Chilling texts sent by Fotis Dulos the day after he allegedly murdered his wife in her Connecticut home have been shown in court.
Jurors were shown messages the Greek national sent to their nanny, Lauren Almeida, asking her for any news on his 50-year-old wife’s disappearance on May 24, 2019.
Just hours after the State say he butchered her, Fotis asked for ‘updates’ on Jennifer and on how their children were doing, telling Almeida he’d spoken with the cops.
Fotis and Jennifer were embroiled in acrimonious divorce and child custody proceedings at the time, but he had not yet been identified as a suspect.
He would later be charged with her murder while his new partner, Michelle Troconis, was accused of helping him conceal the crime.
Fotis killed himself aged 52 in January 2020, leaving Troconis to face the music alone. Her trial began in Stamford Superior Court last Thursday, with nanny Almeida, 32, giving evidence this week.
Jurors were shown messages Fotis Dulos sent to their nanny, Lauren Almeida (pictured) asking her for updates on his 50-year-old wife’s disappearance on May 24, 2019
Jennifer Dulos (left) vanished on May 24, 2019, amid a divorce from her husband Fotis (right), who was later charged with her murder. Fotis killed himself in January 2020, leaving his new lover Michelle Troconis to face trial alone for allegedly helping him conceal the killing
Almeida testified during the much-anticipated trial of Michelle Troconis, 49, who is accused of helping her late boyfriend and Jennifer’s ex-husband Fotis Dulos cover up the alleged murder on May 24, 2019. (Pictured: Troconis approaching court on day five of her trial)
Chilling texts sent by Fotis Dulos the day after he allegedly murdered his wife in her Connecticut home have been shown in court
Jurors saw messages from Fotis to Almeida at 9.49pm on the day of the killing asking her to call him the next morning. Almeida said she asked police whether she should respond, and they said it was fine since he was not a suspect at the time.
The next day, at 5.39am, Fotis texted her saying: ‘GM Lauren – any news?’ She replied telling him police were ‘still searching’ Jennifer’s New Canaan home.
He asked for ‘updates’ several more times in the days that followed, along with queries about how his children were doing.
Almeida said Fotis had a scheduled visit with the kids in a few days, and kept pressing her to make sure she would bring them to it on time. She described his demeanour as ‘weird’.
The nanny wore a silver necklace with a number ‘5’ on it while giving evidence, possibly an allusion to the five Dulos kids who are still in her care.
The trial heard earlier that the wealthy Dulos couple enjoyed an idyllic life with their five kids, who were aged between eight and 13 at the time of Jennifer’s disappearance.
But their marriage deteriorated around the time Jennifer busted Fotis’ affair with Troconis in March 2017 while all three were holidaying at a private ski club in Aspen with the children.
Jurors were shown messages the Greek national sent to their nanny, Lauren Almeida, asking her for updates on his 50-year-old wife’s disappearance on May 24, 2019
Fotis asked Almeida for ‘updates’ several more times in the days that followed, along with queries about how his five children were doing
Fotis Dulos was charged with Jennifer’s murder but killed himself ahead of trial
Almeida said Jennifer grew afraid of her husband and tried to escape from their Farmington, CT home with the kids two months later to file for divorce from the safety of the Mandarin Oriental, a five-star hotel in Manhattan.
The nanny, who stayed with them and still lives with the Dulos children, who are now aged between 13 and 17, said Jennifer even hired a bodyguard to stand outside her hotel room door.
Almeida said Jennifer and the kids stayed at the Mandarin Oriental for one week, before moving to their first rental in New Canaan, CT.
Eight days later, a child custody case between Jennifer and Fotis started at the same court where Troconis’ trial is being held, and Almeida testified on Jennifer’s behalf.
She told the court she saw Fotis in the corridor with his lawyers and he made aggressive comments towards her.
‘He came at me yelling at me, again accusing me of kidnapping his kids, and then I just walked away,’ Almeida said.
‘He tried to approach me later with his lawyer in a different demeanor, apologizing and just saying that he was really upset. I just walked away.’
Almeida previously said she met the Dulos’ while working at a daycare where they used to drop their kids, and described Jennifer as ‘an incredibly nurturing’ and playful mother, and Fotis as a largely absent father.
Almeida previously said Jennifer was an ‘incredibly nurturing mother’ to her five kids, who were aged between eight and 13 when she disappeared on May 24, 2019
Almeida previously said Jennifer was an ‘incredibly nurturing mother’ to her five kids, who were aged between eight and 13 when she disappeared on May 24, 2019
Troconis denies charges connected to her allegedly helping Fotis conceal the crime – including conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering and hindering prosecution
She painted a picture of their family life as one filled with idyllic holidays to an array of locations including Miami and Aspen until Jennifer busted Fotis’ affair with Troconis in March 2017.
Prosecutors claim that Fotis brutally attacked Jennifer in her New Canaan property, before disposing of bloodied items in 30 garbage cans with the help of Troconis. Her body was never found.
Troconis denies charges connected to her allegedly helping him conceal the crime – including conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering and hindering prosecution.
The trial began January 11 and it is expected to continue for six weeks before jurors are sent out for deliberations.