Fotis Dulos

‘A Very Gentle Soul:' Community Awaits News of Missing Mother

What to Know

  • 50-year-old Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five, has been missing since May 24.
  • Court documents state when police searched Dulos' home, they found blood and believe she was the victim of a "serious physical assault."
  • Her estranged husband Fotis Dulos and his girlfriend Michelle Troconis have been arrested in connection with the case.

New Canaan police say they’ve received 750 tips in their quest to find Jennifer Dulos, who has been missing since May 24.

Investigators continue to be tight-lipped about whether those tips have turned up any leads in the case of the mother of five’s disappearance.

“Jennifer was so gentle and kind and such a loving mother,” recalled Alison Patricelli, Folly Farm Show Stables president.

Patricelli remembered the happy times, when the Dulos children took riding lessons at her stables.

“All five of her children rode here at Folly Farm and they were well behaved, polite, happy children,” she said.

For five years, Ladybug and Coco Puff carried the Dulos children during their horseback riding lessons. When they moved to New Canaan, Patricielli helped them find a new stable to continue their passion. She says the local equestrian community was left devastated by the news of Jennifer’s disappearance more than three weeks ago.

“It’s just always such a tragedy when something like this happens,” she said. “We do talk about and it we’re all still very sad and praying for her and her family.”

While they’re watching the developments closely, Patricelli says she’s not as worried about the lack of information coming from those leading the investigation.

“As far as I’m concerned the most important thing is to find out who’s responsible and to get them prosecuted to the full extent of the law and if that means we have to wait to find out what’s going on, that’s important,” she explained.

Patricelli’s strongest memory of Jennifer is her role as a mother.

“Jennifer’s first priority was always her children. She was so kind and caring. She always had a smile on her face. A very gentle soul and her children were lovely,” she added.

As she waits for the same answers as Jennifer’s friends and family, she says she’s thinking most about her five children who go to bed each night wondering when their mom will come home.

“That’s the worst part. Our hearts are with those children and as a mother myself what a tragedy, what a tragedy,” said Patricelli.

State police said their troopers returned to the MIRA trash-to-energy plant in Hartford on Monday, which marked two weeks since they began sifting through the garbage in the hopes of collecting evidence connected to the disappearance.

Jennifer’s estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, and his girlfriend Michelle Troconis remain out on a $500,000 bond. Each have pled not guilty to evidence tampering and hindering prosecution in connection with the case.

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