveway after she claimed Fotis tried to run her over and another incident that summer where Fotis chased Jennifer to the bedroom and pounded on the door until he realized that Lauren and one of his children were also inside. Jennifer didn’t contact police because Fotis had threatened to take the children to Greece permanently.
She finally did contact police on August 2nd 2017 to report a verbal dispute which took place in front of their children where Fotis called her a bad mother and told her she belonged in an asylum.
On Father’s Day 2017, Fotis Dulos called 911 because he could not get in touch with Jennifer or their children, who were supposed to be visiting a cemetery in New York. Jennifer was really filing for divorce and moving the children into this New Canaan home. Their children were between the ages of 8 and 13, and included two sets of twins. In court documents, she stated she was afraid of Fotis and felt that he would physically or emotionally harm their children. She even presciently wrote, “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 her disappearance, Jennifer and Fotis were still locked in a battle for custody of their five children. A court hearing in the divorce case between them scheduled for May 29th 2019 was canceled after Jennifer disappeared.
On June 1st, 2019 Fotis Dulos and his then-girlfriend of two years, Michelle Troconis, were charged with tampering with physical evidence and hindering prosecution in Jennifer’s disappearance after they were seen on the Hartford police surveillance system in Hartford, CT throwing away multiple trash bags during 30 stops along Albany Avenue at 7:15pm on the night of Jennifer’s disappearance. At least two bags that were recovered contained a shirt and bra as well as sponges covered in Jennifer’s blood. Zip ties with Jennifer’s blood on them were also found. Fotis Dulos was also seen putting a FedEx box containing altered license plates that were registered in his name down a storm drain as well as throwing away a small rug which appeared to be the one missing from Jennifer’s Suburban.
Troconis and Dulos pleaded not guilty to first-degree tampering with physical evidence and first-degree hindering prosecution. They were each held on $500,000 bail, with Troconis released June 3rd and Dulos released June 11th. On June 4th, Troconis pointed detectives toward the woods at the home she shares with Dulos. It is still unclear why.
Authorities spent three weeks searching more than 30 tons of trash in the Materials Innovation and Recycling Authority in Hartford, trying to find more of the trash bags that Dulos and Troconis threw out along Albany Avenue. According to the Courant, “the evidence discovered includes a black garden glove with Dulos’ DNA on the interior, a black Husky glove with Farber Dulos’ DNA on the outside of it, zip ties with Farber Dulos’ DNA and at least one garbage bag with the DNA of Dulos, Farber Dulos and Michelle Troconis.” Also recovered was a utility knife, and towels and cleaning items stained with blood.
In addition, they searched the Albany Avenue neighborhood, Jennifer Dulos’ home and her Welles Lane neighborhood, a property her parents own in New York, and Waveny park near where her car was recovered. The FBI Evidence Recovery Team even searched Waveny Park with metal detectors and brought in dogs trained to find electronic equipment, like cellphones. The Connecticut State Police Dive Team searched a lake on Old Farms Road in Avon, CT. They also searched multiple properties connected to Fotis Dulos’ homebuilding company, Fore Group, in New Canaan and Farmington, CT. Neighbors of 61 Sturbridge Hill Road in New Canaan heard loud banging coming from the Fore Group property the morning after Jennifer disappeared.
Another knife is believed to have been used in the crime because a homeless man was questioned by police after finding a hunting knife in the trash on Albany Avenue. He said he found it under a bloody pillow in a trash can and sold it to a man called “Fudge” who then sold it to an unknown person. This knife has never been recovered.
An “alibi script,” two pages of handwritten notes detailing the activities of Dulos and Troconis on May 24th and 25th, was found at Dulos’ Jefferson Crossing home. Troconis admits this alibi is false, and it had no mention of the drive or stops along Albany Avenue.
