Jennifer Farber Dulos was born on September 27, 1968, in New York City, into a life of privilege and promise. Her parents, Gloria Ortenberg and Hilliard Farber, were both well-established, Gloria, a philanthropist, and Hilliard, a successful banker. Jennifer grew up alongside her older sister, Melissa, in a family connected to notable names, including her maternal uncle and aunt-by-marriage, Elizabeth Claiborne and Arthur Ortenberg, founders of the famous fashion company Liz Claiborne Inc.

Jennifer’s intellect and creativity shone through from a young age. After graduating from Brown University in 1990, she pursued her passion for writing, earning a master’s degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her life seemed to follow the ideal trajectory—she became a writer, contributing to Patch.com, and managed her own blog, all while being a dedicated stay-at-home mother.

Background: The Farber Family

Hilliard Farber

• Career at Chase Manhattan Bank:
  Farber began at Chase Manhattan Bank and became the youngest Senior Vice President in the bank’s history, where he led the bond trading desk.
  In 1964, he served in Washington, D.C. as a Brookings Fellow.
• 1974 SEC Matter:
  Farber left Chase in 1974 after the SEC found that Chase Manhattan’s internal controls during a period of trading losses were inadequate. The bank accepted the findings without admitting wrongdoing.
  Source: New York Times, SEC administrative finding, 1976.
• 1975–2008 Business Career:
  In 1975 he founded Hilliard Farber & Co., Inc., a voice brokerage firm known for fixed income expertise.
  He sold the company in 2008 to TradeWeb for an undisclosed multimillion dollar amount.
  A publicly available SEC filing valued the firm at approximately ten million dollars in 2009.
• Death:
  Hilliard Farber died in 2017 at age 83.

2003–2017: Marriage and Custody Disputes

2003

• At the Aspen airport, Jennifer Farber unexpectedly encountered Fotis Dulos, a former classmate from Brown University.
• Fotis was still married to his first wife, Hilary Aldama. His divorce became final in July 2004.
• Fotis and Jennifer married approximately six weeks later.

2004

• Marriage and money
• Fotis Dulos and Jennifer Farber marry. It is his second marriage.
• In the same year, Jennifer’s father, Hilliard Farber, begins loaning Fotis money for his property development company, Fore Group.

2015

• Beginning of the affair
• Fotis and Michelle Troconis begin taking trips that he pays for and describes as business travel.
• The relationship develops into an affair.

2016

• Michelle Troconis, age 42, met Fotis Dulos.
• Troconis was divorced, had a daughter, and owned property in Vail, Colorado.

2017

January 2017

• Death of Hilliard Farber
• Hilliard Farber dies. His financial support and loans to Fore Group become part of his estate.

March 2017

• Gloria Farber takes control of the estate
• Jennifer’s mother, Gloria Farber, assumes control of Hilliard’s estate, including loan claims against Fotis and Fore Group.

June 2017

• Divorce filing and fear for safety
• Jennifer files for divorce.
• In her affidavit, she states she is afraid of her husband and describes him as controlling, volatile, and delusional, and says she is “terrified for family’s safety.”
• Jennifer filed an emergency motion seeking full custody of the couple’s five children.
• The court denied the emergency request and instead ordered shared custody during the divorce proceedings.February 2018
• Loan litigation begins
• Gloria Farber sues Fotis Dulos for unpaid loans related to Fore Group.

Early 2019

• Fore Group cash stress
• Investigators later conclude that in 2019, Fotis is scrambling to inject cash into Fore Group’s main bank account.

Early 2019, bank activity

• Fotis opens a new line of credit with People’s United Bank, while maxing out an existing line of credit with Savings Bank of Danbury.
• In March, April, and May 2019, he misses interest payments on the People’s United loan, totaling about $530,000 in arrears.

January 2019

• Fotis has had no visitation with the children for some time.

March 2019

• Fotis is allowed supervised visitation with the children.

April 2019

• A custody report is completed and reviewed in GAL Meehan’s office.
• Motions follow, seeking increased or full custody for Fotis.
• Judge Donna Heller reaffirms supervised visitation only for Fotis and no access for Michelle or her daughter. Everyone understands that this arrangement is not going to change in the near term.

