Jennifer Dulos
Jennifer Dulos 1968 – 2019
Jennifer Dulos was a vibrant woman, born Jennifer Farber on September 27, 1968. Her life, filled with promise, took a dark turn on May 24, 2019, when she vanished without a trace from her home in the affluent town of New Canaan, Connecticut. What began as a routine day ended in a mystery that would captivate the nation and tear apart the lives of those closest to her.
Jennifer had been in the midst of a contentious divorce from her husband, Fotis Dulos. Their marriage had crumbled under the weight of infidelity, financial strain, and a bitter custody battle over their five children. Tensions ran high, and the once picturesque life they had built was shattered.
On that fateful morning, Jennifer dropped off her children at school, unaware that it would be the last time they would see her. As she returned home, the peaceful suburb concealed a sinister plan. Police believe Fotis had lain in wait, fueled by anger and desperation, ready to carry out a horrifying act. When Jennifer stepped inside her home, she was attacked—never to be seen again.
As the day wore on and Jennifer failed to pick up her children, concern grew. Friends and family frantically tried to reach her, but there was no answer. The search for Jennifer began, but the signs were ominous. Blood was found at her home, and the evidence pointed to a violent struggle.
Fotis Dulos
Fotis Dulos 1967 – 2020
Fotis Dulos, the man who had once vowed to love and protect her, in 2004 became the prime suspect. But he did not act alone. His girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, was by his side, and together they embarked on a desperate attempt to cover their tracks. That evening, the pair drove to Hartford, where they disposed of garbage bags filled with items stained with Jennifer’s blood. It was a gruesome task, but they believed it would be enough to erase the evidence of their crime.
As the investigation deepened, another name emerged—Kent Mawhinney, Fotis’s attorney and close friend. Authorities uncovered a web of conspiracy, alleging that Mawhinney had played a role in the plot against Jennifer. The trio now faced the full force of the law.
Fotis Dulos, once a successful businessman, saw his world collapse around him. With the walls closing in, he made a final, tragic decision. In January 2020, he took his own life, leaving behind more questions than answers.
The wheels of justice continued to turn. In March 2024, Michelle Troconis was convicted on six charges related to Jennifer’s disappearance and the attempted cover-up. In May, she was sentenced to 14 and a half years in prison. As she begins her sentence, Kent Mawhinney remains in limbo, awaiting his day in court.
Jennifer Dulos’s story is one of love turned to hatred, trust betrayed, and a life cut short. Though she was legally declared dead in October 2023, the memory of her
Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis
Jennifer Farber Dulos was born on September 27, 1968, in New York City, into a life of privilege and promise. Her parents, Gloria Ortenberg and Hilliard Farber, were both well-established, Gloria, a philanthropist, and Hilliard, a successful banker. Jennifer grew up alongside her older sister, Melissa, in a family connected to notable names, including her maternal uncle and aunt-by-marriage, Elizabeth Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg, founders of the famous fashion company Liz Claiborne Inc.
Jennifer’s intellect and creativity shone through from a young age. After graduating from Brown University in 1990, she pursued her passion for writing, earning a master’s degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her life seemed to follow the ideal trajectory—she became a writer, contributing to Patch.com, and managed her own blog, all while being a dedicated stay-at-home mother.
Fotis Dulos, born on August 6, 1967, in Turkey, grew up in Athens, Greece. He moved to the United States in 1986, following his aspirations for higher education. Like Jennifer, he attended Brown University, where he graduated in 1989. He later earned an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School. Fotis’s first marriage, to Hilary Vanessa Aldama, also a Brown graduate, lasted four years. Shortly after their divorce in 2004, Fotis founded Fore Group Inc., a real estate development company in Connecticut, specializing in luxury homes.
Fotis and Jennifer had known each other from their days at Brown, and their connection rekindled while he was still married to his first wife. Their relationship quickly escalated, and just over a month after his divorce, Fotis and Jennifer were married in Manhattan. They soon moved to Farmington, Connecticut, where they built a life together. Over the years, they had five children, including two sets of twins—three sons: Petros, Theodore, and Constantine, and two daughters: Christiane and Cleopatra Noelle, all named after Greek Orthodox saints.
However, beneath the surface of their seemingly perfect life, cracks were beginning to show. In a 2012 blog post, Jennifer hinted at trouble in her marriage, expressing her feelings of weakness and fear of confrontation. Over time, the tension between them grew. Jennifer felt Fotis was becoming increasingly distant, living a life separate from the family they had built. By 2017, Jennifer had had enough. She filed for divorce at Superior Court in Stamford and moved with the children to a rented house in New Canaan, about 70 miles southwest of Farmington.
In her divorce filings, Jennifer revealed the depth of her fear. She wrote that she knew filing for divorce would enrage Fotis and that he would retaliate, possibly by harming her. She suspected Fotis was having an affair with his colleague, Michelle Troconis, a native of Venezuela. When Jennifer discovered the affair, she moved out of their home, and Michelle and her daughter from a previous relationship moved in with Fotis.
