The Connecticut man accused of murdering his missing wife could be released to house arrest on Thursday — after a defense lawyer said “unforeseen hiccups” prevented his release Wednesday on $6 million bond.
Fotis Dulos’ ex-girlfriend, Michelle Troconis — who’s charged with conspiring with him to murder Jennifer Dulos — could also be released on $1.5 million bond, her lawyer said.
Both defendants appeared Wednesday afternoon in Stamford Superior Court, as did lawyer and Dulos pal Kent Mawhinney, who’s also charged with conspiracy in connection with the digging of an alleged grave and was ordered held on $2 million bond.
Dulos’ lawyer sought to have his bond set at just $1 million, arguing he never ran away after he and Troconis were busted earlier on charges of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in Jennifer’s disappearance on May 24, 2019.
But Judge James Blawie — who signed the warrants that led to the threesome’s arrests Tuesday — noted the “quantity of evidence” has grown since then.
“The amount of the bond must also match the gravity of the offenses charged,” Blawie said.
Meanwhile, forensic experts were examining an ax Dulos borrowed from a friend about a month before Jennifer disappeared and which a detective found in Dulos’ garage during his arrest, The Hartford Courant reported.
Defense lawyer Norm Pattis downplayed the discovery, telling the Courant the ax wouldn’t likely have been left “in plain view for them to see if there was any evidentiary value to it.”
The arrest warrants sketch out a scenario in which Dulos, a luxury-home builder, allegedly used an employee’s Toyota Tacoma pickup truck to drive to New Canaan’s Waveny Park, then rode his childhood Mercier bicycle to Jennifer’s house nearby.
After allegedly killing Jennifer with bloody “blunt-force” and “sharp-force” wounds, he then used her Chevrolet Suburban to transport her body, the bike and cleaning supplies back to the park, where he put everything in the truck, the warrants say.
Blawie ordered that Dulos, 52, can’t have any contact with his five kids or their longtime nanny and maternal grandmother, who’ve been caring for them since Jennifer, 50, went missing.
But Dulos can leave his mansion in Farmington for church, medical appointments, meetings with his lawyers and “work-related” business if he gets prior permission, Blawie said.
Dulos, who was handcuffed behind his back and repeatedly glanced around the courtroom during the brief bail hearing, said “I will,” when asked if he’d abide by the conditions.
About three hours later, defense lawyer Kevin Smith told reporters that “despite our best efforts,” Dulos’ bond had yet to be posted.
“There were some unforeseen hiccups there. We expect to be able to overcome those tomorrow,” he said.
During the bail hearing, lead Dulos defense lawyer Norm Pattis said of Connecticut prosecutors, “I think the state is still groping in the dark, grasping at straws.”