April 2019

• Desperation loan
• Fotis receives a $149,500 wire from a cash-advance operation in Utah, a high-interest product typically used by distressed businesses.

Chubb insurance checks

• During this period, Fotis receives three checks from Chubb Insurance Group totaling $193,610.50, made out to “Fotis and Jennifer Dulos.”
• Bank records show:
• All three checks are deposited into a joint checking account held by Fotis and Jennifer.
• Jennifer does not sign any of the checks.
• After each deposit, the money is immediately withdrawn and moved into Fotis’ personal account.
• Some of that money is then transferred into the Fore Group account.
• Investigators note that none of the insurance funds went to Jennifer.

Children’s trusts

• Investigators state that each of the five Dulos children had a trust fund established by Gloria and Hilliard Farber.

May 10 and 17, 2019

• Emergency family-court hearings
• Emergency hearings are held before Judge Heller at Fotis’ request.
• Court-appointed psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Herman testifies after meeting with Fotis multiple times.
• Judge Heller later strikes Herman’s testimony from the record, declares the hearings a mistrial because they were never completed, and orders that his report remain sealed.

May 23, 2019

• “Custody battle is almost over” dinner
• Witnesses recall Fotis giving a toast suggesting that contentious custody issues were close to resolution and that he expected to have the children back on the lake, water-skiing together during summer 2019.
• Multiple witnesses report that both Fotis and Michelle seemed to be in an elevated, celebratory mood.

May 24, 2019: Jennifer Dulos Disappears – All times are based on official police warrants, surveillance records, and sworn affidavits.

Morning: New Canaan

• 7:05 AM Tacoma near Lapham Road
• Security footage shows the Toyota Tacoma heading northbound past a rest area.
• A New Canaan school bus traveling northbound on Lapham Road near the Merritt Parkway overpass records an empty turnout at this time.
• 7:31 AM Cyclist headed toward Jennifer’s home
• Residential surveillance on Weed Street captures a person wearing dark clothing with a hood and a backpack riding a bicycle in the direction of Welles Lane.
• The bicycle frame is consistent with Fotis’ bicycle.
• 7:40 AM Tacoma at the Lapham Road turnout
• A southbound New Canaan school bus on Lapham Road records the Tacoma now parked in the turnout.
• The vehicle is parked within roughly 100 feet of where Jennifer’s Chevrolet Suburban is later found abandoned.
• 7:58 AM – Jennifer dropped her children at the New Canaan Country School, 635 Frogtown Road, driving her Chevrolet Suburban.
• 8:05 AM – Residential surveillance cameras documented Jennifer arriving at her home at 69 Welles Lane.
• 10:25 AM – Jennifer’s Chevrolet Suburban was seen leaving the home. Investigators believe she was no longer alive at this point.
• 10:38 AM – Cell tower data placed Jennifer’s phone at 200 Lapham Road, near Waveny Park.
• 11:09 AM – Jennifer’s phone remained in the same area, then disconnected from the network.

Late Morning to Early Afternoon: Toyota Tacoma Route (This is the Tacoma borrowed from employee Pawel Gumienny.)

• 11:12 AM – Surveillance at the Merritt Parkway northbound rest area showed the Tacoma traveling north. The footage showed an item consistent with a bicycle rim in the truck bed.
• 11:25 AM – Tacoma passed the Fairfield northbound rest area.
• 11:30 AM – Jennifer’s nanny, Lauren Almeida, arrived at the home for her normal shift. What she saw immediately raised concern. Blood Evidence in the Garage and Inside the Home
• 11:40 AM – Derby, Connecticut. Tacoma seen on Route 8 northbound near the Valley Transit District.
• 12:00 PM – Waterbury. Tacoma captured on Interstate 84 eastbound near Exit 25A.
• 12:22 PM – Tacoma pulled into 80 Mountain Spring Road, Farmington, a Fore Group property.

