The remaining defendant in the disappearance and death of Jennifer Dulos pleaded guilty Friday to a lesser charge in exchange for time served.

Kent Mawhinney, the friend and former attorney of Fotis Dulos, who was charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the Jennifer Dulos case, took a deal, pleading to a misdemeanor charge of interfering with an officer.

Stamford State’s Attorney Paul Ferencek said that despite a judge finding probable cause for the felony charge and an exhaustive continuing investigation by his officer, “It is the state’s belief we do not have sufficient evidence to prove the charge of conspiracy to commit murder beyond a reasonable doubt.”

It was the first court appearance for Mawhinney since November 2023. He was arrested on the conspiracy charge on Jan. 7, 2020. The case has been on the trial list, waiting to be scheduled for over two years.

Instead, the legal proceedings against Mawhinney ended Friday morning with Mawhinney pleading guilty to the misdemeanor charge under the Alford doctrine. That means he doesn’t agree with all of the prosecution’s allegations but admits there’s enough evidence for a jury to find him guilty. It still results in a guilty finding by the court.

Judge Alex Hernandez accepted the plea and sentenced Mawhinney to 11 months in jail, which Mawhinney has already served. He was in custody for a total of 11 months and 26 days—first when he couldn’t post his initial bond

in 2020 and again in 2022 for allegedly tampering with his GPS ankle monitor. In court, Ferencek said the reduced charge is based on a police interview with Mawhinney in June 2019 where he denied having any contact with Fotis Dulos on May 24, 2019—the day Jennifer Dulos disappeared. An examination of Fotis Dulos’ phone found he’d called Mawhinney that evening around 7:47 p.m.

“At this time, Fotis Dulos and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were in Hartford disposing of Jennifer Dulos' bloody clothing and other personal effects. The contents of the communication were never able to be determined,” Ferencek stated.

Attorney Jeffrey Kestenband, one of Mawhinney’s lawyers, addressed the court on Mawhinney’s behalf at the end of the hearing.

“The murder of Jennifer Dulos was a senseless and horrific crime. We want to express our condolences to her five children and her mother and all of her loved ones,” Kestenband said. After court, Mawhinney’s other attorney, Lee Gold, provided a brief statement to reporters.

“From Day 1, I've maintained that my client, Kent Mawhinney was innocent,” Gold said, adding that the development was vindication for Mawhinney. “Kent's been through an ordeal. He spent almost a year in jail not being able to post bond. He's been on an ankle bracelet for almost five years, lost his license to practice law as a result of all of this.”

In Mawhinney's arrest warrant, investigators said he tried to create a fake alibi for Fotis Dulos on the morning of the murder. Mawhinney was also connected to a makeshift grave found at a gun club just days before Jennifer Dulos disappeared. No remains were discovered there.

“Obviously it's a tragedy, but you know, I have as much responsibility for that tragedy as you do,” Mawhinney said when asked if he had anything to say to Jennifer Dulos’ family.

The mother of five’s body has never been found, but a judge declared her legally dead. Mawhinney maintained he has no idea where she is.

“If I did, I would tell them,” Mawhinney answered.

Carrie Luft, a close friend of Jennifer Dulos’ and spokesperson for her loved ones, released the following statement on behalf of family and friends following the court proceeding:

“We want to thank the state’s attorney’s office—in particular, Paul Ferencek, Michelle Manning, and Sean McGuinness—for their long-term commitment to this case and their careful consideration in seeking justice. We also express deep gratitude to the investigators and other law enforcement personnel for their dedication. Today’s development does not absolve Kent Mawhinney of conspiracy to murder. His arrest warrant includes evidence sufficient to bring that charge, but the burden of proof is great by necessity. The conspiracy charge was dropped for multiple reasons, including the fact that another lengthy, complex jury trial would come at a substantial cost, financial as well as emotional, to all involved. We are in full support of the state’s attorneys’ decision. Recently, we marked the six-year milestone of Jennifer’s disappearance. Many questions remain. It is clear that Jennifer was the victim of a systematically planned, ruthlessly executed murder, and her body still has not been found. We believe that someone possesses additional knowledge about where she is, and we hope fervently that they will come forward with that information. We miss Jennifer every day, in every way, and ask that you please respect the privacy of her family and loved ones. Thank you.” Jennifer Dulos’ family knows the burden a trial can bring. They’ve already lived through one with the trial of Michelle Troconis, Fotis Dulos’ former girlfriend, last year. On March 1, 2024, a jury found Troconis guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit evidence tampering, evidence tampering and hindering prosecution. She was sentenced to 14.5 years and is appealing her convictions. Troconis’ family also released a statement on the Mawhinney developments: “Today’s decision by the State of Connecticut to drop the conspiracy to commit murder charge against Kent Mawhinney, without ever bringing him to trial, is both deeply disturbing and unjust. The very same prosecutors who claimed there was enough evidence to convict Michelle Troconis are now saying they don’t have enough to prosecute a man. This is not justice. This is selective prosecution. Today’s outcome only reinforces what we have known all along: This case has never been about equal justice. It’s been about scapegoating Michelle from the start. Our daughter remains incarcerated, serving 14.5 years for crimes she did not commit, based entirely on speculation, not facts. Michelle’s statements were distorted to fit the state’s narrative. We remain committed to fighting for Michelle’s exoneration and exposing the failures of a system that prioritized headlines over truth. We call on the media, the public, and legal advocates to take a closer look. Because when someone can be convicted without direct evidence, while another walks free despite it, we are all at risk.”

Fotis Dulos died by suicide in January 2020, while facing several charges, including murder and kidnapping.