Woman convicted of murder conspiracy, coverup, in 2019 disappearance of Connecticut mother
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By The Associated Press
A woman was convicted Friday of conspiring to murder missing mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos, who vanished from a wealthy Connecticut enclave in 2019 and was never found.
Prosecutors said Michelle Troconis, 49, helped her then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, in his plot to kill his estranged wife and cover it up.
In addition to the conspiracy to commit murder charge, which carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison, the jury convicted Troconis of hindering the prosecution and evidence tampering.
While the jurors were polled as to whether they agreed with the verdict, Troconis sat with her head down, crying, as one of her lawyers rubbed her back. She later rested her head on the table and could be heard sobbing.
Authorities believe Fotis Dulos killed Jennifer Dulos as they battled each other in divorce and child custody proceedings. Fotis Dulos killed himself in January 2020 shortly after being charged with murder. He had denied the allegations.
Missing Mother Connecticut Defendant Michelle Troconis appears during her trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn., Friday, Feb. 23, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool) (Ned Gerard/AP)
Missing Mother This undated contributed photo courtesy of the Farber family shows Jennifer Farber Dulos. Gloria Farber, the 88-year-old mother of Connecticut mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos, testified at a murder conspiracy trial Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, that she has not seen or communicated with her daughter since she disappeared and was presumed by police to be murdered in 2019. (Courtesy of the Farber Family via AP) (Uncredited/AP)
Missing Mother Michelle Troconis attends day 18 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool) (Tyler Sizemore/AP)
The disappearance of Jennifer Dulos: What you need to know
Duloscase1 Fotis Dulos, pictured Jan. 8, 2020, in court, has been charged with murder, felony murder and kidnapping in the disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, 50, of New Canaan, Conn. Jennifer Dulos was last seen alive May 24, 2019, as she dropped the couple’s children off at school. Her body has not been found. Fotis Dulos was found unresponsive at his home Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020.
Dulos7 Fotis Dulos, left, and Michelle Troconis, both of Farmington, Conn., are arraigned June 3, 2019, on charges of tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and first-degree hindering prosecution in the May 24 disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. The couple has since been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. Fotis Dulos, 52, attempted suicide at his home Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020.
Bloody zip ties and a French bicycle: Court records detail evidence against Jennifer Dulos’ husband Jennnifer Dulos, 50, of New Canaan, Conn., was last seen alive May 24, 2019, as she dropped her children off at school. Her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, 52, of Farmington, is charged with murder, felony murder and kidnapping in her presumed death. His live-in girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, 45, and lawyer and close friend, Kent Mawhinney, 54, of South Windsor, are both charged with conspiracy to commit murder. (New Canaan Police Department)
Bloody zip ties and a French bicycle: Court records detail evidence against Jennifer Dulos’ husband
Jennifer Dulos Michelle Traconis, pictured being escorted Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2020, from the Connecticut State Police barracks in Bridgeport, has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the presumed death of her boyfriend's estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, 50, of New Canaan. Jennifer Dulos was last seen alive May 24, 2019, as she dropped the couple’s children off at school. Her body has not been found. (Kassi Jackson/Hartford Courant/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Jennifer Dulos Michelle Traconis, 45, is seen in court Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Stamford, Conn. Traconis is charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the disappearance and presumed death of her boyfriend’s estranged wife, Jennnifer Dulos, 50, of New Canaan. Dulos was last seen alive May 24, 2019, as she dropped her children off at school.
Jennifer Dulos Fotis Dulos, pictured being escorted Jan. 7, 2020, from the Connecticut State Police barracks in Bridgeport, has been charged with murder, felony murder and kidnapping in the disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, 50, of New Canaan, Conn. Jennifer Dulos was last seen alive May 24, 2019, as she dropped the couple’s children off at school. Her body has not been found. (AP Photo/Chris Ehrmann)
Missing Mother Connecticut Michelle Troconis, right, appears in court with her defense attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, during the first full day of jury deliberation on day 29 of Troconis' criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool) (Tyler Sizemore/AP)
Missing Mother Connecticut Michelle Troconis, right, appears in court with her defense attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, during the first full day of jury deliberation on day 29 of Troconis' criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn., Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. (Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool) (Tyler Sizemore/AP)
Jennifer Dulos, 50, vanished on May 24, 2019, after dropping off their five children at school. At the time, she was living with the children in New Canaan while Fotis Dulos stayed in the family’s spacious home about 70 miles (115 kilometers) away in Farmington. Troconis and her daughter were living with Fotis Dulos at the time.
The case drew widespread attention and was the subject of a made-for-TV movie, Lifetime’s “Gone Mom.”
Jennifer Dulos was a member of a wealthy New York City family whose father, the late Hilliard Farber, founded his own brokerage firm. She also was a niece by marriage of fashion designer Liz Claiborne. Fotis Dulos was a luxury home builder originally from Greece.
Troconis, a dual American and Venezuelan citizen, has described herself as a co-founder of horse riding therapy programs in different parts of the world who once had her own TV production company in Argentina and hosted a snow-sports show for ESPN South America.
Another defendant in the case, Kent Mawhinney, a friend of Fotis Dulos and his one-time lawyer in a civil case, is awaiting trial on a murder conspiracy charge. He has pleaded not guilty.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.