Afternoon: Activity at 80 Mountain Spring Road and 4 Jefferson Crossing

• 1:37 PM – Fotis Dulos’ phone left his home at 4 Jefferson Crossing and traveled toward 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• 1:36 to 3:38 PM – Dulos’ phone stayed at 80 Mountain Spring Road for more than two hours.
• 1:36 PM – Surveillance captured a white Jeep, driven by Troconis, followed by a black Chevrolet Suburban with a Thule rack, driven by Dulos, arriving at the property.
• 2:01 PM – White Jeep returned to the property after driving from the direction of Jefferson Crossing.
• 2:24 PM – White Jeep exited toward Jefferson Crossing.
• 3:38 PM – Dulos’ phone traveled back toward 4 Jefferson Crossing.
• 3:55 PM – Surveillance showed Troconis’ Jeep returning to 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• 4:03 PM – Black Chevrolet Suburban left 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• 4:17 PM – Dulos’ phone reached 4 Jefferson Crossing.
• 4:23 PM – Surveillance showed the Suburban returning again to 80 Mountain Spring Road, although the phones belonging to both Dulos and Troconis remained at Jefferson Crossing.
• 4:51 PM – A Ford Raptor was seen traveling north on Ely Road toward Jefferson Crossing. 
• 4:54 PM – Surveillance showed Gumienny’s Tacoma traveling south on Ely Road, followed by Fotis’ Ford Raptor. They appeared to travel in tandem.
• 4:57 PM – Tacoma and Raptor entered 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• 5:01 PM – Raptor left 80 Mountain Spring Road heading back to the Dulos residence.
• 5:04 PM – Raptor seen on Ely Road traveling northbound toward 4 Jefferson Crossing.
• 5:10 PM – OnStar data confirmed the Ford Raptor was at 4 Jefferson Crossing when shifted into drive.
• 5:21 PM – Dulos’ cellphone returned to the area of 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• 5:32 PM – A Chevrolet Suburban with a Fore Group placard traveled south on Ely Road toward Mountain Spring Road.
• 5:35 PM – Black Suburban entered 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• 5:41 PM – Black Suburban exited 80 Mountain Spring Road.

Evening: Hartford Trash Dumping

• 7:10 PM – Cellular records placed both Dulos’ and Troconis’ phones in Hartford on Albany Avenue. This coincides with surveillance that later showed Fotis dumping trash bags containing items stained with Jennifer’s blood.
• 7:41 PM – Dulos’ phone returned to 4 Jefferson Crossing.

Post Disappearance Developments

May 29, 2019

• Police escalate the search at Waveny Park, treat the matter as a missing person case and a criminal investigation.

May 30, 2019

• Search expands to a property in Pound Ridge, New York.
• Media obtain divorce records showing Jennifer’s fear for her and her children’s safety.

May 31, 2019

• Fotis filed a motion seeking to see his children. They were placed under armed protection at their grandmother’s Fifth Avenue residence.

June 2, 2019

• Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis were arrested for tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution.
• Police announced that Jennifer’s home contained significant blood evidence and signs of a violent assault. At the same time, documents revealed Fotis owed Jennifer’s mother more than 2.5 million dollars.

June 3, 2019

• Fotis and Michelle appear in court. Bond is set at $500,000 each with GPS monitoring and no-contact orders.

June 4, 2019

• State Police search the MIRA trash facility in Hartford. Gloria Farber files for custody.
• Search warrants executed at properties owned by Fotis, including 4 Jefferson Crossing and 61 Sturbridge Hill Road.

June 5, 2019

• A judge ordered that all five children remain with their maternal grandmother.

June 6–8, 2019

• More searches at MIRA. Some potential evidence may have been burned or shredded before police could reach it.

June 9, 2019

• Fotis hired attorney Norm Pattis.

June 11, 2019

• Fotis pleaded not guilty, posted a five hundred thousand dollar bond, and left wearing a GPS monitor.
  Pattis claimed an alibi for nearly the entire day of the disappearance.

June 24, 2019

• State Police conclude the intensive MIRA facility search.

