Five years after a Connecticut mother vanished from her own home and was eventually declared dead, a new look into a case that has haunted suburbia is shining a light on what it means to live the American dream. Jennifer Dulos disappeared after dropping her five young children off at school in New Canaan on May 24, 2020. At the time, she was involved in a bitter divorce with her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos. Despite authorities launching an extensive search, her body was never found.
Author Richard Cohen’s new book, titled ‘Murder in the Dollhouse: The Jennifer Dulos Story,’ delves into the death investigation that spooked the wealthy suburban neighborhood, and led to countless twists and turns. Cohen first became interested in the case because, even with the arrest warrants, the news was reporting the top line or the first paragraph, while the details were more complex. He described the case as ‘everyone’s suburban nightmare,’ where a mother of five in the middle of a very bad divorce, one of the most horrible divorces in Connecticut state history, did the most mundane thing you can imagine – dropping her kids off at school and never being seen again.
The story of Jennifer’s quaint, suburban life took a sinister turn when authorities say she returned from dropping off her children to find her husband lying in wait inside their home. Police allege Fotis Dulos attacked his wife in their garage before driving off with her body. Seven months after she disappeared, Fotis was arrested and charged with her murder. However, the case took a turn three weeks later when investigators discovered Fotis unresponsive inside his home in an apparent suicide attempt.
Cohen pointed to potential financial motivations surrounding Fot, who was $7 million in debt at the time of his wife’s disappearance. According to investigators, Fotis could have accessed part of the children’s trust funds if Jennifer died, but he denied the allegation. Cohen suggested that Fotis, who had married Jennifer for her financial connections, ultimately sought to escape with his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, and that Jennifer’s death was a means to this end.
Michelle Troconis, along with attorney Kent Mawhinney, were also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder after police revealed they helped cover up the disappearance. Last year, Troconis was found guilty of all charges filed against her, including conspiring to murder Jennifer, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Mawhinney pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of interfering with police in the case and was sentenced to 11 months in prison.
Despite the convictions, Jennifer’s body was never recovered, and she was declared legally dead in 2023. Cohen believes this outcome is unjust for the family, as Jennifer’s children never got to see their mother grow up. The case has left a lasting impact on the community, highlighting the complexities of domestic life and personal failings that can lead to tragedy.