Jennifer Dulos case: Michelle Troconis sentenced for role in death of mom of five
Michelle Troconis was found guilty of conspiring to murder Connecticut woman Jennifer Dulos, whose body has never been found
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Michelle Troconis was sentenced to 20 years with the sentence suspended after 14-and-a-half years on Friday in a Connecticut courtroom, having been found guilty of conspiring to murder Jennifer Dulos, the estranged wife of Troconis’ then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos.
She will serve her final five years on probation.
Family and friends of both Jennifer Dulos and Troconis delivered statements to the Connecticut court ahead of the sentencing by state Superior Court Judge Kevin A. Randolph.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Troconis, 49, was found guilty on March 1 for the death of Jennifer Dulos, who was last seen five years ago dropping her kids off at school. Her body has yet to be recovered, and a judge declared the mother of five dead just days before Troconis' trial began.
JENNIFER DULOS CASE: TOP MOMENTS FROM MICHELLE TROCONIS' TRIAL
Michelle Troconis cries after being found guilty of conspiring to murder Jennifer Dulos. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)
Police say that Fotis Dulos violently attacked Jennifer Dulos in her New Canaan garage on May 24, 2019, and then drove away with her body.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Prosecutors argued at the trial that Troconis sat in the front seat of a pick-up truck while Fotis Dulos threw away trash bags containing Jennifer Dulos’ bloody clothing and a glove with his DNA on it throughout Hartford. The blood was found to be that of Jennifer Dulos.
Prosecutors also argued that Troconis, a dual American and Venezuelan citizen, then helped create alibi scripts with Fotis Dulos so that they were on the same page about their schedule on the day Jennifer disappeared.
Troconis was found guilty of all charges leveled against her, including hindering prosecution and evidence tampering.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Police say Fotis Dulos, left, killed his estranged wife Jennifer Dulos, center, in 2019. His girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, right, was found guilty 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 insists she is innocent and intends to appeal her convictions. Troconis' family, including her sister, who testified on her behalf, have stood by her since the beginning of her trial.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, Fotis died by suicide in 2020 while out on bail and shortly after being charged with murder. He had denied killing his wife.
Authorities suggested that Fotis Dulos killed Jennifer Dulos because of growing frustrations he had with their divorce and child custody proceedings.
The case has drawn widespread attention and was the subject of news documentaries and a made-for-TV movie, Lifetime’s "Gone Mom."
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Police believe Jennifer Dulos was attacked in her New Canaan home on May 24, 2019, after dropping her five children off at school. (Fox News)
Jennifer Dulos was a member of a wealthy New York City family whose father, the late Hilliard Farber, founded his own brokerage firm, Hilliard Farber & Co., after running Chase Manhattan Bank’s bond trading desk. She also was a niece, by marriage, of fashion designer Liz Claiborne.
Assistant State's Attorney Sean McGuinness had argued that Troconis "hated" Jennifer Dulos and "referred to her as a b---- who should be buried next to the dog."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Meanwhile, defense attorneys argued that there was no evidence to prove that Troconis had a motive to kill Jennifer Dulos. They also pointed fingers at Fotis, saying that he killed his estranged wife, allegedly motivated by money, and that Troconis was not involved at all, noting that it was still unclear what exactly happened to Jennifer Dulos.
Fox News’ Audrey Conklin and Maria Paronich, as well as The Associated Press, contributed to this report.