Fotis Dulos, who has been charged with the murder of his missing wife, Jennifer Dulos, is in dire condition at a hospital in the Bronx, New York after apparently attempting to take his own life at his Farmington home on Tuesday, according to his attorney.
Police found Dulos in medical distress Tuesday when they went to his Farmington house after he failed to show up in court in Stamford for a bond adjustment hearing. The hearing went on Wednesday without Dulos and the judge raised his bond by half a million dollars, from $6 million to $6.5 million.
Outside court, Dulos' attorney, Norm Pattis, addressed what happened in court and said the "situation is grim."
"Mr. Dulos is hospitalized and we're hoping he will recover," Pattis said.
What to Know
- Fotis Dulos is facing murder charges in connection with the disappeareance of his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos, who vanished in late May after dropping her children off at school
- Fotis Dulos attempted to take his own life on Jan. 28 before an emergency bond hearing
- Fotis Dulos has been taken to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, New York for treatment after carbon monoxide poisoning
Farmington police who went to Dulos' Jefferson Crossing home just before noon on Tuesday saw through the windows that Dulos was in a vehicle in the garage and in medical distress.
Dulos was first transported to UConn John Dempsey Hospital in Farmington he was in critical condition, police said.
From there, he was flown to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx, New York for further treatment for carbon monoxide poisoning and Pattis said he understood that Dulos would be placed in a hyperbaric chamber.
According to the hospital's website, Jacobi has treated more than 3,000 patients for carbon monoxide poisoning, more than any other hospital in the country.
According to Dulos' attorney, the recent court appearance was an emergency hearing to address questions about the $6 million bond in the criminal case.
The bonding company has filed to rescind the $6 million bond over technicalities and the hearing was moved to today, where the judge raised the bond from $6 million to $6.5 million.
In court on Wednesday, the state’s attorney and the defense attorney agreed to remove the motion over bond and decided to revisit it if or when he is medically able to return to Connecticut.
"Today's agreement is a recognition of the difficulty of his medical condition," Pattis said. "We have agreed that he can be in rearrest status when and if he is capable of returning to court."
Pattis added that the court is open to hearing a motion to vacate the rearrest and the state will not seek an increase in bond.
"At that point, we will address the issues in the bond revocation motion, including the claim that there is inadequate security to hold the bond," Pattis said.
On Tuesday, Pattis said he was in Washington, DC on Tuesday for another case when he received word that there would be an emergency bond hearing and they were ordered to appear in court at noon Tuesday.
"When Mr. Dulos did not arrive in court at noon, his GPS device was tracked and it determined he was in his home," Pattis said. "Officers arrived and found him non-responsive in his garage."
Fotis Dulos has been charged with murder, commission of felony murder, kidnapping in the first-degree, hindering prosecution in the first degree and two counts of tampering with physical evidence in connection with the disappearance of Jennifer. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Pattis said the last time he spoke with his client, he had been determined to fight the charges.
"Obviously, the potential for a bond revocation was devastating news to him, but throughout, he has been a fighter and resolute. In our review of the discovery, we very much liked our options for trial and we very much liked our possibility of success, so this development comes as stunning news to me," Pattis said.
Pattis said he has represented people for more than 30 years and "not once did it ever occur to me that he might be a risk of suicide."
Not once did it ever occur to me that he might be a risk of suicide.
Attorney Norm Pattis
Fotis Dulos' civil attorney, Rich Rochlin, also said he was shocked by his client attempting to take his own life.
"It's sad to see that somebody you spend so much time with who is always fighting for his kids and someone who maintained his innocence decided that the pain was too great and that's a hard thing to process, frankly,” Rochlin said.
Carrie Luft, a spokesperson for Jennifer Dulos' family and friends, declined to comment on the situation.
SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Officers remain at Dulos' Farmington home on Wednesday, a crime scene van was parked in front and police cruisers are in the back.
More on the Dulos Investigation
Fotis Dulos had been on house arrest after posting bond for the most recent charges.
The Disappearance of Jennifer Dulos
Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five, has been missing since May 24. The last sighting of her was when she dropped her children off at school in New Canaan that morning.
Officers who went to her home to investigate the missing person case found bloodstains on the garage floor and on a vehicle in the garage, which led them to believe the home was a crime scene, according to an arrest warrant. They said there was also evidence of attempts to clean it up.
Dulos and Jennifer Dulos, were going through a divorce and child custody proceedings when she disappeared.
See the timeline of the case here.
Conditions of Fotis Dulos' Release Modified
When Fotis appeared in court last week, the judge changed the conditions of his release to strict house arrest after prosecutors filed a motion saying Dulos violated terms of his release by getting out of his car and removing items from a memorial for Jennifer.
Pattis said last week that he was disappointed in the decision.
Pattis also said there is no evidence that Jennifer is deceased.
"I remind the supporters, Jennifer is missing. She may be presumed dead as far as they're concerned, we've yet to see persuasive evidence of that," Pattis said.
Fotis Dulos’ girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, and his friend, attorney Kent Mawhinney, have are both been charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
