Criminal Case
Michelle Troconis Sentenced to 20 Years for helping boyfriend murder his wife
The victim's longtime friend, Laurel Watts, said Jennifer Dulos' loved ones are still suffering.
In a Connecticut courtroom on Friday, Michelle Troconis, the former girlfriend of Fotis Dulos, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for her involvement in the 2019 murder of Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five from New Canaan. The sentence, which may see her eligible for release after serving 14.5 years, marks the culmination of a high-profile case that has gripped the nation for nearly five years.
Jennifer Dulos disappeared on May 24, 2019, amidst a contentious divorce and custody battle with her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos. Her body has never been found, but a probate judge declared her legally dead in 2022. The case against Troconis, who was living with Fotis Dulos at the time of Jennifer's disappearance, centered on her role in helping to plan and cover up the murder.
During the trial, prosecutors presented a compelling case that Troconis conspired with Fotis Dulos to murder his estranged wife and then assisted in disposing of evidence. Surveillance footage showed Troconis accompanying Fotis Dulos as he discarded trash bags containing Jennifer Dulos' bloodied clothing and other incriminating items in Hartford. The prosecution argued that Troconis also helped create alibi scripts to mislead investigators about their whereabouts on the day Jennifer vanished.
The jury found Troconis guilty on six charges: conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, and hindering prosecution. The most serious charge, conspiracy to commit murder, carried a maximum sentence of 20 years.
In the courtroom, emotional statements from Jennifer Dulos' family highlighted the profound impact of her loss. Petros Dulos, Jennifer's eldest son, spoke of the enduring pain and regret he feels. "I've been left with a hole inside of me that I will never be able to fill," he said. "My mother was everything to me. The defendant's actions mean that I will never be able to tell my mom how sorry I am for not being a better son when she needed me."
Jennifer's mother, Gloria Farber, expressed her heartbreak and the ongoing search for closure. "We miss her every day, in every way," she said. "For us, five years is not a milestone but a marker of cumulative loss and longing. Life goes on, yet grief goes on alongside it, a shadow, a current, the presence of absence."
Troconis maintained her innocence throughout the trial and plans to appeal her convictions. Her defense team argued that she was unaware of Fotis Dulos' intentions and was manipulated by him. "There is nothing to suggest that Michelle had any clue about what was gonna happen in New Canaan on May 24th, 2019," her attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, told jurors. "Michelle simply did not know."
Supporters of Troconis, including her family and friends, described her as a compassionate and selfless individual. Her sister, Daniela Troconis, testified that Fotis Dulos had deceived their entire family. "We all feel lied to," she said. "We all feel betrayed."
Despite the defense's arguments, the jury was convinced by the prosecution's evidence, which included testimony from witnesses who described Troconis' animosity towards Jennifer Dulos. One witness, Pawel Gumienny, testified that Troconis had used aggressive language and slurs when referring to Jennifer, indicating a deep-seated hatred.
The case has drawn significant media attention and has been the subject of news documentaries and a Lifetime movie, "Gone Mom." The high-profile nature of the trial underscored the public's fascination with the tragic story of Jennifer Dulos and the subsequent legal proceedings.
As the legal battles continue, with Fotis Dulos' former lawyer, Kent Mawhinney, still awaiting trial for conspiracy to commit murder, the Dulos family holds out hope that Jennifer's body will one day be found. In the meantime, they continue to honor her memory and advocate for justice.
Michelle Troconis' sentencing marks a significant chapter in the ongoing saga of Jennifer Dulos' disappearance. While the verdict brings some measure of closure, the unanswered questions and the absence of Jennifer's remains leave a lingering sense of loss and unresolved grief for her family and friends.