What‘s next in murder case?
Fotis Dulos, who was charged with the murder of his estranged wife, Jennifer Farber Dulos, died Thursday at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, two days after a suicide attempt at his Farmington home.
Dulos’ death adds to the uncertainty surrounding Farber Dulos’ disappearance. Here’s what we know about what happens next:
Does the murder trial continue?
Not likely, although Dulos’ attorney, Norm Pattis, filed a motion on Thursday seeking to substitute the estate of Dulos as the defendant in the case. The request for a murder trial without a living defendant or a body is unprecedented in Connecticut.
According to former Chief State’s Attorney Christopher Morano, the statute for murder says that a person, not an entity on behalf of that person (such as an estate), can be charged with murder. Pattis’ motion cited Joan of Arc and outlaw Henry Plummer as examples of historical figures who were posthumously tried and acquitted.
How does Dulos’ death affect the search for Jennifer Farber Dulos?
It’s unclear, although hopes for finding Farber Dulos’ body may have died with him, unless one of the other defendants — former girlfriend Michelle Troconis and lawyer Kent Mawhinney — leads investigators to the body.
In a 35-page arrest warrant affidavit released at the time of Dulos’ murder charge, state medical examiner James R. Gill stated that Farber Dulos suffered “non-survivable” injuries in her garage after reviewing pictures and evidence collected, including bloody items found in garbage cans in Hartford and views of the garage where police believe Farber Dulos was attacked. State police detectives also said Farber Dulos has not been in contact with family, used her bank accounts or received medical treatment since her disappearance.
Did Dulos leave behind any clues to the whereabouts of his wife’s body?
No. Police searched Dulos’ home in Farmington on Thursday for evidence that might lead them to Farber Dulos’ body, according to court records filed Thursday. While trying to revive Dulos, they found a note in his car professing his innocence and stating that his attorneys have evidence to back it up.
“Mr. Dulos professed his innocence to the grave, and it was his final wish and the wish of his estate that he be speedily tried before a jury of his peers to establish his innocence,” Pattis said.
Who has custody of Dulos’ children?
Maternal grandmother Gloria Farber, who was granted custody of the five children last year by a probate judge. Farber is 85.
What’s the status of his Farmington property?
Farber’s attorney, Richard P. Weinstein, has asked a judge to appoint Robert M. Giuffria, Jr. as caretaker for the mansion at 4 Jefferson Crossing in Farmington.
The request, made hours before Dulos’ death while he was in critical condition, states that Farber has a $2.3 million mortgage on the property and is required to pay $21,000 in unpaid property taxes.
In a lawsuit, Farber alleged that Dulos failed to pay $2.5 million in loans from Hilliard Farber, her late husband, that were used to support Dulos’ homebuilding company, Fore Group Inc. Dulos said the money was a gift, not a loan.
“[Farber] is greatly concerned about maintaining the property in its present condition, preventing waste, vandalism, looters and preserving the mechanicals within the house, including plumbing and heating systems so that the pipes do not freeze and the property does not deteriorate while the present situation remains for an indefinite period of time with no one maintaining the subject property,” Weinstein wrote.
What does Dulos’ death mean for Michelle Troconis and Kent Mawhinney?
Dulos’ alleged accomplices were each charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Troconis, 51, remains free on $2 million bail and will appear in court on Feb. 7. Mawhinney, 54, remains incarcerated, unable to pay $2 million bail, and will face a judge on Feb. 20. Neither has entered a plea to the charges of conspiracy to commit murder.
Legal experts believe that Dulos’ death will do little to hamper the state’s prosecution against Troconis and Mawhinney on conspiracy charges.
Why was Dulos brought to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx?
Dulos was believed to have suffered from prolonged carbon monoxide exposure while sitting in a running car in a locked garage. Jacobi Medical Center is known for using a hyperbaric chamber to treat carbon monoxide poisoning; it’s less clear how the treatment works for brain injuries.
Emergency medical personnel administered CPR for an extended period of time. Dulos was taken in an ambulance to UConn Health in Farmington before being flown to the New York City hospital in a LifeStar helicopter.