June 26, 2019

• Attorney Pattis promoted the theory that Jennifer staged her disappearance in a manner similar to the novel “Gone Girl.”
  Police publicly rejected the idea and stated the physical evidence showed a violent assault.

June 28, 2019

• Troconis obtained a court order barring Fotis and his attorneys from contacting her.

July 2, 2019

•  Fotis gives a televised interview asserting his innocence.
• Through July, police search reservoirs and other bodies of water.

July 25, 2019

• Court grants temporary custody of all five children to Gloria Farber. She seeks sole custody.

July 31, 2019

The Hartford Courant reported that a bloody shirt, a bra, and cleaning materials belonging to Jennifer were found in Hartford trash bins.

August 9, 2019

• Defense requested Jennifer’s medical records to support their claim she staged her disappearance.
  They also claimed Jennifer withdrew money from Fotis’ accounts.

September 4–5, 2019

• Fotis was arrested on new tampering charges.
  The next day, Troconis was charged with similar offenses.
  Investigators found bloodlike evidence in the Tacoma that had been cleaned after the disappearance.

September 6, 2019

• Civil trial begins over unpaid loans. Gloria Farber alleges Fotis owes the estate about $2.5 million.

Fall 2019

• Police continue searches, monitor Fotis’ compliance with GPS, and fight over gag orders.
• Norm Pattis publicly suggests Jennifer may still be alive, referencing a medical bill, which Jennifer’s family and independent attorneys dispute.

November 24, 2019

• the family issues a statement marking six months since Jennifer disappeared, emphasizing their grief and ongoing hope for answers.

January 2020: Suicide and Aftermath

January 7, 2020

• Fotis Dulos is arrested at his Farmington home and charged with:
• Murder
• Felony murder
• Kidnapping
• Michelle Troconis is arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
• Kent Douglas Mawhinney, a friend and former attorney of Fotis, is arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.

January 8–21, 2020

• All three are brought to court, and Fotis’ bond is set at six million dollars.
• Norm Pattis announces his intention to waive a probable cause hearing and push for trial as soon as possible.

January 28, 2020

Fotis failed to appear for a court hearing.
Responding officers found him in medical distress inside his running vehicle in his garage.
He was transported for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning.

January 30, 2020

Fotis Dulos died at Jacobi Medical Center.
He left a note claiming innocence.
Attorney Pattis stated he intended to continue litigation by substituting the Dulos estate for Fotis.

Safe Deposit Box Issue

• During estate administration, temporary administrator Attorney Christopher Hug discovers that Fotis had a safe deposit box at People’s United Bank.
• Records suggest the box was cleared out by someone before Fotis’ death.
• Hug believes the box may have contained a will or other key documents.
• He petitions Farmington Probate Court to subpoena bank records and depose bank officials to learn who the co-owner was and who removed the contents.

Evidence

Zip Ties, Knife, and Trash Evidence (“Zip Ties and Fudge”)

• Surveillance in Hartford later records a black pickup truck matching Fotis’ truck traveling along Albany Avenue, stopping at multiple trash cans.
• State Police say the driver is Fotis Dulos.
• Trash bags retrieved from these cans contain 22 bloodstained items that test positive for:
• Jennifer’s DNA
• Fotis’ DNA
• Michelle Troconis’ DNA on at least one bag opening
• Fotis’ fingerprints on black tape inside a bag
• A Vineyard Vines shirt that investigators say Jennifer wore on the day she disappeared
• Investigators find four zip ties with Jennifer’s DNA. They conclude:
• The zip ties were used to bind her while she was still alive.
• “There is little reason to zip tie a dead person,” so she was likely incapacitated and bound before being placed into the Suburban.

The homeless man and the knife

• Pillows missing from the garage are never recovered by police.
• Surveillance shows a homeless man known as George retrieving a garbage bag from a Hartford trash can two days after Jennifer disappeared.
• He later reports finding:
• A pillow with blood on it
• A knife underneath the pillow
• He wipes blood from the knife and sells it to a man known as “Fudge” for ten dollars worth of crack cocaine.
• Fudge says he later sold the knife for food. The knife is never recovered.
• Investigators believe the pillow and knife were linked to the assault but were lost due to this street-level chain.

