STAMFORD, Conn. — An alternate juror was dismissed from the criminal trial against Michelle Troconis on Friday morning after making comments about the trial outside of court, likening the case to the plot of the novel and movie "Gone Girl."
Judge Kevin Randolph received an unsigned note from a juror, accusing another member of the panel of making the comment in the presence of other jurors.
According to the judge, the note read, “One of the jurors discussed something about the case and it was all over social media. Said it was like Gone Girl.”
The note was neither dated nor signed, as a foreperson has not been elected.
Randolph then cleared the courtroom to question jurors about the comment. He ultimately dismissed the juror, identified only as “Juror 186," who acknowledged making the “Gone Girl” comment, the judge said.
“Every (other) juror indicated that they would be able to afford the state and defense a fair and impartial trial,” Randolph said after reconvening the trial.
The alternate juror who made the comments was dismissed by the court, and the other jurors the court spoke to said they would continue to be nonpartial and avoid media coverage of the trial, the judge said.
Another alternate juror was dismissed Wednesday after an interaction with an attorney, with the juror telling them "We love you" during lunch.
“Gone Girl,” a 2012 novel by Gillian Flynn that was turned into a 2014 film starring Ben Affleck, is about a woman who fakes her own disappearance and her husband, who becomes a suspect.
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Cross-examination with Kristen Madel from the Connecticut Department of Public Safety Forensic Science Laboratory concluded as testimony continued later Friday. Madel will be recalled for more testimony at a later date.
Lt. Colonel Mark Davison was the next investigator to testify, sharing his role in processing the crime scene established at 69 Welles Lane in the days after Jennifer Dulos was reported missing.
Davison is currently a Connecticut State Police Commanding Officer of the Office of Administrative Services. He testified on the bloodstain pattern analysis he conducted in Jennifer’s Garage and on her two SUVs.
Davison walked the court through the blood-like stains he analyzed, explaining how he identified spatter stains and altered stains and how he selected which ones would be tested for DNA.
To reconstruct the scene for his analysis, Davison used pink string to show flight paths of potential blood spatter that fell onto the floor and the Range Rover and also determined the area of convergence with the intersecting string paths. He also used a tripod with the pink strings attached to determine the area of origin of the stains. Davison showed photos of the scene reconstruction to the court.
A state police sergeant who supervised a group of detectives for Troop G at the time of Jennifer’s disappearance was the last witness of the week to take the stand.
Kenenth Ventresca’s team at the time was called in to help New Canaan police with neighborhood canvassing and generating leads.
After New Canaan police provided preliminary locations found on Fotis’ phone, which was seized on May 25, Ventresca traveled to those locations on May 26 and 27, he testified.
The locations included 4 Jefferson Crossing, Fotis’ home that he and Jennifer once shared, and 80 Mountain Spring, which was for sale through Fore Group, Fotis’ construction business. Investigators also stopped by a home on Eli Road, near Jefferson Crossing, to gather surveillance video from the property.
Albany Avenue near Green Street in Hartford was also a location of interest found on Fotis’ phone, Ventresca testified.
Testimony will continue on Monday.
RELATED: Testimony breaks down DNA results of evidence seized in Jennifer Dulos' home | Troconis trial
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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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