Michelle Troconis found guilty on six counts in Jennifer Dulos murder case
Michelle Troconis, 49, pleaded not guilty and denies any involvement in Jennifer Dulos’ disappearance and death
The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US
Michelle Troconis has been found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder.
After 12 hours of deliberation over the past three days, the jury found Ms Troconis guilty on all six counts Friday.
Jurors were tasked with deciding whether the 49-year-old conspired with her former boyfriend Fotis Dulos to kill his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, in Connecticut on 24 May 2019, and cover up the crime.
During closing arguments, prosecutors described Jennifer’s murder as “deliberate and intentional” and said that Troconis and Dulos “worked to make this happen”.
Jennifer’s body has never been found, but she has been officially declared dead – with police finding that she died a violent death at the hands of Dulos.
In January 2020, Fotis died by suicide after being charged with her murder.
Troconis pleaded not guilty and insisted she did not know Fotis was doing anything nefarious as she watched him toss garbage bags into random bins, or as she helped him write up a timeline of their whereabouts on the day Jennifer disappeared.
Michelle Troconis’ trial is almost over. A jury will decide if she conspired to kill her lover’s ex-wife
Michelle Troconis may be held in contempt of court in Jennifer Dulos conspiracy to murder case
Michelle Troconis’ alleged comments about wanting ‘to kill’ and ‘bury’ Jennifer Dulos revealed at trial
Troconis will have a contempt of court hearing on 5 March
Michelle Troconis has been accused of dislaying sealed custody documents on her laptop during the trial for people to see.
A contempt of court hearing will be held on the matter on 5 March.
Why didn’t Michelle Troconis testify in her defence?
Michelle Troconis remained stone-faced as both side presented closing arguments in her case on Tuesday.
She had decided not to take the stand last week to testify in her defence.
Her attorney Jon Schoenhorn said the decision had to do with the fact that the jury had already watched her police interviews.
“There is nothing she could add that she didn’t already add in those hours of questioning,” he said.
Supporters wear purple in court to honor Jennifer Dulos
Dozens of court spectators who support Jennifer Dulos packed the courtroom on Tuesday.
Some wore purple hats while others wore purple scarves and ribbons.
They said it was to honor Jennifer, to support her family and their way of fighting for justice.
Who else is charged in Jennifer Dulos’ case?
Kent Mawhinney, a longtime friend and former lawyer of Fotis Dulos, is also charged in the case.
He’s accused of trying to create an alibi for Fotis on the morning of Jennifer’s disappearance.
He pleaded not guilty and awaits trial on a conspiracy to commit murder charge.
ICYMI: Jennifer’s 88-year-old mother was state’s last witness
Gloria Farber was the last witness to testify for the state against Michelle Troconis in Stamford Superior Court in Connecticut.
She testified that she has not seen or communicated with her daughter since she disappeared and was presumed by police to be murdered in 2019.
Dressed in a gray suit with scarfs, Ms Farber told the jury that her daughter was supposed to meet her at her New York City apartment on 24 May 2019, after a doctor’s appointment, but never showed up.
She said Jennifer would never abandon her children.
“She was always there for them,” Ms Farber said.
Ms Farber nor her grandchildren were in court for closing arguments on Tuesday. The case is now in the hands of the jury.
Defense claims Fotis Dulos is 'ultimately responsible’
Attorney Jon Schoenhorn told jurors in his closing arguments that Fotis Dulos is “ultimately responsible” for “what happened to Jennifer Dulos,” and that his client was not involved.
“Everything suggested that things were going well and it was to the contrary. In fact, she didn’t know that Fotis was capable of doing something like this,” Mr Schoenhorn said.
He claimed that the state’s case against Troconis was based on “unfounded and unfair assumptions.”
Investigators “speculated that Michelle Troconis had to know what was going on, that because she was romantically linked with Fotis, that she somehow was involved in this nefarious, murderous plot.”
“But that’s not reality, that’s more like one of these cable TV scripted movies,” Mr Schoenhorn said. “It’s not based on the facts that you heard during this trial. It is, and I will say this multiple times, speculation; it’s conjecture, it’s guesswork, which is not the standard of evidence in criminal case.”
Prosecutors claim Michelle Troconis lied to police in her 2019 interviews
Prosecutors said Ms Troconis lied to police during the first of her three interviews with them in 2019 when she said Fotis was at their home the morning of 24 May.
They say she acknowledged in a subsequent interview that she hadn’t seen him.
Defence suggests there was miscommunication because English is Troconis’ second language
Schoenhorn said there could have been miscommunications because the interviews were in English instead of Troconis’ primary language, Spanish.
A defense expert also testified that traumatic events, such as being interviewed by police, can affect people’s memory and recall of events.
Where are Jennifer Dulos’ five children
Jennifer Dulos’ five children are back in New York City after appearing at the Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford twice in the past week.
Her five grandchildren, who were orphaned after Jennifer’s disappearance and presumed death and Fotis’ suicide, have been living with Ms Farber and their nanny in New York City.
Gloria Farber, Jennifer’s mother, took the stand as the state’s final witness.
The children were in the courtroom for the first time as they watched their grandmother on the stand last week. Her testimony only lasted 10 minutes.
Ms Farber testified that the mother of five had “never” missed one of her children’s birthdays or “name days,” which is a Greek tradition.
The testimony appeared to take aim at defence attorney Jon Schoenhorn’s argument that Jennifer left on her own, a theory Fotis reportedly claimed she had done in the past.
The children also made a brief appearance during closing arguments, but are reportedly back in New York City.
Jennifer Dulos’ ties to Liz Claiborne
Jennifer Dulos was a member of a wealthy New York City family and a niece by marriage of fashion designer Liz Claiborne.
Although her body has never been found, a medical examiner concluded suspected blood spatter in her garage and other evidence indicated she could not have survived. A state judge declared her officially dead in October.
Fotis Dulos was a luxury home builder originally from Greece. He killed himself in January 2020, shortly after being charged with the murder of Jennifer Dulos. He had denied the charge.
Troconis is a dual American and Venezuelan citizen who once had her own TV production company in Argentina and hosted a snow-sports show for ESPN South America.
The Dulos’ five children, who ranged from 8 to 13 years old when their mother disappeared and include two sets of twins, have been in the custody of Jennifer Dulos’ mother, Gloria Farber, 88, in New York City ever since.