Police are investigating possible 'foul play' in missing mom-of-five case as it's revealed she was scared of her 'volatile' husband in an application for custody of their children - who are under armed guard with their grandmother as the search continues
- Jennifer Dulos, 50, was last seen Friday and reported missing by her mother
- Officers have shifted their search to a park that the car was found near on Friday
- Dulos is said to be embroiled in a bitter split and custody battle with her estranged husband Fotis Dulos over their kids, aged between eight and 13
- The couple were married for 14 years until Jennifer filed for divorce in 2017
- Dulos claimed that Fotis was verbally abusive toward her and said he had exhibited 'irrational, unsafe, bullying, threatening and controlling behavior'
- She filed an emergency order for full custody of her children in July 2017, stating that she feared her estranged husband would kidnap their children
- Dulos also claimed Fotis was obsessed with water skiing during their marriage and insisted that their children would become world-class water skiiers
- A court-appointed guardian recommended that Fotis have limited access to his children and that all visits be supervised and all phone calls be taped
Police are investigating possible 'foul play' in the case of a missing Connecticut mother-of-five as it emerged in court documents from her bitter divorce that she feared her estranged husband would hurt her.
Jennifer Dulos, 50, was last seen on Friday in the wealthy town of New Canaan when she dropped her children off at school in her black 2017 Chevrolet Suburban, which was later found abandoned near her home.
Detectives launched an extensive search for Dulos after she was reported missing and shifted their search on Wednesday to a 300-acre park where they scoured a wooded area, a pond and cornfield with K-9 officers and a police drone.
They said a criminal investigation is being conducted to determine if Dulos was the victim of 'foul play or intentional harm'.
The search unfolded as accusations emerged in court documents related to Dulos' two-year custody battle with her estranged husband Fotis Dulos after filing for divorce in 2017.
Missing Connecticut mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos feared her husband could hurt her and claimed he threatened to kidnap their children, court documents reveal
The pair have been married for 14 years.
A hearing concerning the couple's divorce case that was scheduled for Wednesday has since been postponed.
Fotis' attorney, Michael Rose, has since asked a judge to grant him custody. Rose claims that Dulos' children are under armed guard protection at her mother's house in New York City.
It has also since been revealed that Dulos' mother was also fighting Fotis in court, claiming he owed her $2.5million in property loans.
Dulos was reported missing on Friday night by her mother, Gloria Farber, and a friend. She was last seen dropping her children off at school on Friday morning.
Her car, a black 2017 Chevrolet Suburban, was discovered near Waveny Park, about a mile from her home in New Canaan.
Dulos claimed that Fotis was verbally abusive toward her and said he had exhibited 'irrational, unsafe, bullying, threatening and controlling behavior', according to an affidavit from the divorce proceedings obtained by Stamford Advocate.
'I am afraid of my husband,' she said. 'I know that filing for divorce and filing this motion will enrage him. I know he will retaliate by trying to harm me in some way.'
'During the course of our marriage, he told me about sickening revenge fantasies and plans to cause physical harm to others who have wronged him.'
'I am afraid for my safety and the physical safety and emotional well-being of our minor children.'
In August 2017, Dulos claimed that Fotis almost struck her with his car in her driveway in front of their children and called her 'insane'.
'Why don't you pop another pill,' he said, according to the court motion. 'You should be put in an insane asylum. You're an unfit mother.'
He also allegedly told her: 'I can do whatever I want. You don't have a restraining order.'
Fotis and Dulos have twin boys, a twin boy and girl, and a daughter. The children are between the ages of eight and 13.
Dulos filed an emergency order for full custody of her children in July 2017, saying that she feared her estranged husband would kidnap their children.
'I believe him to be highly capable and vengeful enough to take the children and disappear,' she wrote in the filing. Her request was denied.
Dulos is said to be embroiled in a bitter split and custody battle with her estranged husband Fotis Dulos (right) over their kids, aged between six and 11
After filing for divorce, Dulos and her children moved from the family's luxury home in Farmington (pictured) to a home she rented in New Canaan in June 2017
Dulos claimed that Fotis had threatened to 'take all of the children' and 'disappear' in his native Greece or another country. She alleged he told her 'you will never find us'.
