True Crime/Paranormal/Conspiracy Stories Part VI

The Murder of Jennifer Dulos

Jennifer Dulos (née Farber; born September 27, 1968; presumed dead May 24, 2019; ruled legally dead October 24, 2023) was an American woman who went missing on May 24, 2019. Authorities believe that she was killed in a violent attack at her home in New Canaan, Connecticut, United States. Her ex-husband, Fotis Dulos, and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were arrested on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in connection with Jennifer's disappearance. Later, the two – along with Fotis's attorney Kent Mawhinney – faced additional charges related to Jennifer's murder.

Fotis died by suicide in January 2020. Troconis was convicted of the six charges against her in March 2024. Mawhinney is awaiting trial.

Jennifer and Fotis were in the midst of a contentious divorce and child-custody proceedings. Police believe Fotis lay in wait for Jennifer, attacking her when she returned home after dropping her children off at school. In the evening, he and Troconis drove to Hartford to dispose of garbage bags containing items with Jennifer's blood on them. Police further allege that Mawhinney conspired with Fotis and Troconis.

Background

Jennifer Farber Dulos (September 27, 1968 – c. May 24, 2019) was born in New York City to Gloria Ortenberg and Hilliard Farber, a banker and philanthropist respectively. She has an older sister, Melissa Irene Farber. Jennifer's maternal uncle and aunt-by-marriage, Elizabeth Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg, founded the fashion company Liz Claiborne Inc. Jennifer graduated from Brown University in 1990 and later earned a master's degree in writing from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. A stay-at-home mother, Jennifer made her living as a writer for Patch.com and also ran her own blog.

Fotis Dulos (August 6, 1967 – January 30, 2020) was born in Turkey and grew up in Athens, Greece, moving to the U.S. in 1986. He graduated from Brown as well in 1989, and later earned an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School. Fotis married Hilary Vanessa Aldama, also a Brown graduate, in Athens in June 2000. The marriage lasted four years. That year Dulos founded Fore Group Inc., a real estate development company based in Connecticut, specializing in luxury homes.

Dulos started emailing Farber, whom he had also met at Brown, while still with his first wife. They married in Manhattan just over a month after Dulos' divorce, and subsequently moved to Farmington, Connecticut. They had five children together, including two sets of twins, all named after Greek Orthodox saints – three sons: Petros, Theodore, and Constantine; and two daughters: Christiane and Cleopatra Noelle.

In a 2012 blog post, Jennifer alluded to trouble in her marriage: "I wish I were a strong person and that confrontation did not both scare and appall me." After the gradual breakdown of the marriage, in which Jennifer claimed Fotis was living an increasingly independent life, she filed for divorce in 2017, at Superior Court in Stamford. That same month she rented a house in New Canaan, about 70 mi (110 km) southwest of Farmington, and moved there with the children.

In her divorce filings, Jennifer 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." She also stated she believed he was having an affair with his colleague, Michelle Troconis, a native of Venezuela. Jennifer also alleged that Fotis had threatened to kidnap their children if she did not agree to his terms in the divorce settlement, and that he had bought a gun that year; Fotis denied making threats and claimed he bought the gun legally for home security. Both parents filed numerous motions claiming that the other was disparaging them.

Jennifer had requested an emergency order of custody while the couple was given temporary joint custody of their children until the end of the divorce proceedings. When Jennifer again requested an emergency order of custody in early 2018, the judge found that Fotis had violated several court orders. In March of that year Jennifer was awarded sole physical custody, while both parents were to share joint legal custody. Fotis was granted supervised visitation and monitored phone calls.