Fotis Dulos declared dead; suicide note claims innocence in wife's disappearance

NEW YORK (WTIC) -- Defense Attorney Norm Pattis confirmed Thursday evening that Fotis Dulos had died.

Dulos had faced multiple charges, including murder, in the disappearance of estranged wife Jennifer Dulos, who was last seen on surveillance cameras after dropping her children off at school on May 24 in New Canaan, Conn.

On Tuesday, police said they responded to his Jefferson Crossing home after Fotis Dulos failed to appear for an emergency bond hearing in Stamford. When Farmington police arrived, they said they saw Dulos in a vehicle, and in "obvious medical distress from an attempted suicide." They forced their way into the garage and immediately began rendering medical aid.

Fotis was taken to nearby UConn Hospital and then was flown by LifeStar to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx. At Jacobi, he was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning in a hyperbaric chamber. Pattis had described Fotis' condition the next day as "dire."

Pattis also had a message to anyone who felt that Dulos's suicide was an act or admission of guilt: "We say no. We say it was a conscience worn with the weight of a world that was too busy to listen and that wanted a story more than It wanted the truth."

A statement was later released: "Mr. Dulos was tried and convicted in the court of public opinion. Now he has been executed. We remain committed to demonstrating he did not murder Jennifer."

According to a court motion filed Thursday by Dulos' defense team, Dulos had left a note behind insisting he was innocent.

TRUE CRIME DAILY: Jennifer Dulos case coverage - TCD

The investigation began on May 24, 2019, when a missing person alert quickly turned into a criminal investigation. Jennifer hadn't been seen since dropping off her five children at school that morning. Around 7 p.m. that evening, friends contacted police to report her missing after she had missed several appointments during the day.

Evidence had led investigators to a trash facility in Hartford. Police said that Fotis and his girlfriend Michelle Troconis were seen the night Jennifer disappeared dumping evidence into trash bins on Albany Avenue. Investigators also scoured ponds and lakes, and Waveny Park where Jennifer's vehicle was originally found.

On January 7, Fotis, Troconis, and a third person, Kent Mawhinney, were arrested and charged in connection with the disappearance with Jennifer.

Fotis Dulos was charged with felony murder, murder, and kidnapping. He faced a court-set bond of $6 million. He later posted bond, and was ordered on house arrest with limited permissions to leave. A week later, his release conditions were further restricted after he was seen removing items from a memorial dedicated to Jennifer.

Court officials said Fotis was scheduled to appear in Stamford court Tuesday due to issues related over his $6 million bond. Sources told FOX61 the bondholder was being questioned about whether the real estate assets that Dulos put up to secure his bond and release have enough equity due to liens and mortgages. Fotis did now show up to court that afternoon, and police later found him unresponsive in his garage from carbon monoxide poisoning.