Fotis Dulos’ lawyer, Norm Pattis, says Fotis “had no motive to kill Jennifer,” as a recent court order had granted him joint custody of the children. However, Gloria Farber and the estate of Jennifer’s deceased father were suing Fotis Dulos for failure to repay $2 million loaned to him to purchase and develop properties with his business, Fore Group. Fotis claimed it was a gift, not a loan. If he and Jennifer divorced, he would potentially have been on the hook for the $2 million to her parents, as well as alimony and child support for their children, which include two sets of twins.
Pattis also says there is an explanation for the blood in the trash bags Dulos was seen on camera throwing away, which has yet to be revealed, and that Jennifer likely vanished on purpose to frame her husband, as proven by a “Gone Girl” like manuscript she wrote 17 years ago, but family and friends disagree that she would leave her children at all, let alone with Fotis.
Police interviewed Fore Group employee Pawel Gumienny on June 2nd 2019. The same day, Troconis admitted that it was her and Dulos in the Fore Group Raptor on Albany Avenue. Troconis claims that around 6:30 or 7:00pm, Dulos wanted to go to Starbucks and they drove to Hartford in the Raptor, but she claims she didn’t know what Dulos was doing and was on her phone the whole time. Dulos’ phone pinged on the 24th from 7:10 to 7:40pm along Albany Avenue. She also acknowledged that she couldn’t account for Dulos’ whereabouts on May 24th from around 8am until between 1 and 2pm.
Pawel Gummienny had shown up to Dulos’ home on May 31st, 2019 while police were waiting for Dulos and Troconis. He was reportedly sweaty and eventually admitted that he had removed seats from Dulos’ Porsche Cayenne. Gumienny also told police that he could not contact Dulos during the day of Jennifer’s disappearance. Cell phone data rules out Gumienny from involvement in this crime. When police seized his Toyota Tacoma on June 6th 2019, Gumienny told them that the seats inside were different than the seats on the day Jennifer disappeared because he switched them after Fotis instructed and pressured him to. Gumienny gave the old seats to police, which he had kept without Fotis knowing, and a blood-like substance that matched Jennifer’s DNA was found on the passenger seat. Gumienny had also noticed his car had been taken by Dulos to be washed without his consent, including a detailing of the interior, which he had never done before. Dulos had told Gumienny that he had hugged Jennifer on Mother's Day, and police may find "a hair" and not to mention that Troconis was the one who brought him the keys to his truck at 80 Mountain Spring Road.
In August, it was revealed that Kent Mawhinney, a South Windsor attorney who had previously represented Fotis Dulos had asked him to help him “reconnect sexually with his wife” just days before Jennifer disappeared. In January 2019 after being accused of spousal rape he filed for divorce. In documents in his divorce case it is clear that Mawhinney’s wife believes that he wanted her dead. In July 2019, Mawhinney was charged with violation of a protective order after Fotis Dulos tried to convince Mawhinney’s wife to meet with her estranged husband at his Jefferson Crossing home. Mawhinney’s name is listed in the “alibi script.”
A makeshift grave was discovered in August on property in East Granby linked to Kent Mawhinney. Two members of the Windsor rod & Gun club, located on about 25 acres of woods in East Granby, claimed that in May the grave was covered by barbecue grates and hidden under sticks and leaves, and that there were two bags of lime and a blue tarp in it. By June the hole had been filled in and was unnoticeable, according to the same members. In Spring, 2019 Mawhinney was told about a hidden key to the logging chain that secured the area. Police did not find any remains, nor did they find the tarp or lime. Mawhinney’s phone pinged on the tower that serves the gun club on March 29th for about a half hour and again on May 31st at 11:04pm.
On September 4th, 2019 Fotis Dulos was arrested again on new hindering and tampering charges. Michelle Troconis turned herself into police the next day for the same charges. Each again pleaded not guilty posted $500,000 bail and were released with GPS monitoring.
