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| Inside the Jennifer Dulos Murder Inquiry: What 5 Warrants Reveal | Inside the Jennifer Dulos Murder Inquiry: What 5 Warrants Reveal |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| While building their case accusing Jennifer Dulos’s estranged husband of murdering her, the police impounded cars and seized dozens of electronic devices. | While building their case accusing Jennifer Dulos’s estranged husband of murdering her, the police impounded cars and seized dozens of electronic devices. |
| Additionally, they requested data from cellphone towers across Connecticut and asked Google and Waze whether anyone had searched for directions to Ms. Dulos’s suburban mansion in the hours after her disappearance. | Additionally, they requested data from cellphone towers across Connecticut and asked Google and Waze whether anyone had searched for directions to Ms. Dulos’s suburban mansion in the hours after her disappearance. |
| But well before that, the police — responding to reports that Ms. Dulos, 50, had disappeared shortly after dropping her children off at school — encountered a gruesome, bloody crime scene at her home in affluent New Canaan, Conn. They quickly concluded that she had suffered a violent attack there. | But well before that, the police — responding to reports that Ms. Dulos, 50, had disappeared shortly after dropping her children off at school — encountered a gruesome, bloody crime scene at her home in affluent New Canaan, Conn. They quickly concluded that she had suffered a violent attack there. |
| Those procedural details of the rigorous investigation into Ms. Dulos’s disappearance in May were revealed last week, when a state judge unsealed 467 pages of search warrants that helped explain how officials came to charge her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, 52, with murder and kidnapping despite not having recovered Ms. Dulos’s body. | Those procedural details of the rigorous investigation into Ms. Dulos’s disappearance in May were revealed last week, when a state judge unsealed 467 pages of search warrants that helped explain how officials came to charge her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, 52, with murder and kidnapping despite not having recovered Ms. Dulos’s body. |
| Much of the information in the nearly 50 warrants echoed information that the state police made public when they arrested Mr. Dulos on Jan. 7. But the newly public documents provided a more detailed road map of the police’s efforts to establish both that Ms. Dulos was dead and that Mr. Dulos may have been involved. | Much of the information in the nearly 50 warrants echoed information that the state police made public when they arrested Mr. Dulos on Jan. 7. But the newly public documents provided a more detailed road map of the police’s efforts to establish both that Ms. Dulos was dead and that Mr. Dulos may have been involved. |
| On Thursday, at a court hearing in Stamford, Conn., Mr. Dulos pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Afterward, one of his lawyers, Norm Pattis, told reporters that Ms. Dulos was still missing and that the state could not definitively determine that she was dead. | On Thursday, at a court hearing in Stamford, Conn., Mr. Dulos pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Afterward, one of his lawyers, Norm Pattis, told reporters that Ms. Dulos was still missing and that the state could not definitively determine that she was dead. |
| Here are five of the most revealing warrants released by the authorities: | Here are five of the most revealing warrants released by the authorities: |
| The state police, in bringing murder charges against Mr. Dulos, said that Connecticut’s chief medical examiner had determined from blood evidence that Ms. Dulos’s injuries would have been “non-survivable.” | The state police, in bringing murder charges against Mr. Dulos, said that Connecticut’s chief medical examiner had determined from blood evidence that Ms. Dulos’s injuries would have been “non-survivable.” |
| In the search warrants, the police elaborated on what led to that conclusion. They described a gory crime scene at Ms. Dulos’s home. Blood was smeared on the concrete floor of her three-car garage, where they also found “partial bloody shoe impressions.” | In the search warrants, the police elaborated on what led to that conclusion. They described a gory crime scene at Ms. Dulos’s home. Blood was smeared on the concrete floor of her three-car garage, where they also found “partial bloody shoe impressions.” |
| Investigators found blood on garbage cans and on the door to a Range Rover in the garage, near which blood droplets were also found. | Investigators found blood on garbage cans and on the door to a Range Rover in the garage, near which blood droplets were also found. |
| The police also said they found “blood spatter” on and inside Ms. Dulos’s black S.U.V., which was found abandoned near a park three miles from her home. | The police also said they found “blood spatter” on and inside Ms. Dulos’s black S.U.V., which was found abandoned near a park three miles from her home. |
