Michelle Troconis sentenced to 14 1/2 years in Jennifer Dulos case

A jury found Michelle Troconis guilty on all six counts in relation to the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos in March.

Marissa Alter, Robyn Karashik and Rose Shannon

May 31, 2024, 7:56 PM

Updated 188 days ago

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Three months after a six-person jury convicted Michelle Troconis in the disappearance and presumed murder of Jennifer Dulos, a judge handed down Troconis' sentence on Friday.
Judge Kevin Randolph ruled Troconis will serve a 20-year sentence running concurrently, but the execution will be suspended after 14 1/2 years and five years of probation.
Friends and family of Jennifer Dulos gave impact statements – Troconis gave a statement of her own before Randolph handed down the sentencing.
The hearing at Stamford Superior Court lasted several hours. It comes one week after the five-year mark of Jennifer Dulos' disappearance.
In March, Troconis was found guilty of six felony charges: conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of evidence tampering, two counts of conspiracy to commit evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. She faced a maximum of 50 years in prison if her sentences ran consecutively and a maximum of 20 years in prison if they ran concurrently.
Randolph, who presided over the trial, determined how much time Troconis would serve. He opened Friday's proceedings by vacating one of the guilty verdicts against Troconis. He ruled that one of the two counts of conspiracy to commit evidence tampering is a violation of double jeopardy rules.
After he announced that decision, Randolph heard victims' impact statements from several of Jennifer Dulos' loved ones. It was a chance for them to speak about how the crime has affected their lives and tell the judge what they think the sentence should be. Jennifer Dulos' mother Gloria Farber spoke about the ongoing search for her daughter's remains.
Her children also spoke out for the first time since their mother was killed five years ago.
"My dad, with the help of Michelle Troconis, murdered my mom. And even though Michelle may not have been holding the weapon, I truly believe that she had a lot more to do with everything than she's letting on. Michelle Troconis, to me, is the reason I feel completely lost and alone at nights when I cannot sleep. She's the reason why I've blocked out my childhood and that day so much I can barely remember it. She's the reason kids at school look at me with pity. The reason my teachers say 'guardians' and not parents. The reason I've had to sit and watch as the people that care for me break down," said Christiane Dulos.
Christiane was just 10 years old when her mother disappeared.
After their remarks, Troconis’ family and friends spoke in support of her. Troconis’ loved ones and her attorneys have maintained her innocence since the beginning. They insist she had no knowledge of Fotis Dulos’ plot and that she’s being held accountable for his crimes.
“Through it all, I want to emphasize my love and trust in my mom. She has been my anchor guiding me through life's troubles. She's the first person I call after a bad competition. And without her motivational words or simply her peaceful voice, I wouldn't be able to be where I am today in either my sport or in life. I am begging you to listen. I need my mom in my life,” said Troconis’ daughter.
Troconis was given the opportunity to speak before Randolph announced the sentencing.
“Your Honor, I am deeply saddened by this tragedy that has affected so many lives. I found out things before and during trial about a man, Fotis Dulos, I thought I knew and loved. I deeply regret ever being in a relationship with Fotis Dulos and bringing my daughter, my family and myself…into his life. I am a person of profound faith and I have been praying and will continue to pray for those who suffered and still suffer. I am thankful to my whole family and my dear friends who have stood by me and support me. I am grateful to you, your honor, to let me express myself. Thank you,” said Troconis.
Since the verdict came down on March 1, Troconis has been at York Correctional Institution in Niantic on a $6 million bond. Her trial began in January and lasted seven weeks. Troconis was the first defendant in the case to go to trial. A six-person jury found she conspired with her then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, for him to kill his estranged wife, then helped cover up the crime by disposing of evidence and lying to police. Troconis was living with Fotis Dulos at his home in Farmington at the time.
State police believe that on the morning of May 24, 2019, Fotis Dulos attacked Jennifer Dulos in the garage of her home in New Canaan, then got rid of her body. The estranged couple had been going through a contentious, two-year divorce and custody battle. Jennifer Dulos was last seen dropping their kids off at school. The children were 8 to 13 years old at the time.
Jennifer Dulos has never been found but a judge declared her legally dead last year. Fotis Dulos died by suicide in January 2020 while facing murder and other felony charges in the case. His friend and former civil attorney, Kent Mawhiney, is also accused of conspiring with Fotis Dulos and is awaiting trial. No date has been set yet.
Last month, Randolph said he’d consider that after the defense argued the second count violated double jeopardy laws, which prohibit anyone from being prosecuted twice for the same crime.
The counts pertain to two events on separate days in different towns—the disposal of evidence in Hartford on May 24 and the cleaning and detailing of a red pickup truck in Avon on May 29. But Attorney Jon Schoenhorn said the prosecution alleged the goal of both events was to destroy evidence of Jennifer Dulos’ presumed murder. Schoenhorn previously argued state law doesn’t allow multiple charges for a single conspiracy. Randolph called that “a colorable claim,” and said he’d issue a ruling on that during the sentencing.
Troconis’ attorneys plan to appeal her conviction.
Following the sentencing, Carrie Luft made the following statement on behalf of the friends and family of Jennifer Farber Dulos:
“Judge Randolph’s sentences today reflect the maximum time for each charge across all five counts, reinforcing the severity of the defendant’s crimes. The judge’s decision to have the sentences run concurrently mitigates the impact in terms of years to be served, but the message is clear: grievous crimes without remorse incur serious consequences.
For us, there is some relief in knowing the defendant will serve substantial time for her crimes, starting now. This painful chapter has come to a close, but the legal process continues, and none of it will bring Jennifer back. The courageous, eloquent, and powerfully loving statements from her five children today made that achingly evident. We will continue to honor Jennifer’s memory and spirit in every way we can, day by day.
We thank Judge Randolph for his careful, expert consideration of all the factors involved in sentencing and acknowledge his wise observation that “every exercise is not ‘either/or.’” We are deeply grateful to prosecutor Michelle Manning for her thoughtful involvement of Jennifer’s family and loved ones in the proceedings and to everyone in the state’s attorney’s office for their years of commitment to this case. Heartfelt thanks also to the investigators who have supported us throughout this experience and who continue to search for Jennifer.
Thank you for respecting the privacy of Jennifer’s family and loved ones at this time.”