STAMFORD, Conn. — Michelle Troconis, the 49-year-old who was found guilty on charges related to the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos, will be sentenced in Stamford Superior Court on Friday.
Troconis was found guilty on March 1 of all six charges:
- Conspiracy to commit murder - Guilty
- Conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence – In connection to May 24, 2019 - Guilty
- Tampering with physical evidence – In connection to May 24, 2019 - Guilty
- Conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence – In connection to May 29, 2019 - Guilty
- Tampering with physical evidence – In connection to May 29, 2019 - Guilty
- Hindering prosecution - Guilty
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, 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.
National legal analyst Mark Reichel weighed in on Thursday about what residents can expect to see and hear on Friday.
“The judge is likely going to say regardless of whether you did the act, you've been found guilty of conspiring to do it, and then you helped clear it up afterwards," Reichel said. "I think after hearing impact statements of the family members of a woman who had five children, for no real motive other than selfishness, I think the judge is going to hammer her."
Reichel said that if he were Troconis' attorney, he would advise her to accept responsibility and show remorse in order to give the Dulos family closure. Reichel said that although Troconis says she is innocent, the Dulos family most likely doesn't believe her.
"So, if you're still out there screaming you're innocent, that doesn't give me finality," Reichel said. "And, I would argue to the judge, look, by doing this, we're giving finality. We're trying to make amends here. There's no reason to throw another life away who made a mistake… Who's not the most culpable one.”
Here's what happened leading up to the guilty verdict on March 1 as well as the reaction to it.
The Trial
Jennifer was last seen on May 24, 2019, dropping her children off at school. She was reported missing that evening, and an investigation was started.
Prosecutors alleged Troconis must have known about the plot to kill Jennifer Dulos beforehand because she answered Fotis Dulos’ cell phone on the morning of May 24 when he allegedly was in New Cannan – suggesting she helped him with an alibi. He had left his phone at their home in Farmington, prosecutors said.
Troconis was seen in the passenger seat of a Ford Raptor, where Fotis was seen dumping evidence into trash bins along Albany Ave. in Hartford. In the evening, Jennifer went missing.
Troconis also accompanied Fotis to the car wash, where he had the Toyota Tacoma he drove to and from Jennifer's New Canaan home detailed, according to court testimony.
During a two-month trial, the jury was presented evidence collected from multiple homes and vehicles and viewed surveillance footage obtained from neighbors and highway rest stops. The jury also watched hours of interrogations investigators conducted with Troconis.
Testimony from the witnesses the prosecution called to the stand included investigators who responded to the initial missing person's report on behalf of Jennifer on May 24, 2019, forensic scientists who tested the evidence collected for blood and DNA, and a former employee of Fotis.
Defense witness testimony included experts in psychology and linguistics, as well as neighbors, colleagues and others who were once close to Fotis and Troconis.
Reaction
Troconis' family members were shocked and angered by the verdict, arguing that she is innocent and that the mystery over Jennifer Dulos' disappearance is unfairly being blamed on her.
Outside of the courthouse, Troconis' family spoke to the media while consoling one another, saying they are "devastated" by the guilty verdict, calling Michelle Troconis "innocent."
"Choosing and putting my sister as the guilty person is not the right answer because she's innocent, and we will appeal," Troconis' sister said.
"I came many years ago to this country looking for opportunities, freedom and justice," Troconis' father said. "Today we are here, devastated, because there has been a tremendous injustice on my daughter."
Watch their remarks below.
A spokesperson for Jennifer Dulos' family, Carrie Luft, thanked the jury, judge and prosecutors but stressed that a “mother, daughter, sister, cousin and cherished friend” still remains missing.
“Today’s verdict is a crucial attribution of accountability, not a victory. There can be no victory when five children are growing up without their mother,” Luft said in a statement. The family hopes the verdict might spur new leads.
Kent Mawhinney, another person charged in connection with Jennifer's disappearance, also released a statement following the verdict in March.
The entire statement, obtained by FOX61 through Mawhinney's attorney, Jeffrey Kestenband, reads:
"The senseless murder of Jennifer Farber was a horrific crime. We hope the verdict in the Troconis case provides a measure of relief for Ms. Farber’s family and friends. That verdict has nothing to do with Kent Mawhinney, however. His name was barely mentioned over six weeks of trial, and for good reason – he was not involved in the death of Jennifer Dulos."
Mawhinney is also facing conspiracy to commit murder charges in connection to the disappearance of Jennifer. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Mawhinney was a civil lawyer and friend of Fotis Dulos.
Appeal Attempt
On April 10, a Stamford judge denied motions for an acquittal and a new trial for Troconis. The rulings came hours after arguments from Troconis' defense attorney Jon Shoenhorn.
Schoenhorn claimed that the state did not have sufficient evidence to find Troconis guilty on any of the six charges she was convicted on—including conspiracy to commit murder and hindering prosecution.
“It was just pure speculation,” Schoenhorn said. “The one for which there was absolutely no evidence is that there was a conspiracy to commit murder.”
Schoenhorn continued to argue that Troconis did not know of the plans led by Fotis, to kill Jennifer. He also argued that the entirety of the state’s case rests on the eight hours of police interviews, where prosecutors believe Troconis was lying to police.
Schoenhorn offered another explanation during the trial other than lying, saying Troconis was speaking in her second language and was misled by police.
“The fact that they keep claiming today that she lied in her interrogations, those were not lies,” said Claudia Troconis, Michelle’s sister. “And I hope that the public knows that they were not lies. When you’re pressed with, you know, you’re under stress, you’re under a lot of emotions.”
Prosecutors disagree with that statement.
“The standard isn’t, ‘We have a different interpretation of the evidence’. The standard is, could any reasonable jury find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Deputy Assistant State's Attorney Sean McGuinness.
McGuinness said the state presented more than enough evidence for a “reasonable jury” to find Michelle Troconis guilty on all of the charges.
Despite denying the motions, Judge Randolph said he'd consider whether to vacate one of the tampering charges because of a possible double jeopardy clause.
“The defense has a colorable claim with respect to counts two and four,” Randolph said.
The judge said he would decide whether it would be classified as double jeopardy on the day of Troconis’ sentencing.
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