| In the first day of their investigation — Ms. Dulos was reported missing on May 24 — the police said they took nearly 60 swabs from blood-like stains in her home, as well as on door knobs, a used paper towel roll and fragments of paper towels with similar stains. They also took a dozen more swabs of blood from inside her Suburban. | In the first day of their investigation — Ms. Dulos was reported missing on May 24 — the police said they took nearly 60 swabs from blood-like stains in her home, as well as on door knobs, a used paper towel roll and fragments of paper towels with similar stains. They also took a dozen more swabs of blood from inside her Suburban. |
| Investigators first met with Mr. Dulos the day after Ms. Dulos was reported missing, but the search warrants suggested that he very quickly became the focus of their investigation. | Investigators first met with Mr. Dulos the day after Ms. Dulos was reported missing, but the search warrants suggested that he very quickly became the focus of their investigation. |
| Before her disappearance, Mr. and Ms. Dulos had been in the midst of a contentious divorce and custody battle for two years. The court case involved hundreds of filings, many of them back-and-forth accusations. Ms. Dulos had been awarded primary custody of the couple’s five children. | Before her disappearance, Mr. and Ms. Dulos had been in the midst of a contentious divorce and custody battle for two years. The court case involved hundreds of filings, many of them back-and-forth accusations. Ms. Dulos had been awarded primary custody of the couple’s five children. |
| As the police began investigating Ms. Dulos’s disappearance, the warrants said, a background check revealed that the authorities had received reports of incidents at her home in New Canaan and at another house in Farmington she had previously shared with Mr. Dulos. | |
| In one of those incidents, Ms. Dulos called the police to report that Mr. Dulos had started a verbal dispute between the two of them in front of her children. According to the warrants, Ms. Dulos said her husband called her a “bad mother” and said that she “belongs to an asylum.” | In one of those incidents, Ms. Dulos called the police to report that Mr. Dulos had started a verbal dispute between the two of them in front of her children. According to the warrants, Ms. Dulos said her husband called her a “bad mother” and said that she “belongs to an asylum.” |
| Separately, the children’s babysitter, Lauren Almeida, told the police that she witnessed several altercations between Ms. Dulos and her husband. | Separately, the children’s babysitter, Lauren Almeida, told the police that she witnessed several altercations between Ms. Dulos and her husband. |
| In one fight, Mr. Dulos chased Ms. Dulos through their house in Farmington until “she finally came running into the bedroom and slammed the door closed,” the warrant said. | In one fight, Mr. Dulos chased Ms. Dulos through their house in Farmington until “she finally came running into the bedroom and slammed the door closed,” the warrant said. |
| After that, Mr. Dulos pounded on the door until he realized that Ms. Almeida and one of his children were also in the room, at which point he seemed to calm down, according to the warrant. | After that, Mr. Dulos pounded on the door until he realized that Ms. Almeida and one of his children were also in the room, at which point he seemed to calm down, according to the warrant. |
| Ms. Almeida also said that Ms. Dulos told her that Mr. Dulos once tried to run her over with a car, a claim that Ms. Dulos also made in a filing in the divorce case. | Ms. Almeida also said that Ms. Dulos told her that Mr. Dulos once tried to run her over with a car, a claim that Ms. Dulos also made in a filing in the divorce case. |
| Five days after she went missing, the police asked for a copy of a confidential report on Ms. Dulos conducted by a psychologist as part of the custody case. | Five days after she went missing, the police asked for a copy of a confidential report on Ms. Dulos conducted by a psychologist as part of the custody case. |
| By that point, according to the warrants, the police believed, although they had not definitively established, that Ms. Dulos had been “assaulted and taken against her will.” | By that point, according to the warrants, the police believed, although they had not definitively established, that Ms. Dulos had been “assaulted and taken against her will.” |
| Investigators believed that the psychological evaluation, performed by a court-appointed psychiatrist, could give them insight into Ms. Dulos’s mental state, the warrant said. | Investigators believed that the psychological evaluation, performed by a court-appointed psychiatrist, could give them insight into Ms. Dulos’s mental state, the warrant said. |
