The family of a Connecticut woman missing since last year after dropping off her kids at school wants her declared dead in an effort to bring them “closure,” according to their attorney.
Probate Judge Evelyn Daly on Thursday said she needs more time and may need to hear more evidence before waiving the normal seven-year waiting period to make a death declaration.
“The sooner we can get to the closure of Dulos’ estate, the better it will be for everyone,” Richard Weinstein, attorney for Dulos’ mother said. “The tragic truth of the matter is that Jennifer Dulos is dead.”
JENNIFER DULOS DISAPPEARANCE SPURS STATE POLICE SEARCH OF AVON PROPERTY
This undated photo provided by the New Canaan Police Department shows Jennifer Dulos. A Connecticut probate judge said Thursday that she needs more time and may need to hear more evidence before deciding whether to declare the missing Connecticut mother legally dead. (New Canaan Police Department via AP)
Dulos disappeared May 24, 2019 after dropping off her five children at school. Her husband, Fotis Dulos, 52, was charged in connection with her presumed death this year.
Investigators believe he killed his wife in her New Canaan home and drove off with her body, which hasn’t been found.
He killed himself in January, a few weeks after his arrest. In a suicide note, he denied any involvement in his wife’s disappearance.
The five Dulos children are under the care of their Dulos’ mother, Gloria Faber.
Christopher Hug, right, administrator for the Fotis Dulos estate, talks with his attorney, Paul Knierim, during a hearing at Farmington Regional Probate Court on Thursday in Farmington, Conn. (H John Voorhees III/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP)
Attorney Christopher Hug, the administrator for the estate of Fotis Dulos, joined Weinstein in asking for a death declaration. He argues in his motion that bank officials can’t access certain funds to pay off creditors of the estate unless it is determined that Jennifer Dulos died before her estranged husband did.
Messages to Hug and Weinstein were not immediately returned.
The former girlfriend of Fotis Dulos, Michelle Troconis, and his friend, attorney Kent Mawhinney, face criminal charges in connection to the case. Troconis faces multiple charges, including murder conspiracy and tampering with physical evidence.
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Mawhinney is charged with conspiracy to commit murder and was released on bond Monday after spending nine months in jail. Both have pleaded not guilty.
It was not clear when Daly would make a ruling on the request.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
