'We Miss Her More Than Words Can Say': Family Marks 51st Birthday Of Missing Conn. Mom Jennifer Dulos
NEW CANAAN, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - The friends and family of missing Connecticut mom Jennifer Dulos continued their plea for help in finding her on Friday, the day of her 51st birthday.
"We miss her more than words can say," spokesperson Carrie Luft said in a statement. "In Jennifer's honor, her family and loved once would like to encourage gestures of kindness - send a loving note to a friend, assist a person in need, tell a child they're special."
Jennifer Dulos went missing from her home in New Canaan, Conn., on May 24, 2019 after dropping her five children off at school.
Within days her estranged husband, 50-year-old Fotis Dulos, was arrested and accused of trashing clothes and cleanup supplies that were stained with his missing wife's blood. He and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were charged with tampering with physical evidence and hindering the prosecution.
Surveillance images show Jennifer Dulos' SUV leaving the home. Police believe her husband was driving it with her body inside. According to a warrant on Dulos, "The crime and the cleanup are believed to have occurred between 8:05 a.m. and 10:25 a.m."
Investigators also say the couple had the vehicle cleaned. State Police asked Troconis why the truck was washed.
"You showed me the picture of the blood in the door. It's because the body of Jennifer at some point was in there," she allegedly replied.
Police say they found blood stains and spatter in the garage of the home, leading State Police to believe Jennifer Dulos was the victim of a "serious physical assault."
Both plead not guilty to the tampering charges.
Web Extra: Read The Full Arrest Warrant (.pdf)
At the time, Fotis' defense attorney Norm Pattis told reporters they believed the disappearance may have been a case of "revenge suicide" where Jennifer Dulos had the "imagination, means and motive to disappear" like in the book "Gone Girl," a story in which a wife fakes her own disappearance and frames her husband as a prime suspect.
Family members have said Jennifer Dulos would never disappear on her own.
WEB EXTRA: Timeline Of Investigation Into Jennifer Dulos's Disappearance
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 that Fotis owed his mother-in-law in excess of $2.5 million.
Three weeks later, Troconis asked a judge for and was given an order preventing Fotis Dulos and his attorneys from contacting her.
In July, a report by the Hartford Courant said a shirt belonging to Jennifer Dulos was found stained with her blood along with a bra and cleaning supplies with blood.
The Hartford Courant reports police have found a shirt they believe Jennifer Dulos was wearing the day she disappeared more than two months ago.
Since then, loved ones of Jennifer Dulos have not given up hope.
"The heartbreak goes on even as time moves forward," said Luft said in a statement. "Thank you to the New Canaan and Farmington-Avon communities for the ongoing support and solidarity. And, as ever, we are deeply indebted to the New Canaan and Connecticut State police for their tireless and dedicated efforts in Jennifer's case."
Anyone with information that may assist law enforcement in their investigation should contact the New Canaan Police Department tip line at (203) 594-3544 or see the website FindJenniferDulos.com.
