The trial of a woman charged in connection with the 2019 killing of mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos began Thursday in a Connecticut courtroom with a judge reading details of the criminal charges to a six-person jury.
Michelle Troconis, 49, is accused of helping her boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, cover up the killing of Dulos’ estranged wife, Jennifer, who disappeared from her New Canaan home on May 24, 2019 and whose body hasn’t been found. She was 50 years old when she vanished.
Troconis has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges: conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. Troconis, who is a dual American and Venezuelan citizen, listened to the proceedings wearing earphones linked to a Spanish interpreter.
Judge Kevin Randolph read the allegations to jury members and instructed them on state laws and how to consider evidence. There were to be no opening arguments, which are not required in Connecticut.
Police believe Fotis Dulos attacked his estranged wife in her garage, tried to clean up the bloody scene and then drove off with her body in her own SUV.
Fotis Dulos, who denied any wrongdoing, died by suicide in January 2020, weeks after he was charged with murder.
He and Troconis were seen on police surveillance camera video driving around Hartford later in the day of the attack. Fotis Dulos is seen getting out of his pickup truck and disposing of garbage bags as Troconis sits in the vehicle. Police said they later recovered some of the bags and found clothing, zip ties and other items with Jennifer Dulos’ DNA on them. One of the bags had Troconis’ DNA on it, police said.
Troconis told police she did not know what was in the bags. She said she thought they were from a home Fotis Dulos was trying to sell.
Police also said Troconis helped Fotis Dulos prepare a detailed list of their activities on the day of the killing and the day after — a document investigators dubbed “the alibi script.” Troconis told police the list was prepared at the direction of Fotis Dulos’ lawyer.
At the time of Jennifer Dulos’ disappearance, she and Fotis Dulos were going through contentious divorce and child custody proceedings that had limited his time with their five children, who ranged in age from 8 to 13 when their mother vanished. They now live with Jennifer Dulos’ mother in New York City.
Jennifer Dulos’ disappearance drew widespread attention. She was a member of a wealthy New York family whose father, the late Hilliard Farber, founded his own brokerage firm. Fotis Dulos was a luxury home builder originally from Greece.
Troconis 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.
Troconis entered the courthouse with her lawyer and relatives. Friends and family of Jennifer Dulos also were there.