Early Life and Education

• Fotis Konstantinos Dulos was born on August 6, 1967 in Turkey to Greek parents.
• He was raised primarily in Athens, Greece.
• He attended the prestigious American College of Greece.
• In 1986, he moved to the United States to attend Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
• He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics in 1989, followed by an MBA in Finance from Columbia Business School in 1997.

First Marriage

• After completing graduate school, Fotis married Hilary Aldama, a fellow Brown University alum.
• The couple moved frequently for work and eventually separated.
• The marriage ended in July 2004 when their divorce was finalized in Connecticut.

Relationship with Jennifer Farber

• Fotis reconnected with Jennifer Farber in 2003 at an airport in Aspen, Colorado.
• The two had known each other as students at Brown University.
• Fotis was still married to Aldama at the time of the airport encounter.
• Six weeks after his divorce was finalized in July 2004, Fotis married Jennifer.
• The couple moved to Farmington, Connecticut and had five children together.

Business Activities

• In 2004, the same year he married Jennifer, Fotis founded Fore Group Inc., a high-end residential real estate development company.
• Fore Group specialized in large custom homes in Farmington, Avon, West Hartford, and New Canaan.
• Several of the projects were financed through loans from the Farber family, particularly Jennifer’s father, Hilliard Farber.
• By 2017, court filings showed the Farbers had loaned or invested more than 2.5 million dollars into Fore Group.

Marital Breakdown and Divorce

• Jennifer filed for divorce in June 2017, citing:
• “Relentless emotional and psychological abuse.”
• “Frightening outbursts.”
• Concerns for the safety of the children.
• Court documents revealed:
• Jennifer alleged Fotis threatened her and engaged in coercive behavior.
• A judge found Fotis’ testimony “not credible.”
• A court-appointed guardian ad litem reported that Fotis showed “poor judgment” around the children.
• Despite Jennifer’s emergency request for full custody being denied, the court placed strict limitations on Fotis’ parental access.

Relationship with Michelle Troconis

• Fotis met Michelle Troconis in 2016 during a period of marital conflict with Jennifer.
• Troconis was living in Colorado and was involved in equestrian sports and ski industry marketing.
• By 2017, Fotis and Troconis were openly in a relationship.
• Troconis and her daughter moved into a Fore Group property at 4 Jefferson Crossing, where Fotis lived.

Financial Pressures and Legal Disputes

• Between 2014 and 2019, the Farber family filed multiple civil actions against Fotis for unpaid loans related to Fore Group projects.
• Jennifer’s mother, Gloria Farber, pursued foreclosure on one of Fotis’ luxury spec homes after he defaulted.
• Court documents indicated Fore Group was heavily leveraged and cash constrained.
• Investigators later stated the financial strain and the contentious divorce were key contextual factors in the disappearance investigation.

Events After Jennifer’s Disappearance

• Fotis became the prime suspect within days of Jennifer vanishing on May 24, 2019.
• Police executed more than forty search warrants including:
• His home at 4 Jefferson Crossing
• His properties at 80 Mountain Spring Road
• Company vehicles including the Toyota Tacoma borrowed from an employee
• Cell phone records
• Company financial records
• Surveillance footage and forensic evidence placed Fotis at locations where Jennifer’s bloodstained items were discarded in Hartford.
• Police also documented an extensive cleanup inside the New Canaan residence.

Criminal Charges

Fotis Dulos was charged with the following:

June 2, 2019

• Tampering with physical evidence
• Hindering prosecution

September 4, 2019

• Additional counts of tampering with evidence

January 7, 2020

• Murder of Jennifer Dulos
• Felony murder
• Kidnapping

Bail was set at six million dollars with strict conditions, including GPS monitoring.

Suicide Attempt and Death

• On January 28, 2020, Fotis failed to appear in court for a bond revocation hearing.
• Police found him unresponsive in his running SUV inside his garage at 4 Jefferson Crossing.
• He was transported to Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx and placed in intensive care.
• On January 30, 2020, Fotis Dulos was pronounced dead.
• A note found in the home claimed he was innocent of Jennifer’s disappearance, although investigators and prosecutors have stated that the forensic evidence strongly contradicts that claim.