| The police thought the report could reveal whether Ms. Dulos “was likely or capable of hurting herself” or if it would otherwise dispute their working theory about her husband’s involvement. | The police thought the report could reveal whether Ms. Dulos “was likely or capable of hurting herself” or if it would otherwise dispute their working theory about her husband’s involvement. |
| Early in the investigation, Mr. Dulos had told the police that he had been at Ms. Dulos’s home on May 22 — days before she was reported missing — for a visit with his children, and that Ms. Dulos invited him to have dinner and cake on her back patio. | Early in the investigation, Mr. Dulos had told the police that he had been at Ms. Dulos’s home on May 22 — days before she was reported missing — for a visit with his children, and that Ms. Dulos invited him to have dinner and cake on her back patio. |
| While checking Mr. Dulos’s story, the police learned that he was required to have a court-appointed supervisor present during his visits with his children. The supervisor and an associate told them that Mr. Dulos never entered Ms. Dulos’s home on May 22, and that Mr. Dulos was “never left unattended” at Ms. Dulos’s home. | While checking Mr. Dulos’s story, the police learned that he was required to have a court-appointed supervisor present during his visits with his children. The supervisor and an associate told them that Mr. Dulos never entered Ms. Dulos’s home on May 22, and that Mr. Dulos was “never left unattended” at Ms. Dulos’s home. |
| The police then obtained a search warrant for all records and notes from Mr. Dulos’s supervised visits with his children. In their warrant, they said they hoped to confirm that Mr. Dulos never entered Ms. Dulos’s home on the days that he was on the property. | The police then obtained a search warrant for all records and notes from Mr. Dulos’s supervised visits with his children. In their warrant, they said they hoped to confirm that Mr. Dulos never entered Ms. Dulos’s home on the days that he was on the property. |
| They also said they were particularly interested in whether Ms. Dulos had invited Mr. Dulos to dinner shortly before her disappearance. | They also said they were particularly interested in whether Ms. Dulos had invited Mr. Dulos to dinner shortly before her disappearance. |
| On June 1, about a week after the investigation began, the police arrested Mr. Dulos and his then-girlfriend, Michelle C. Troconis, and charged them with evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. | On June 1, about a week after the investigation began, the police arrested Mr. Dulos and his then-girlfriend, Michelle C. Troconis, and charged them with evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. |
| The next day, a man who served as a tech consultant for Mr. Dulos and his luxury-development business told the police that Ms. Troconis had asked him to back up her phone and computer to an external hard drive, according to a warrant. After doing so, he deleted images from her phone. | The next day, a man who served as a tech consultant for Mr. Dulos and his luxury-development business told the police that Ms. Troconis had asked him to back up her phone and computer to an external hard drive, according to a warrant. After doing so, he deleted images from her phone. |
| The consultant told the police that while helping Ms. Troconis, he commented that Ms. Dulos’s disappearance “must be really tough” on Mr. Dulos, according to the warrant. He said Ms. Troconis’s response was simply, “a weird look.” | The consultant told the police that while helping Ms. Troconis, he commented that Ms. Dulos’s disappearance “must be really tough” on Mr. Dulos, according to the warrant. He said Ms. Troconis’s response was simply, “a weird look.” |
| The consultant also told the police that Mr. Dulos used an online data storage provider, Backblaze, to backup his files to the cloud. The police asked Backblaze to preserve all of Mr. Dulos’s records and eventually obtained a warrant for his data. | The consultant also told the police that Mr. Dulos used an online data storage provider, Backblaze, to backup his files to the cloud. The police asked Backblaze to preserve all of Mr. Dulos’s records and eventually obtained a warrant for his data. |
| In their request for the warrant, the police said they thought that the attack on Ms. Dulos involved a “significant amount of pre-planning” as well as a “substantial effort” by both Mr. Dulos and Ms. Troconis to hide evidence. They believed the Backblaze data might provide more evidence that Ms. Dulos was murdered. | In their request for the warrant, the police said they thought that the attack on Ms. Dulos involved a “significant amount of pre-planning” as well as a “substantial effort” by both Mr. Dulos and Ms. Troconis to hide evidence. They believed the Backblaze data might provide more evidence that Ms. Dulos was murdered. |
| Ms. Troconis, 45, was ultimately charged with conspiracy to commit murder. | Ms. Troconis, 45, was ultimately charged with conspiracy to commit murder. |