Connecticut

Estranged Husband of Missing Mom Due in Court Today

Jennifer Dulos, a mom of five from New Canaan, has now been missing for 18 days and her estranged husband is expected to appear in court Tuesday in connection with the missing person case. 

Fotis Dulos, 51, the estranged husband of Jennifer Dulos, has hired Norm Pattis, a well-known lawyer, to handle his case, according to a representative for Pattis.

NBC Connecticut spoke exclusively with Pattis who said Fotis Dulos expects to plead not guilty on Tuesday. Pattis also plans to ask for a big reduction in Fotis Dulos's $500,000 bond.

Fotis Dulos and his 44-year-old girlfriend Michelle Troconis have been charged with evidence tampering and hindering prosecution in connection to the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. Troconis is also expected in court on Tuesday. There's no word yet on how Troconis will plead.

Jennifer Dulos, who has been living in New Canaan since moving from Farmington after filing for divorce, was last seen while dropping off her children at school on Friday, May 24. She was reported missing later that night after she missed several appointments and her friends became concerned when they could not reach her. 

When police searched Jennifer’s home, they found blood in her garage and suspected she was the victim of a serious assault, according to court documents. 

As the search continues, police have dedicated a website, FindJenniferDulos.com, and an email address, FindJenniferDulos@newcanaanct.gov, to the investigation. 

Police have been searching places in several locations across the state, including in Hartford, Farmington and New Canaan looking for evidence related to her disappearance. 

One of the places state police have been focusing their search is at a trash plant in Hartford. 

City surveillance cameras captured a man matching the appearance of Fotis Dulos throwing away bags of garbage along Albany Avenue in Hartford the day Jennifer Dulos disappeared. 

A source tells NBC Connecticut that troopers are specifically looking for evidence that might have been picked up by a garbage truck and shredded inside the facility days after Jennifer Dulos disappeared. 

NBC Connecticut drone footage taken on Friday showed police walking out of the woods and through the backyard of Fotis Dulos’ Farmington home. 

Neighbors describe seeing a lot of activity which was captured exclusively by NBC Connecticut’s DroneRanger. You can see state police officer walking through the backyard and out of the woods behind the Dulos home. You can also see a woman standing at the edge of the woods who we have not been able to identify. Jennifer Dulos, who was reported missing exactly two weeks ago, shared this home with Dulos, her husband, until they separated in 2017.

After they spent around an hour at the home, NBC Connecticut captured video of a woman resembling Troconis leave the property in a silver BMW with a man who appeared to be her attorney, Andrew Bowman, behind the wheel. 

The vehicle matched the one that Troconis was seen leaving in after a court appearance last Monday. NBC News has confirmed that Troconis and her attorney met with investigators last week. 

She is out on bond and has been ordered to wear a GPS monitored ankle bracelet. 

Pattis' law firm released a statement on Saturday saying in part, “I caution the world at large that things are rarely as they appear early on in a sensationalized investigation like this one. The rush to judgment stops now as does the conviction by innuendo. If necessary, we’ll let a jury decide what happened here." 

Pattis is no stranger to high-profile cases in Connecticut. He is also the lawyer representing Infowars Host Alex Jones, who is being sued by families of Sandy Hook victims for his statements that the 2012 massacre was a hoax. 

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