The three suspects now charged in connection with the alleged murder of Jennifer Dulos did not make bond after their arraignments Wednesday in Stamford.
Dulos' estranged husband, Fotis, was charged Tuesday with felony murder, murder and kidnapping in connection to the disappearance of the New Canaan mother of five. She was last seen on May 24.
In court, Judge John Blawie refused to lower his bond from $6 million. Blawie ordered that Fotis Dulos be under virtual house arrest if he posts bond.
Blawie also issued a protective order barring Fotis Dulos from any contact with his five children or Jennifer Dulos' mother, who currently has custody of them.
During his arrest, police seized an axe from his garage. Fotis Dulos’ attorney Norm Pattis scoffed at the seizure, saying “they can knock themselves out. They can do whatever they like with it.”
Police announced Tuesday that they had enough evidence to declare Jennifer Dulos dead and made three arrests in her murder.
Fotis Dulos' girlfriend Michelle Troconis is charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The judge lowered her bond from $2 million to $1.5 million and said, if posted, she's to be under house arrest.
He ordered the same conditions for Fotis Dulos' friend and former attorney Kent Mawhinney, who is also charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The judge refused to lower Mawhinney’s $2 million bond after State’s Attorney Rich Colangelo said Mawhinney had to be arrested at gunpoint Tuesday.
“Mr. Mawhinney, knowing about this warrant, did evade the state police for a substantial period of time yesterday and was actually found up by the Mass border,” he said in court.
In Mawhinney's arrest warrant, it alleges he acted to give Fotis Dulos a fake alibi.
Pattis dismissed the evidence police released publicly through the arrest warrants. He said this isn't a murder case because there's no body.
“What we have is a suspicious disappearance and an entirely circumstantial case,” said Pattis. “…After this great length of time, I expected to see a forensic display that was breathtaking. I saw nothing.”
undefined
According to the new arrest warrant, a coroner described Jennifer's death as "a homicide of violence" that likely included injuries such as bludgeoning and stabbing. The warrant also describes Dulos using zip ties at some point during the attack. After the attack, investigators believe Dulos put Jennifer's body in her own car then drove the car to where it was later found abandoned at Waveny Park in New Canaan. Pattis spoke Tuesday outside police headquarters and commented by saying, "We're chastened by the fact that the state thinks there's sufficient evidence to pursue Dulos for such serious crimes" and maintained his client is innocent.
Troconis, like Dulos, was only facing tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution charges until Tuesday. The two had been out on bond since June. Troconis' new arrest warrant includes statements to police that Dulos previously told her that he sometimes hoped Jennifer would disappear. Investigators say Traconis also admitted that Dulos had her bring cleaning supplies to one of his properties on the day Jennifer was last seen.
Jennifer was last seen dropping their five children off at school in New Canaan. Police say they believe Dulos was lying in wait at Jennifer's home when she returned that morning, and some kind of physical assault occurred. Police say Dulos used an employee's truck to get to New Canaan that day and that Jennifer’s blood was found on the seat.
