Michelle Troconis was found guilty of conspiring to murder Jennifer Dulos, the estranged wife of her then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, and is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.
Family and friends of Jennifer Dulos and Troconis submitted statements to the Connecticut court ahead of the sentencing.
Troconis, 49, was convicted on March 1 of the murder of Jennifer Dulos, who was last seen five years ago dropping off her children at school. Dulos’ body has never been recovered, and a judge pronounced the mother of five dead just days before Troconis’ trial was set to begin.
Jennifer Dulos Case: Highlights from the Michelle Troconis Trial
Michelle Troconis shed tears after being found guilty of conspiracy to murder Jennifer Dulos. (Ned Gerrard/Hearst Connecticut Media, Pool via The Associated Press)
Police say Fotis Dulos assaulted Jennifer Dulos in the garage of her New Canaan home on May 24, 2019, then took her body and fled in a car.
Prosecutors argued at trial that Troconis was in the passenger seat of the pickup truck while Fotis Dulos dumped a garbage bag in Hartford containing Jennifer Dulos’ bloody clothing and a glove that had his DNA on it. The blood was later found to be Jennifer Dulos’s.
Prosecutors also alleged that Troconis, a dual American-Venezuelan citizen, helped script an alibi with Fotis Dulos to ensure the two sides had the same idea of what happened on the day Jennifer disappeared.
Troconis was convicted of all charges brought against her, including hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence.
Jennifer Dulos case: Police body camera footage shows possible bloodstains in garage during Michelle Troconis trial
Police say Fotis Dulos (left) killed his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos (center), in 2019. Dulos’ girlfriend, Michelle Troconis (right), was convicted of conspiring to murder Dulos. (Photo by Patrick Raycraft/Hartford Courant/TNS/Sipa USA and FOX News)
She faces up to 50 years in prison.
Troconis maintains her innocence and plans to appeal her conviction. Her family, including her sister, who testified on her behalf, have supported her since the trial began.
Meanwhile, Fotis committed suicide in 2020 shortly after being charged with murder while out on bail. He denied killing his wife.
Authorities have suggested Fotis Dulos killed Jennifer Dulos because of growing frustration over his divorce and child custody proceedings.
The case garnered widespread attention and was the subject of news documentaries and the Lifetime television movie “Gone Mom.”
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Police believe Jennifer Dulos was attacked at her New Canaan home on May 24, 2019, after dropping off her five children at school. (Fox News)
Jennifer Dulos was born into a wealthy New York City family: Her father, the late Hilliard Ferber, ran the bond trading department at Chase Manhattan Bank before founding his own brokerage firm, Hilliard Ferber & Co. She is also the niece of fashion designer Liz Claiborne by marriage.
Assistant State Attorney Sean McGuinness alleged that Troconis “hated” Jennifer Dulos and “called her a bitch who should be buried next to her dog.”
The defense, on the other hand, argued that there was no evidence to prove Troconis had a motive to kill Jennifer Dulos. They also criticized Fotis for still not knowing what happened to Jennifer Dulos, saying Troconis had no involvement in killing his estranged wife, who they said was for financial gain.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Maria Paronich and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
