Jennifer Dulos: Connecticut mom of 5 declared dead four years after disappearance, husband's girlfriend faces conspiracy trial
CONNECTICUT, NEW ENGLAND: A Connecticut court has ruled Jennifer Dulos dead, four years after her mysterious disappearance.
The mother of five vanished from her house in May 2019, and it was subsequently found that she and her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, were fighting over custody.
As reported, Gloria Farber, Jennifer's mother, filed a petition to have Jennifer declared dead in August. Gloria Farber has been raising the five children since her daughter vanished.
Judge declared Jennifer Dulos 'deceased'
The children's right to their mother's assets was the purpose of the filing. According to court documents obtained, a probate judge declared Jennifer dead in October, citing evidence that "supports the claim that Jennifer sustained non-survivable injuries."
According to the outlet, Judge William P Osterndorf stated in the decision that "the inescapable conclusion is Jennifer is deceased," People reported.
Osterndorf justified his decision to declare the 50-year-old deceased by pointing out that "more than four years have passed" since Jennifer was last seen, her family has not "been contacted" since May 2019, and her body has not been found.
According to the outlet, Jennifer's mother's attorney, Richard Weinstein, expressed concern about Farber's "age of 88" and stated that they didn't want to wait an additional three years for Connecticut law to automatically declare Jennifer dead.
Weinstein responded to the petition by saying, "As long as Jennifer’s status was undecided, then the children could not inherit from her or from her mother."
Jennifer Dulos' husband and his lover were accused of plotting murder
Seven months after her disappearance, Fotis was accused of murder in connection with her alleged death. Michelle Troconis, his girlfriend, and his civil attorney were also accused of plotting to commit murder.
Bloodstains from a violent struggle were discovered in Jennifer's New Canaan home's garage on the day she disappeared, according to Connecticut State Police at the time. Her black Chevy Suburban was later discovered abandoned a few miles away, close to a nearby park.
According to court documents, police claimed that Fotis was waiting for his estranged wife on the day of her death.
After entering a not-guilty plea to the murder charge, Fotis made a suicide attempt and was later discovered unconscious in his home's garage. Due to his incapacity to stand trial video, the murder charges against him were dropped after he passed away two days later.
According to CT Insider, Troconis entered a not-guilty plea to the charge of conspiring to commit murder and is scheduled to appear in court in Connecticut on Thursday. She is also accused of obstructing the prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiring to tamper with physical evidence.
