Stamford — The estranged husband of a missing Connecticut mother of five says he loves and misses his children, who remain in his mother-in-law's custody while he faces criminal charges.

Fotis Dulos made his first public comments Wednesday since Jennifer Dulos disappeared May 24 in New Canaan after dropping her children off at school.

He and his girlfriend have pleaded not guilty to evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. He spoke briefly to reporters after a family court hearing in Stamford.

Dulos' lawyer, Norman Pattis, also repeated a suggestion that Jennifer Dulos may not have been a victim of foul play and says he is "contemplating a revenge/suicide hypothesis as an explanation for her disappearance."

Police allege Fotis Dulos and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, discarded items containing Jennifer Dulos' blood.