The divorce proceedings were contentious and filled with accusations. Jennifer alleged that Fotis had threatened to kidnap their children if she didn’t agree to his terms in the settlement. She also claimed that Fotis had purchased a gun, a fact he didn’t deny but insisted was for home security. The battle between them was bitter, with both parents filing motions accusing the other of disparagement.
Jennifer sought emergency custody of the children, but the court initially granted temporary joint custody while the divorce was ongoing. However, in early 2018, after Fotis violated several court orders, Jennifer was awarded sole physical custody of the children, with Fotis being granted only supervised visitation and monitored phone calls.
The situation grew more complicated after Jennifer’s father passed away in February 2018. Gloria Farber, Jennifer’s mother, sued Fotis for unpaid loans, claiming he owed $1.7 million that had been loaned to him by Hilliard Farber.
As the months passed, the tension escalated, and Jennifer’s fear for her safety became palpable. She continued to document her concerns, but no one could have predicted the tragic turn of events that would follow.
On May 24, 2019, Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a shattered family and a community in shock. The investigation that followed would uncover a story of betrayal, fear, and ultimately, a devastating loss.
May 24, 2019 – Jennifer Dulos Disappearance
On the morning of May 24, 2019, Jennifer Farber Dulos began her day like any other. At around 8 a.m., she was last seen dropping her children off at New Canaan Country School. A neighbor’s security camera captured her returning home just five minutes later, at 8:05 a.m.
On the morning of May 24, 2019, Jennifer Farber Dulos began her day as usual. She was last seen around 8 a.m., dropping her children off at New Canaan Country School. Just five minutes later, at 8:05 a.m., a neighbor’s security camera captured her returning home. However, as the day went on, Jennifer missed two scheduled appointments in New York City—one at 11 a.m. and another at 1 p.m.—raising immediate concerns among her friends and family. By 7 p.m., when attempts to reach her had failed, two of her close friends, including her nanny Lauren Almeida, reported her missing. It was completely unlike Jennifer to vanish without a word, and those who knew her feared the worst.
Lauren Almeida had arrived at Jennifer’s house around 11:30 a.m. that day, and she was surprised to see Jennifer’s Range Rover parked in the garage. Jennifer had planned to use the car for her appointments, yet it was still there, while her Chevrolet Suburban was missing. When detectives searched the home, they discovered blood spatter in the garage—on the floor, door, and a wall—as well as on the exterior of the Range Rover. Blood was also found in the kitchen. DNA tests later confirmed that most of the blood belonged to Jennifer, but a disturbing discovery revealed that the blood on the kitchen faucet was a mixture of Jennifer’s and her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos’s, DNA. The evidence pointed to a violent assault.
Further investigation uncovered footage of Jennifer’s Chevrolet Suburban leaving her home at around 10:25 a.m. on the morning she disappeared. Authorities later identified Fotis Dulos as the driver, suspecting that he was transporting Jennifer’s body and items used in an attempt to clean up the crime scene. That same evening, around 7:30 p.m., Fotis and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were caught on camera disposing of garbage bags in thirty different bins throughout Hartford. The bags were later found to contain bloodied clothing and bloodstained cleaning supplies, all linked to Jennifer. Investigators also found Fotis’s DNA inside a glove and on another item in one of the trash bags. The Suburban was eventually discovered abandoned by the side of a road near Waveny Park in New Canaan, just over three miles from Jennifer’s home.
Police conducted an extensive search across multiple locations, including properties in Farmington, Fairfield County, and areas near Fotis’s home, but their efforts yielded no sign of Jennifer. Evidence suggested that Fotis had ridden a bike to Jennifer’s home that morning, as tire marks were found near the scene, and that he had lain in wait before attacking her in the garage. Despite using helicopters, canine units, and divers in their search, Jennifer remained missing. Her credit cards had not been used, and her phone had not been active since the day she disappeared.
In January 2021, the Connecticut State Police revisited a property on Mountain Spring Road in Farmington, once owned by Fotis’s real estate company, to follow up on old leads. Authorities were seen digging in the yard, and Bob Perry, an expert in locating unmarked graves, was brought in, though no significant discoveries were made public. The next day, police returned with heavy equipment, but again, no updates were provided.
Jennifer’s body has never been found. In October 2020, her family requested that she be declared legally dead, but the request was denied due to Connecticut’s seven-year rule for presumed deaths. However, in October 2023, a court granted an expedited declaration of death, considering the advanced age of Jennifer’s mother, who, as the legal guardian of Jennifer’s children, sought to ensure their inheritance from both Jennifer’s and her estate.
On the morning of May 24, 2019, Jennifer Farber Dulos began her day as usual. She was last seen around 8 a.m., dropping her children off at New Canaan Country School. Just five minutes later, at 8:05 a.m., a neighbor’s security camera captured her returning home. However, as the day went on, Jennifer missed two scheduled appointments in New York City—one at 11 a.m. and another at 1 p.m.—raising immediate concerns among her friends and family. By 7 p.m., when attempts to reach her had failed, two of her close friends, including her nanny Lauren Almeida, reported her missing. It was completely unlike Jennifer to vanish without a word, and those who knew her feared the worst.