Legal Aftermath

• Through attorney Norm Pattis, Fotis attempted to maintain legal action from beyond the grave by substituting the Dulos estate into pending cases.
• Civil suits involving Gloria Farber continued after his death, including foreclosure actions and financial claims tied to Fore Group debts.

Early Life and Family

• Michelle C. Troconis was born in 1974 to Dr. Carlos Troconis and Marisela Arreaza. At the time of her birth, Dr. Troconis was completing his cardiac surgery residency at a children’s hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
• Following his residency, Dr. Troconis worked in Italy and the Dominican Republic, but he spent the majority of his medical career in Venezuela, where Michelle was raised throughout the 1980s.
• Michelle’s mother, Marisela Arreaza, is described as a counselor.
• During her upbringing, Michelle developed a strong background in skiing, equestrian activities, and sports marketing, interests that later shaped her work in the international resort and hospitality industries.

Education and Career

• Michelle attended private schools in South America and later lived in the United States for college-level education.
• Michelle earned a degree in psychology from the Central University of Venezuela.
• She later worked in therapeutic riding, including at the Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center in Augusta, Michigan, a program where individuals with special needs receive therapy on horseback.
• Through this work and later resort work, she developed experience in marketing, public relations, and guest services.
• Before meeting Fotis Dulos, she worked in:
• Sports marketing
• Ski industry branding
• Equestrian event coordination
• Tourism operations in Vail, Colorado
• Troconis owned an apartment in Vail at the time she became involved with Fotis.

Work in Resorts and Ski Industry

• 2003–2012
• She served as Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Cerro Castor, a ski resort on Mount Krund in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
• Cerro Castor is marketed as the southernmost ski resort in the world, located near the Beagle Channel, and caters to an affluent ski clientele.
• Media reports highlight a 2009 visit by Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, where they were photographed with Michelle and resort manager Gaston Begue, an Olympic skier who competed for Argentina in the 1994 Winter Games.
• Begue is identified as the father of Michelle’s daughter.
• During and after this period, Troconis held various roles in resorts, spas, and hospitality operations in Latin America, Europe, and the United States, typically in marketing, PR, and guest relations.

Marriage and Prior Relationship

• Michelle was previously married to Paul Enrique Gimenez, from Venezuela. and later divorced.
• She has one daughter, who became central to later custody concerns after the criminal charges against her were filed.
• After her time in Argentina, she relocated to the United States, including a period living in Miami, where she was near her parents and other family.
• In Miami, she reportedly did some work connected to her sister’s business, a company selling “chic covers” designed to protect high-end shoes from rain.
• During this period, press accounts describe her as moving between different resort and hospitality opportunities while raising her daughter.

Connection to Fore Group and Fotis Dulos

• Before the relationship became romantic, Michelle did some work for Fore Group, Fotis Dulos’ development company, including assisting with website and marketing tasks.
• By 2015, according to later narratives and witness accounts, Fotis and Michelle began taking trips that he paid for and described as “business” trips. This evolved into an affair while Fotis was still married to Jennifer.
• In March 2017, when Jennifer confronted Fotis, he admitted the affair and told her he had “real feelings” for Michelle, stating that he had been involved with her for about a year.
• Jennifer testified in the divorce case that Fotis said he intended to move Michelle and her daughter into the marital home and enroll Michelle’s daughter in the same private school the Dulos children attended, while expecting Jennifer and the children to continue living there part time so that “we all, his paramour and her daughter included, would be together.”

Involvement in the Jennifer Dulos Case

Jennifer’s Statements About Fear and Fotis’ Behavior

From Jennifer’s own filings in the 2017 divorce:

• Jennifer wrote that she had delayed filing for divorce because she was afraid of how Fotis would react.
• She stated:
• “I know that filing for divorce, and filing this motion will enrage him. I know he will retaliate by trying to harm me in some way.”
• She also wrote that during the marriage he had described “sickening revenge fantasies and plans to cause physical harm to others who have wronged him.”

