FARMINGTON, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut man charged with murdering his estranged wife was hospitalized in critical condition Tuesday after being found unresponsive in a vehicle inside his garage, authorities said.
Fotis Dulos was found when officers went to his house in Farmington because he was late for a bond hearing in the murder case. He is being treated for carbon monoxide poisoning, Farmington Police Lt. Tim McKenzie said. Dulos was alone inside the house when police responded.
Dulos has denied any involvement in the killing his wife, Jennifer Dulos, who hasn’t been seen since she dropped their five children off at their New Canaan school in May; she is presumed dead.
Officers and emergency medical responders converged on Dulos’ stately home in the wealthy Hartford suburb around noon Tuesday, and confusion ensued because Dulos’ attorney, Norm Pattis, and others initially said that he was dead. Pattis later said he was told his client had a pulse.
“Typically, CPR will be performed for a period of time,” McKenzie said. “If there is any type of life present, the patient will be transported to a hospital, and that’s what happened today.”
Aerial footage of Dulos’ home showed officials erecting tents in the driveway, while several people milled about.
Detectives are interviewing witnesses as part of the investigation.
Dulos, 52, pleaded not guilty earlier this month to murder and kidnapping charges. He had posted a $6 million bond and was under house arrest.
The five children, who ranged in age from 8 to 13 when their mother vanished, have been staying with their maternal grandmother in New York City.
Police allege Fotis Dulos lay in wait at Jennifer Dulos’ home in New Canaan for her to return after dropping the children off. Authorities say Fotis Dulos attacked the woman in her garage, leaving behind a bloody crime scene, and drove off with her body, which has not been found.
Officials say surveillance video cameras recorded Fotis Dulos disposing of items containing Jennifer Dulos’ blood in Hartford.
Fotis Dulos’ former girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, and his friend, attorney Kent Mawhinney, are both charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Police said they helped Fotis Dulos try to cover up the killing, including by creating bogus alibis.
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Associated Press writer Pat Eaton-Robb contributed from Hartford. Chris Ehrmann is a corps member for Report for America , a nonprofit organization that supports local news coverage, in a partnership with The Associated Press for Connecticut. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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This story was first published on Jan. 28, 2020. It was updated on Jan. 28, 2020, to reflect early conflicting reports about whether Fotis Dulos had died.