STAMFORD, Conn. — Jurors of the Michelle Troconis criminal trial heard the third interview she had with police during the first few months of the search for Jennifer Dulos.
Retired State Police Det. John Kimball returned to the stand to testify throughout parts of the video interview. Kimball testified multiple times that Troconis gave information that was different from what was given in the first two interviews.
This third interview was the first time Troconis mentioned Dulos' estranged husband (and her boyfriend) Fotis giving her a “brown” paper towel while at a home his company was trying to sell. She believed it came from a Toyota Tacoma that has been at the center of the investigation.
Troconis told police she put it in a black garbage bag. It is believed that Fotis took the Tacoma to Jennifer’s New Canaan home the morning she went missing.
Troconis also told police she did not see Fotis in their Farmington home the morning Jennifer went missing until around lunchtime but had said otherwise in the first two interviews, Kimball testified.
In addition, Troconis explained to investigators in the video that Fotis called her to help drop him off and pick him up at the car wash days after Jennifer went missing.
"[Fotis] told me that Pawel [Fotis' former employee] wanted to sell the car," Troconis said to investigators in the video.
The jury saw surveillance footage of the car wash in testimony this week, with who appeared to be Fotis at the front desk and the Tacoma driving into the car wash line.
“I received a phone call from the carwash at 1:39 saying that the car was ready. I didn’t give them my phone number because I didn’t go and talk to them,” Troconis told investigators in the video.
The defense had raised attention to a motion filed to get rid of any testimony that included “opinions of law enforcement,” to which Judge Kevin A. Randolph struck it down, keeping the seven hours' worth of unedited interviews part of the trial evidence.
“The global view can be summarized into a few words: ‘Detective Kimball, you had three interviews because you didn't believe the first two,’ that’s it. - The jury can easily draw that conclusion,” Randolph said.
The afternoon testimony was halted after the prosecution and defense went back and forth with the judge regarding potential witnesses of the defense, including one with an extensive CV on the psychology of memory, but gave no specific details on what they would testify on, leaving limited time for the prosecution to prepare for cross-examination.
The judge ordered the defense to send a report on their expert witnesses by midnight Saturday.
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Earlier Friday, Randolph determined that a contempt hearing would soon be scheduled after sealed documents were spotted on Troconis' laptop in open court on Thursday.
Randolph ruled Friday morning that a formal contempt hearing will be scheduled for, "at the earliest," after the defense rests its case. It is not known when exactly that will happen. The court has to determine what exactly was on Troconis' computer and whether it appeared on the livestream.
The prosecution also requested Friday for Troconis' mom to be ejected from the gallery, as they said she tapped Troconis' shoulder during court Thursday. They also said that Troconis' mom was mouthing words to the jury at one point during the trial, arguing that her "conduct is inappropriate."
In the meantime, "there will be no computer use other than counsel in the court, no communication with the gallery at any time, and no attempts to show approval or disapproval of a witness's testimony, or you will be removed," Randolph said Friday.
Before the court adjourned Thursday, the prosecution was informed that what appeared to be a sealed document was on display on Troconis' laptop while the court was in session.
Testimony from Thursday's session encompassed the child custody and visitation battle Jennifer Dulos and her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, endured in the months and weeks before Jennifer disappeared in May 2019.
“I do believe the individual who saw it is a close friend of Jennifer’s,” the prosecution said Thursday.
The laptop screen is likely visible to the audience behind Troconis and is usually in the view of the sole videographer's camera, which is then live-streamed.
"This is also not the first time that we have heard Ms. Troconis has been putting her stuff on her laptop for people to see," the prosecution argued Thursday.
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Jennifer Farber Dulos, New Canaan mother of five, was last seen on May 24, 2019, dropping her children off at school. She was reported missing that evening, and an investigation was started.
Troconis is the one-time girlfriend of Jennifer’s estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, who was charged with Jennifer’s murder before he took his life in January 2020.
Troconis faces six charges:
- Conspiracy to commit murder
- Conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence – In connection to May 24, 2019
- Tampering with physical evidence – In connection to May 24, 2019
- Conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence – In connection to May 29, 2019
- Tamping with physical evidence – In connection to May 29, 2019
- Hindering prosecution
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