STAMFORD, Conn. — A key witness in the Michelle Troconis criminal trial for charges connected to the disappearance of New Canaan mom Jennifer Dulos took the stand Tuesday.
Pawel Gumienny helped the jury connect the dots in the case during his testimony. Gumienny was an employee of Fotis Dulos’ construction company Fore Group; Fotis was the estranged husband of Jennifer, who was accused of her murder.
Troconis is facing conspiracy to commit murder charges in this case.
Gumienny, of Simsbury, met Fotis around 2004 while working as a carpenter for a different contracting company. By 2016, Gumienny was a project manager for Fore Group.
When Jennifer and Fotis separated and started divorce proceedings in 2017, Gumienny testified that he helped Jennifer slowly move stuff out of the 4 Jefferson Crossing home, and eventually told Jennifer he had to stop, otherwise, Fotis might find out and he’d get fired.
Gumienny also testified on the events that took place in the months and weeks leading up to Jennifer’s disappearance.
Gumienny said that about a month before Jennifer went missing, he inquired with Fotis about a family dog’s health, to which Fotis said he had to put the dog down.
Fotis also expressed that Jennifer would not let the kids come to Farmington to say goodbye to the dog, to which Troconis replied, “’that [expletive] should be buried next to the dog,’” Gumienny testified.
The day before Jennifer disappeared, Fotis instructed Gumienny to not visit the office at 4 Jefferson Crossing in the morning because he would be having a meeting with his divorce lawyer. This was the only time Fotis gave Gumienny advance notice about a personal meeting Gumienny should not be present for, he testified.
Fotis also asked Gumienny to park his Tacoma in the driveway of 80 Mountain Spring Road, a house ForeGroup built that was up for sale. Gumienny had ForeGorup’s Ford Raptor that week and usually kept his Tacoma parked at 4 Jefferson Crossing until the end of the workweek, he testified. This was the first time Fotis asked Gumienny to park his vehicle at 80 Mountain Spring Road, he testified.
On the afternoon Jennifer went missing, Gumienny returned to 80 Mountain Spring Road to try to get his Tacoma back, as well as load up a dirt bike into the Tacoma’s bed, and go home. When he arrived at the property, he saw Fotis and Troconis, who at first seemed surprised to see him, Gumienny testified.
He and Fotis eventually went back and forth to another Fore Group-owned property, 585 Deer Cliff Road, where they used a 2x10 at the property as a ramp to load the dirtbike onto the Tacoma. This property is the one that has a damaged Porsche inside the garage that’s registered to Jennifer, according to previous testimony. Gumienny testified that he took seats out of the Porsche to replace the seats in the Tacoma after Fotis urged him for several days to find new car seats.
When Gumienny returned to work the Tuesday after Jennifer went missing, Fotis told him to take the Jeep Cherokee for the week and leave his Tacoma at 4 Jefferson Crossing, he testified.
Gumienny was also surprised that Fotis washed his Tacoma for him and grew suspicious of Fotis after he kept pushing him to change the seats in the Tacoma, he testified.
The court brought up that Gumienny is under a Grant of Immunity, which would protect him from being charged with hindering prosecution unless he acts in perjury. This was a verbal grant in 2019 and became official in writing in December 2023, according to the prosecution.
Troconis’ family continues to advocate for her innocence; her family spoke outside of court Tuesday, saying in part that Troconis “is a responsible, thoughtful, caring and loving person, and would not act in any way to harm anyone.”
“I hope that we can continue to demonstrate that she has nothing to do with the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos,” Marisela Troconis, Michelle Troconis’ sister, added.
Gumienny is expected to continue his testimony on Wednesday.
RELATED: Michelle Troconis' DNA was found on evidence connected to Jennifer Dulos' disappearance: Prosecutors
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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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