May 24, 2019: Day of Disappearance

Authorities stated that Michelle’s actions on the day Jennifer vanished included: All details are taken from official arrest warrants and sworn affidavits.

• Being present at 4 Jefferson Crossing when Fotis returned from New Canaan.
• Driving a white Jeep Cherokee that appears repeatedly in surveillance footage around 80 Mountain Spring Road, a Fore Group property where investigators believe cleanup occurred.
• Making phone calls with Fotis during key movements of both vehicles.
• Providing statements to investigators that were later contradicted by:
• Surveillance footage
• Cell phone data
• Forensic timelines
• Police allege that Troconis helped in the cleaning, concealment, or transport of items connected to the disappearance.

Criminal Charges

June 2, 2019

• Michelle was arrested and charged with:
• Tampering with physical evidence
• Hindering prosecution
• She posted bond and was released under strict conditions, including GPS monitoring.

September 4–5, 2019

• She was arrested a second time, charged again with:
• Tampering with evidence
• Conspiracy counts related to disposal of bloody items
• These charges were based on forensic evidence and surveillance documenting trash disposal in Hartford.

January 7, 2020

• After extensive investigation, another set of charges was filed:
• Conspiracy to commit murder of Jennifer Dulos
• Additional counts of tampering with evidence
• These charges were tied to the updated reconstruction of events on May 24 and the alleged joint actions of Troconis, Fotis Dulos, and Kent Mawhinney.

Statements and Interviews

Voluntary Interviews

• Michelle initially consented to multiple interviews with police. 
• However, investigators stated that:
• She changed her account several times.
• Some statements were contradicted by video and phone records.
• Her timeline did not match movements captured on surveillance.
• An arrest warrant described certain inconsistencies as “not credible.”

Post Arrest Conduct

• After her first arrest, a judge issued an order prohibiting Fotis and his legal team from contacting Michelle.
• Troconis attempted to distance herself publicly from Fotis in media and legal filings.
• She maintained that she had no knowledge of or involvement in Jennifer’s disappearance.

Role of Kent Mawhinney

• Prosecutors allege that Michelle and attorney Kent Mawhinney worked with Fotis in a conspiracy linked to Jennifer’s disappearance.
• Mawhinney was charged separately as an alleged co-conspirator.
• Phone records and meetings between the three were significant elements in the conspiracy allegation.

After Fotis Dulos’ Death

• Following Fotis’ suicide in January 2020, Michelle continued facing charges without his presence as a co-defendant.
• The case proceeded with evidence previously compiled, along with separate statements and alleged actions attributed to her.

Trial and Conviction 

March 1, 2024 – After a five week trial in Stamford Superior Court, a jury found Michelle Troconis guilty on all six counts, which included:

• Conspiracy to commit murder
• Tampering with evidence
• Conspiracy to tamper with evidence
• Hindering prosecution
• Conspiracy to hinder prosecution
• Conspiracy to tamper with evidence in connection with false statements

This marked the first conviction in the Jennifer Dulos case.

May 31, 2024 – Judge Kevin A. Randolph imposed the following sentence:

• Total sentence: 20 years
• To serve: 14 and a half years
• Followed by: 5 years of probation
• Required mental health evaluation and supervision

The prosecution and the court emphasized:

• The severity of the conspiracy
• The deliberate nature of the cover up
• The lasting harm to Jennifer’s children
• The need for a punishment reflecting her active role in the crime

Incarceration Status

• Troconis is currently housed at York Correctional Institution, the women’s state prison in Niantic, Connecticut.
• She has been designated to the general population and is participating in intake and assessment protocols typical for long term inmates.

Appeal Status

• Troconis has filed a formal appeal challenging her convictions.
• Her appellate filings raise concerns related to:
• Jury instructions
• Admissibility of certain statements
• Scope of conspiracy charges
• Interpretation of surveillance and electronic evidence
• The Connecticut Division of Criminal Justice has withdrawn its appeal of the vacated count, meaning the five remaining convictions stand unchallenged.
• Her appeal will proceed to oral arguments after preparation of the official record.