In one filing, Dulos claimed that Fotis had applied for Greek passports for himself and his five children, according to the Hartford Courant.
The couple had both been required to turn over their US passports as part of their temporary custody agreement.
Dulos claimed that Fotis had been obsessed with water skiing during their marriage and insisted that their children would become world-class water skiiers.
She alleged that he put them on a 'dangerous and excessive' training regiment, sometimes making them practice up to 11 hours in a day.
Fotis allegedly threw a ski against a rock, breaking it, when one of his children refused to train one day.
'We are all terrified to disobey my husband,' Dulos wrote in the affidavit.
Dulos said her children wanted to stop water skiing and begged for her help. She also claims that the training was so intense one of her son's developed severe issues with his mental health.
She mentioned this while noting that Fotis had purchased a handgun that he kept in the house.
'I am terrified for my family's safety, especially since discovering the gun, since my husband has a history of controlling, volatile, and delusional behavior,' she wrote.
'I am concerned that one of the children will find it, especially in light of my concerns with our son.'
it has also been revealed that Dulos' mother was also fighting Fotis in court, claiming he owed her $2.5million in property loans
Dulos claimed that Fotis had threatened to 'take all of the children' and 'disappear' in his native Greece or another country. She alleged he told her 'you will never find us'
Dulos claimed that Fotis had been obsessed with water skiing during their marriage and insisted that their children would become world-class water skiiers
Fotis later turned the gun over to the Farmington Police Department.
After filing for divorce, Dulos and her children moved from the family's large home in Farmington to a home she rented in New Canaan in June 2017.
Fotis still lives in the Farmington home, where he operates his real estate development company The Fore Group.
For more than a decade, Dulos' family have been loaning money to Fotis for his company, according to court documents.
Her father, the late Hilliard Farber, would lend Fotis money so that he could buy properties to build luxury homes. After selling the homes, he would repay Farber.
Dulos' mother Gloria and Hilliard's estate claim that Fotis has since stopped making repayments on their loans, alleging that he owes them more than $2.5million.
They also claim that Fotis has stopped paying the mortgage on the couple's six-bedroom Farmington home, which had been guaranteed by Hilliard and Farber.
The home is now listed for sale at $4.35million.
Dulos said that she and Fotis had previously agreed they would separate and she and the children would move to her mother's house in Pound Ridge, New York while he would stay in the Farmington home.
On Wednesday police shifted their search to the 300-acre Waveny Park (pictured). Dulos' car was found near the park, which is about a mile from her home
But Dulos said Fotis, who she claims cheated on her, then told her he planned to move his new partner and daughter into the home - even though the court forbade exposure to romantic partners as part of the Dulos' temporary custody agreement.
She also said that, around the same time, Dulos would switch between 'telling me our marriage is over and threatening me that he will never allow me to divorce him'.
After Fotis allowed his Argentinian lover to stay at the Farmington house, the judge began limiting his access to the Dulos' children.
'In view of the close bond among all five children the court finds it highly likely that all five of the children have been adversely impacted by the breakdown of their parents marriage, the defendant's relationship with, and the pressure that the defendant has placed on them to lie,' the judge wrote.
A court-appointed guardian recommended that Fotis have limited access to his children and that all visits be supervised and all phone calls be taped.
In January 2018, the court suspended Fotis' phone privileges with his children after he cried during a conversation with them.
Missing Dulos was last seen Friday driving a black 2017 Chevrolet Suburban similar to this one
Dulos is a journalist and writer who had degrees from Brown University and New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Friends and family said Dulos is a 'devoted mother' who would 'never, ever, disappear when she is responsible for the lives of five loving and energetic children'.
'Jennifer is gentle, kind, intelligent, and funny, and above all she prioritizes the health and happiness of her children,' the statement read.
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'Since learning of the disappearance of Jennifer Farber Dulos, our beloved daughter, mother, sister, cousin, aunt, and friend, we have been heartbroken.'
'At the same time, we are moved and inspired by the support, assistance, concern, and love extended by so many. We remain hopeful that Jennifer will be found soon, and we urge anyone with information, however seemingly insignificant, to call the New Canaan Police.'
Anyone who had contact with Jennifer Dulos on Friday May 24th, 2019 or has information regarding her disappearance should call the New Canaan Police Tip Line at 203-594-3544.