Michelle Troconis admits that she did not see Fotis Dulos the morning of May 24th, and that after she returned from dropping her daughter off at school, Kent Mawhinney was in the Fore Group offices at 4 Jefferson Crossing with Fotis’ cell phone on the table. Troconis also says Mawhinney instructed her to answer the Fotis’ phone when his childhood friend from Greece called. Mawhinney’s phone records show he was likely in the Fore Group office on May 24th. Mawhinney says he arrived at 4 Jefferson Crossing around 7:40am on May 24th and stayed there for 40 - 50 minutes and left without seeing Fotis. Troconis also claims that at 3PM she received a phone call from Fotis telling her to bring supplies to 80 Mountain Spring Road. She brought supplies - vacuum, swiffer sweeper, paper towels, Clorox, garbage bags - to 80 Mountain Spring Road and Fotis was already there. An hour later, Pawel Gumienny arrived, looking for his truck. He had to ask for the keys to his own truck multiple times and turn down Dulos' suggestion to use the Raptor.
Jennifer’s 51st birthday came and went on September 27th with no sign of her. Just before Thanksgiving, Fois Dulos and Jennifer Dulos were removed as guardians for the five children and Gloria Farber was granted custody. Gloria has had physical custody of the children in her New York City apartment since May 24th and had armed guards watching the children. After a December 4th court appearance for the civil trial Farber vs Dulos, Fotis told reporters he wished “Jennifer and her family happy holidays.”
Unsealed search warrants reveal that police believe Fotis Dulos drove Pawel Gumienny’s red Toyota Tacoma from Farmington, CT to New Canaan, CT the morning of Jennifer’s disappearance. The Tacoma was parked on Lapham Road as seen by security footage from a school bus. Based on surveillance videos, it is believed to have been parked on Lapham Road just after 7:05am. At 7:40am the Tacoma is seen parked approximately 100 feet from where Jennifer’s Suburban was found. Based on more surveillance footage, at 11:12 am the Tacoma headed north on Merritt Parkway toward past the New Canaan Rest Area and finally arrived at 80 Mountain Spring Road in Farmington at 12:22pm. There is a 40 minute gap in Dulos' known whereabouts between Lapham Road and Merritt Parkway.
Jennifer’s Suburban was seen on security video leaving her home at 10:25 and it is believed that Fotis Dulos was driving with Jennifer restrained or already deceased inside the car. Her phone pinged at Lapham Road at 10:38am and there was no further activity after 11:09am.
Police also noticed a dark Suburban with a damaged front left quarter panel on surveillance video from Thurton Drive, which comes to an end about 600 feet behind Jennifer’s home. It is believed to belong to Fotis Dulos, since an accident report listing Troconis as the driver of a 2015 Suburban was in an accident in which the left front quarter panel was damaged. However, it is unclear when the Suburban was captured on video.
On January 7, 2020 Fotis Dulos was charged with the murder of Jennifer Farber Dulos. On the same day, Michelle Troconis and Kent Mawhinney were charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
A judge ordered Dulos to strict indoor house arrest on January 23rd 2020 after he violated the parameters of his previous house arrest by getting out of his car and destroying a memorial for Jennifer on his way home.
An emergency hearing was ordered the morning of January 28th, and it was likely Fotis Dulos would have been temporarily re-arrested due to issues with his collateral. Dulos did not show up and his GPS monitor showed he was at his Jefferson Crossing home. Police conducted a welfare check at 11:54am and found Fotis Dulos in his running Suburban with a vacuum hose on the tailpipe, leading to a window. He was reported to be dead on live news, and Gloria Farber was notified of his death. However, after 30 minutes of lifesaving efforts, a pulse was detected and he was eventually flown to Jacobi Medical Center to be treated with a hyperbaric chamber for carbon monoxide poisoning. On January 30th, he was taken off of life support and passed away.
Dulos left a note proclaiming his innocence and also saying that Troconis and Mawhinney had nothing to do with Jennifer’s disappearance. He also claimed his lawyer could explain the Albany Avenue footage. Michelle Troconis and Kent Mawhinney are still expected to be tried for conspiracy to commit murder. Norm Pattis says he remains dedicated to clearing his client’s name and wants to substitute Fotis Dulos’ estate for the defendant at trial.