Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and blood. Readers’ discretion is advised.
Jennifer Dulos‘ case recently resurfaced as a Connecticut court declared the missing mother-of-five dead after four years. Police never found her body. Earlier, prosecutors had charged Jennifer’s estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, in connection with her disappearance and alleged murder. Authorities accused Troconis of helping Fotis Dulos cover up the crime.
According to NBC News, Fotis faced capital murder, murder, and kidnapping charges in January 2020. He attempted to commit suicide later that same month and died at a New York City hospital two days later. Now, Troconis, 49, is facing one count of conspiracy to commit murder, among other charges, as per The Independent. The outlet also reported that Michelle Troconis’ trial began on January 11, 2024.
On May 24, 2019, Jennifer Dulos, 50, disappeared after dropping off her children at school. Police believe her estranged husband attacked the mother in her garage but have failed to find her body. Last October, a probate judge officially declared her dead.
How was Michelle Troconis linked to Jennifer Dulos’ case?
Michelle Troconis is now on trial for her role in Jennifer Dulos’ case. According to People Magazine, Troconis was in a relationship with Jennifer’s estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, when she disappeared. The estranged couple were in the midst of a bitter custody battle over their five children when the 50-year-old mother disappeared in May 2019.
The outlet confirmed that Troconis is facing conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of conspiracy to tamper with physical evidence, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, and second-degree hindering prosecution. She reportedly pleaded not guilty to all charges.
CBS News reported that in October, Michelle Troconis wrote in a social media posting, “It’s been 4 1/2 years since I was wrongly accused. I have faith in Justice and the jury system.” The 49-year-old maintains her innocence in the case and insists that she did not help cover it up.
At Troconis’ trial, New Canaan police Lt. Aaron LaTourette was the first to take the stand, as per AP News. He was one of the first officers to be at Jennifer Dulos’ home after receiving a 911 call from her babysitter on May 24, 2019. LaTourette said they found what looked like blood droplets on an SUV and on the garage floor at the New Canaan home. They also found a partial bloody footprint and an “area that appeared to be smeared as if it was cleaned up.”
Lt. LaTourette said that he “noticed that there was what appeared to be red blood on the front of that vehicle.” He further added that officers initially believed it could have been a deer strike. However, there was no damage and no hairs. Officers also alleged that the amount of blood suggested that it was unlikely the victim could have survived the injuries.
What is the evidence against Michelle Troconis?
Evidence against Michelle Troconis includes surveillance footage of her and Fotis Dulos from the evening of Jennifer Dulos’ disappearance, as per CBS. The duo was recorded on city video cameras in Hartford, stopping at several locations. In one instance, Fotis got out of the pickup truck to dispose of garbage bags while Troconis sat in the vehicle.
The outlet confirmed that police recovered some of the said garbage bags several days later using information from Fotis’ cellphone location and city video footage. Investigators then found clothing, zip ties, and other incriminating items containing Jennifer Dulos’ DNA in these bags. Some of these items had blood on them, while others contained Fotis’ DNA.
Reportedly, another bag had Michelle Troconis’ DNA on it. However, she later told police that she did not know what was in the bags. Police also found what they dubbed “the alibi script.” They believe that Fotis and Troconis wrote a two-page timeline of their whereabouts on May 24, 2019.
AP News stated that authorities allege Jennifer’s estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, waited for her to return home that morning. He allegedly attacked her in the garage and tried to clean up the scene. Fotis then drove off with her body in a second SUV, which police later found abandoned at a local park.
Fotis, 52, the main suspect, died two days after he attempted to commit suicide in January 2020. The incident occurred weeks after prosecutors charged him with capital murder in connection with Jennifer’s alleged murder. A third individual, Kent Mawhinney, Fotis Dulos’ friend and lawyer, also faces a conspiracy to commit murder charge. Mawhinney has pleaded not guilty and is currently awaiting trial.
Jennifer Dulos’ case has previously been featured in episodes of Dateline NBC and CBS 48 Hours. A series titled Beyond the Headlines: The Jennifer Dulos Story also covers the mysterious disappearance.