Lauren Almeida had arrived at Jennifer’s house around 11:30 a.m. that day, and she was surprised to see Jennifer’s Range Rover parked in the garage. Jennifer had planned to use the car for her appointments, yet it was still there, while her Chevrolet Suburban was missing. When detectives searched the home, they discovered blood spatter in the garage—on the floor, door, and a wall—as well as on the exterior of the Range Rover. Blood was also found in the kitchen. DNA tests later confirmed that most of the blood belonged to Jennifer, but a disturbing discovery revealed that the blood on the kitchen faucet was a mixture of Jennifer’s and her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos’s, DNA. The evidence pointed to a violent assault.
Further investigation uncovered footage of Jennifer’s Chevrolet Suburban leaving her home at around 10:25 a.m. on the morning she disappeared. Authorities later identified Fotis Dulos as the driver, suspecting that he was transporting Jennifer’s body and items used in an attempt to clean up the crime scene. That same evening, around 7:30 p.m., Fotis and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were caught on camera disposing of garbage bags in thirty different bins throughout Hartford. The bags were later found to contain bloodied clothing and bloodstained cleaning supplies, all linked to Jennifer. Investigators also found Fotis’s DNA inside a glove and on another item in one of the trash bags. The Suburban was eventually discovered abandoned by the side of a road near Waveny Park in New Canaan, just over three miles from Jennifer’s home.
Police conducted an extensive search across multiple locations, including properties in Farmington, Fairfield County, and areas near Fotis’s home, but their efforts yielded no sign of Jennifer. Evidence suggested that Fotis had ridden a bike to Jennifer’s home that morning, as tire marks were found near the scene, and that he had lain in wait before attacking her in the garage. Despite using helicopters, canine units, and divers in their search, Jennifer remained missing. Her credit cards had not been used, and her phone had not been active since the day she disappeared.
In January 2021, the Connecticut State Police revisited a property on Mountain Spring Road in Farmington, once owned by Fotis’s real estate company, to follow up on old leads. Authorities were seen digging in the yard, and Bob Perry, an expert in locating unmarked graves, was brought in, though no significant discoveries were made public. The next day, police returned with heavy equipment, but again, no updates were provided.
Jennifer’s body has never been found. In October 2020, her family requested that she be declared legally dead, but the request was denied due to Connecticut’s seven-year rule for presumed deaths. However, in October 2023, a court granted an expedited declaration of death, considering the advanced age of Jennifer’s mother, who, as the legal guardian of Jennifer’s children, sought to ensure their inheritance from both Jennifer’s and her estate.
June 1, 2019 – Fotis Dulos & Michelle Troconis Arrest
On June 1, 2019, Fotis Dulos and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were arrested at a hotel in Avon, Connecticut. They were charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in connection with Jennifer Dulos’s disappearance. At that time, authorities did not have enough evidence to press more serious charges against them. Following these arrests, the five Dulos children, who ranged in age from 8 to 13, were moved to New York City to live with Jennifer’s mother, who was granted temporary custody.
Fotis hired Norm Pattis, a well-known attorney, to represent him. Interestingly, before taking on the case, Pattis had publicly expressed his belief that Jennifer was dead. Despite this, both Fotis and Troconis pleaded not guilty to the charges against them. In September 2019, the pair faced additional arrests on charges of tampering with evidence, to which they once again pleaded not guilty.
By late October 2019, it was reported that Michelle Troconis, along with her 10-year-old daughter, had moved out of Fotis’s $5 million home in Farmington. This marked the beginning of a significant shift in the dynamics surrounding the case as investigations continued.
January 2020 – Fotis Dulos Arrest
January 2020, Fotis Dulos was arrested at his home by the Connecticut State Police and charged with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping in connection with the disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos. Michelle Troconis was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. On the same day, Fotis’s friend and former attorney, Kent Douglas Mawhinney, was arrested and similarly charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Mawhinney had been estranged from his wife following accusations of spousal rape. Fearing for her life, she had gone to the South Windsor police, expressing her concern that Fotis and Mawhinney might be conspiring to kill her. After Jennifer’s disappearance, investigators discovered a shallow grave on a secluded property owned by Mawhinney. The grave contained two bags of lime and a blue tarp, but by the time authorities found it in August 2019, no body was present, and the items appeared to have been removed.
Following the arrests, Jennifer’s family released a statement: “Although we are relieved that the wait for these charges is over, for us, there is no sense of closure. Nothing can bring Jennifer back. We miss her every day and will forever mourn her loss.”
Fotis’s bond was set at $6 million, and he was released the following day, with a court date scheduled for February 28. In May, Troconis issued a statement, acknowledging that it was a “mistake” to have trusted Fotis, but she maintained that she did not know what had happened to Jennifer or where she was. Troconis, out on bail, was scheduled to appear in court on August 6 to face the charges. Meanwhile, Mawhinney, initially held on a $2 million bond, had his bond reduced to $246,000 and was released in October 2020.
Records and Crime Scene
Evidence – Fotis Dulos has been charged with murder in his wife’s death and his girlfriend, 45-year-old Michelle Troconis, of Avon, has been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.