Missing Connecticut Mom's Estranged Husband, Girlfriend Appear Before Judge; Search Continues For Jennifer Dulos
NORWALK, Conn. (CBSNewYork) -- The search for a missing Connecticut mother continued Monday, as her estranged husband faced a judge in court.
He and his girlfriend were arrested over the weekend.
Fotis Dulos arrived handcuffed in an orange jumpsuit, authorities walking him into Norwalk Superior Court. Moments earlier, his handcuffed girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, arrived separately. They were expected to post $500,000 bond, surrender their passports and put on GPS monitoring, CBS2's Andrea Grymes reported.
Web Extra: Estranged Husband, Girlfriend Arrive For Court Appearance In Missing Conn. Mom Case:
Both are facing charges in connection to the late-May disappearance of Dulos' estranged wife, 50-year-old Jennifer Dulos, including evidence tampering and obstruction of justice.
WEB EXTRA: Timeline Of Investigation Into Jennifer Dulos's Disappearance
According to the arrest warrant, police believe Jennifer Dulos was attacked at her New Canaan home, revealing that investigators found, "a large quantity of physical evidence," including blood stains and attempts to clean the crime scene, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
Authorities seized Fotis Dulos' iPhone and were able to trace many of his steps on the day of Jennifer Dulos' disappearance. They pinged his phone at his Farmington home, then one of his nearby properties under construction, where the warrant says his phone remained for "a period of more than two hours."
Later that night, his phone pinged in Hartford. Authorities said they were able to locate surveillance video there showing Fotis Dulos, "placing multiple garbage bags into various trash receptacles." They recovered blood-stained items, including clothing and a kitchen sponge. Tests later revealed the blood was Jennifer's.
Fotis Dulos and Troconis are also accused of obfuscating the lettering on a license plate, perhaps so they wouldn't be tracked as they drove around, Aiello reported.
On Sunday night, another vigil was held for Jennifer Dulos at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in New Canaan.
She was in the midst of a bitter divorce and custody battle with her estranged husband when she went missing on May 24. Police believe she was last seen dropping off her five kids at New Canaan Country School that morning. Later that night, they found her empty car near Waveny Park.
Chopper 2 over Waveny Park search party:
Police have searched the park and multiple other locations in Connecticut, along with the town of Pound Ridge in Westchester County. They have been looking for any sign of her, while loved ones have been praying for her safe return.
"[Jennifer is] an incredibly warm person, as an unbelievably devoted mother, as an active member of our community," said Aaron Cooper, head of New Canaan Country School.
Family members have said Jennifer Dulos would never disappear on her own.
Court records show a contentious divorce. According to documents from 2017, she said, "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."
Her five children, ages 8 to 13 years old, are now in the care of their maternal grandmother in Manhattan. CBS News reported Monday that Fotis Dulos owed his mother-in-law in excess of $2.5 million.
