A parenting supervisor who was assigned to watch Fotis Dulos on a supervised visit with his kids says his interactions with estranged wife Jennifer Dulos were “amicable,” just two days before police say he killed her. Also during Thursday’s testimony at the Michelle Troconis trial in Stamford, a state lab analyst reconfirmed that blood was detected on a woman’s shirt and bra recovered from a Hartford trash bin.
Fotis Dulos was charged with murdering Jennifer at her New Canaan home in May, 2019. He took his own life before he could be tried. Troconis, Fotis’ live-in girlfriend at the time, is accused of helping him cover up his role in Jennifer’s killing. She’s pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering and hindering prosecution.
Parenting supervisor Sidnee Streater testified about the Fotis Dulos supervised visit, which happened on May 22, 2019 at the home of Jennifer Dulos in New Canaan—where she was killed, allegedly by Fotis, on May 24. Streater said Mr. Dulos was welcomed enthusiastically by the couple’s five children, who teased him about his new short-cropped haircut.
Streater said the exchange between Fotis and Jennifer was friendly enough that he offered her a few bites of one of the chocolate bunnies he brought for the children, and she accepted. “Jennifer expressed that she eats chocolate every day,” said Streater, “so Fotis said maybe one of the children would like to sacrifice… one of their chocolate bunnies for you, and he ripped off a piece of one of them and gave it to Jennifer.”
Of the interaction between wife and husband, who were going through a tense divorce, defense attorney Jon Schoenhorn asked Streater, “You said it appeared cordial to you, correct?” and “They were talking in a normal tone?” Streater answered “yes” to both questions.
After taking four of the children out to play basketball, Fotis Dulos had dinner with the kids at a table outside the home (he had been ordered by the court to stay out of the house).
When Schoenhorn asked Streater repeatedly about items on the dinner table, Judge Kevin Randolph lost patience with the pace of the questioning in a trial that’s already lasted fifteen days.
Randolph asked Schoenhorn, “The state has elected not to object, but where is this going? We’ve heard about salad three times. Where is this going?” Schoenhorn continued his questioning, shifting his focus away from the dinner menu.
Prosecutors also called on now-retired state lab forensic specialist Christine Roy. She reported mixed results in pinpointing DNA and blood samples from the extensive evidence trail police say was left by Fotis Dulos.
Items that tested positive for blood included the long-sleeve Vineyard Vines t-shirt and bra, a plastic poncho and four zip ties, all presented previously and all found in trash allegedly disposed of in Hartford by Mr. Dulos. Roy has not said if Jennifer Dulos’ DNA was found on those items, but police have previously said it was.