Connecticut mother of five missing amid heated divorce and custody battle
A 50-year-old mother of five embroiled in a bitter divorce with her estranged husband was last seen dropping her kids off at school in Connecticut; Laura Ingle reports from New Canaan.
NEW CANAAN, Conn. -- Investigators intensified their search Sunday morning at the home of the estranged husband of Jennifer Dulos, the Connecticut mother of five who has been missing for nine days.
A search of Fotis Dulos' sprawling 10,000-square-foot mansion, which began Saturday morning, resumed shortly before 9 a.m. on Sunday. More than a dozen state police vehicles, along with two canine units, showed up at the residence while others gathered near the road, the Hartford Courant reported. In the past 48 hours, state police have also obtained DNA samples from Fotis Dulos, who married Dulos 13 years ago but for the past two years has been locked in a contentious custody battle over the couple's five children.
BLOOD, OTHER EVIDENCE FOUND AT HOME OF MISSING CONNECTICUT MOM JENNIFER DULOS, REPORT SAYS
On Friday, Fotis Dulos dodged reporters outside his home in Farmington, Conn., about two hours away from New Canaan. A Fox News producer went to the home on Friday and was told to leave.
Estranged husband of missing Connecticut mom tells Fox News producers to leave, calls the police
Connecticut police expand search for Jennifer Dulos, who has been missing for over a week amid divorce and custody battle with Fotis Dulos; Laura Ingle reports from New Canaan, Connecticut.
Police later spoke to him for about an hour, after which he was seen leaving the grounds in his car with his girlfriend, Michelle Traconis, while authorities followed, according to DailyMail.com.
New Canaan Police Lt. Jason Ferraro issued a statement Saturday saying no arrests had been made, no body had been found and that law enforcement would not comment on who they had questioned in the case or what specifically they were looking for in Fotis Dulos' home.
"The criminal investigation into this case is continuing and it does involve securing search warrants," Ferraro said. "No comment at this time will be offered on details relating to locations of search warrants or details of what items are listed on the search warrants."
The disappearance of Dulos is being treated as both a missing-person case and a criminal investigation.
The 50-year-old brunette was last seen driving a black Chevy Suburban nine days ago, when she dropped off her children -- ages 8 to 13 -- at their private school in New Canaan. Authorities there spent three hours on Friday handing out flyers that featured a picture of Dulos and her vehicle.
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Members of the close-knit New Canaan community have been gripped by the case. A vigil for Dulos was held Thursday night at St. Aloysius Parish, where almost 200 people gathered in the drizzling rain for the half-hour service.
“We could be wondering, we could be speculating, we could be guessing,” said Father Rob Kinnally, the St. Aloysius pastor. “But it is best that we are praying.”
Aaron Cooper, who heads the New Canaan Country School private school where all five Dulos children attend, called Dulos a “devoted mother" at Thursday's event.
Another vigil is planned for Sunday evening.
"We are heartbroken about her disappearance and are praying for her safe return," New Canaan County School spokeswoman Brooke Arthur told Fox News. "We have been in contact with her family and are supporting them and our school community as the search continues."
Dulos' car was found behind Waveny Park, a popular 250-acre recreation spot that has jogging trails as well as picnic areas, soccer, baseball and softball fields.
Last week, police swarmed the park. They searched using dogs, drones and, at one point, a New York state police helicopter. They zeroed in on a high grassy area and a shallow pond about 3 feet deep, said Steve Benko, the town's director of recreation.
Jennifer Dulos, a Connecticut mother, has been missing since last Friday, police say. (New Canaan Police)
As that search was taking place, about two dozen state police officers and several canine units searched backyards, a storm drain and trash bins throughout the Upper Albany neighborhood of Hartford.
The circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Dulos have taken an ominous turn in recent days as more information is known about the couple's rocky relationship.
According to court documents, Dulos said she was "terrified for (her) family's safety, especially since discovering the gun, since my husband has a history of controlling, volatile and delusional behavior." She also accused her husband of 13 years of threatening to kidnap their children and take them to Greece.
Fotis Dulos has strongly pushed back on those allegations. He has said that he turned in his handgun to the Farmington police, and that his wife was the unfit parent. He also said Dulos had mental health issues, asserting at one point she had verbally attacked him and called him names in front of guests.
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Separately, Dulos' mother, Gloria Farber, who lives in New York City, has sued her former son-in-law. Farber and her late husband claimed in court documents that Fotis Dulos did not repay $1.7 million in loans he borrowed to buy and redevelop high-end homes.
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