Michelle Troconis, convicted of assisting her boyfriend in concealing the murder of his estranged wife, is now facing the possibility of spending several decades behind bars as she awaits her sentencing on Friday.
On May 24, 2019, Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five from Connecticut, went missing during a heated custody battle with her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos.
Fotis Dulos was accused by prosecutors of murdering his estranged wife in her garage, with assistance from his live-in girlfriend, Troconis, in covering up the evidence.
On March 1, Troconis was convicted of all charges brought against her, including conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with physical evidence, conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence, and hindering prosecution. However, on Friday, Judge Kevin Randolph dismissed one of the counts of conspiracy to commit evidence tampering.
During the trial, police provided testimony stating that surveillance footage clearly captured Fotis Dulos behind the wheel, with Troconis seated beside him, driving in Hartford on the day Jennifer Dulos went missing. According to the Hartford Courant, Fotis Dulos was seen making various stops to discard potential evidence in trash cans. Zip ties, gloves, and stained clothing, believed to be retrieved from those trash cans, were presented to the jurors as crucial pieces of evidence by the prosecutors.
According to The Stamford Advocate, prosecutors have alleged that Troconis assisted her boyfriend in creating an alibi and aided him in cleaning a truck that is suspected to have been utilized in the crime.
Troconis maintains her innocence, as her defense argues that she never denied being in the car with her boyfriend. However, she firmly denies any involvement in or knowledge of any crimes that Fotis Dulos might have committed.
Fotis Dulos tragically took his own life in January 2020, just weeks after being charged with the murder of Jennifer Dulos.
Jennifer Dulos’ body has yet to be discovered, but a judge has officially declared her deceased.
Fotis Dulos’ close associate and former attorney, Kent Mawhinney, is facing allegations of assisting in the concealment of the crime. Mawhinney has entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit murder and is currently awaiting trial.
