Defense claims Fotis Dulos was framed for murder of estranged wife

The murder case against Fotis Dulos ended Tuesday when a Connecticut judge granted a prosecution request to dismiss the charges, one month after his death.

The defense objected and offered an alternate theory of the case: that Fotis Dulos was framed for the murder of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos.

Defense attorney Norm Pattis said someone murdered Jennifer Dulos and dumped a pile of bloody clothing on the family porch.

Those, Pattis said, were the items Fotis Dulos was seen on surveillance video dumping into the trash on a Hartford street.

Pattis had asked the court to continue the case so he could attempt to clear Fotis Dulos' name by substituting his estate as the defendant. The judge rejected that and granted the nolle prosequi request by prosecutors, ending the criminal case.

The nolle prosequi is not an acquittal but an acknowledgement of the reality that the prosecution of Fotis Dulos cannot continue. It gives prosecutors one year to re-file the charges or they are dismissed. It also lifts the gag order imposed on the parties and frees witnesses from their obligations.

The case against Fotis Dulos stemmed from the May 2019 disappearance of Jennifer Dulos, his estranged wife and the mother of his five children. Her body has never been found.

Fotis Dulos died by apparent suicide in January, weeks after he was charged with Jennifer Dulos' murder.

Criminal cases are still ongoing against Fotis Dulos' girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, and Fotis Dulos' friend, Kent Mawhinney. Both are charged with conspiracy to commit murder and have pleaded not guilty.

Pattis said in a statement Tuesday, "The case of State v. Fotis Dulos ended today. There are pending cases involving Michelle Troconis and Attorney Mawhinney. Out of respect for the fair trial rights of these individuals we will have no further comment on the underlying factual allegations."