Current Status

Michelle Troconis remains:

• A convicted co-conspirator in the murder of Jennifer Dulos
• Serving a 14.5 year sentence
• Pursuing appellate relief through the Connecticut courts
• She will not be eligible for release until completing the custodial portion of her sentence or obtaining relief through appeal or habeas corpus.

Overview

Authorities conclude that Jennifer Dulos was violently attacked inside her New Canaan home on May 24, 2019 shortly after returning from dropping off her children at school. Police allege that she was murdered at the residence, her body was removed in her own vehicle, and a multi-hour cleanup followed. Surveillance and forensic evidence link Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis to the disposal of bloody items, the use of company vehicles that day, and coordinated movements between properties.

May 24, 2019

7:58 AM to 8:05 AM Last Known Movements of Jennifer

• 7:58 AM
  Jennifer dropped her five children at New Canaan Country School.
• 8:05 AM
  Multiple home security cameras recorded her arriving back at 69 Welles Lane.

This is the last confirmed sighting of Jennifer alive.

Between 8:05 AM and 10:25 AM

The Attack and Cleanup Inside the Home

• Investigators state Jennifer was attacked in the garage area or mudroom shortly after arriving home.
• Blood evidence later showed:
• Stains consistent with cast off
• A significant blood loss event
• Attempts to clean surfaces
• Multiple bloody items missing from the home
• A forensic expert concluded she could not have survived the blood loss documented by luminol, swabs, and pattern analysis.

10:25 AM – Jennifer’s Vehicle Leaves the Scene

• Jennifer’s Chevrolet Suburban was seen leaving 69 Welles Lane.
• Authorities state Jennifer was not driving the vehicle and was already deceased.

10:38 AM to 11:09 AM – Jennifer’s Phone Abandoned

• 10:38 AM
  Cell tower data placed her phone at 200 Lapham Road near Waveny Park.
• 11:09 AM
  Phone disconnected from the network permanently.

Movement of the Toyota Tacoma (The Tacoma was borrowed from employee Pawel Gumienny and used by Fotis.)

11:12 AM to 12:22 PM – Tacoma Transit Toward Farmington

• 11:12 AM Merritt Parkway rest area. Tacoma seen with an object resembling a bicycle rim in its bed.
• 11:25 AM Fairfield. Tacoma continues north.
• 11:40 AM Derby. Tacoma recorded on Route 8.
• 12:00 PM Waterbury. Tacoma recorded on Interstate 84.
• 12:22 PM Tacoma pulled into the driveway at 80 Mountain Spring Road, a Fore Group property in Farmington.
• This property is believed to be part of the cleanup and evidence handling.

11:30 AM – Discovery by Lauren Almeida

• At approximately 11:30 a.m., Jennifer’s nanny, Lauren Almeida, arrived at the home for her normal shift. What she saw immediately raised concern.
• Jennifer’s Range Rover was still parked inside the garage, even though Jennifer had planned to use it for appointments that morning.
• The Chevrolet Suburban that Jennifer drove to school was missing.
• Almeida entered the home and found it unnaturally quiet.
• When detectives arrived and conducted a search, they identified the following evidence:
• Blood Evidence in the Garage
• Blood spatter on the garage floor, the garage door, and a nearby wall.
• Additional blood found on the exterior of the Range Rover.
• Blood Evidence Inside the Home
• Blood stains discovered in the kitchen area.
• A DNA mixture found on the kitchen sink faucet contained the DNA of both Jennifer Dulos and Fotis Dulos.
• Investigators stated that this mixture was consistent with an attempt to wash away blood following a violent assault.
• This discovery confirmed that Jennifer had been attacked inside her home and that steps were taken to clean the area before the Suburban was removed.

1:30 PM to 3:38 PM Coordinated Movements at 80 Mountain Spring Road

Official surveillance and phone data show:

• 1:36 PM –  Troconis arrived in a white Jeep. Dulos arrived behind her in a black Suburban with a Thule rack.
• 1:36 PM to 3:38 PM –  Dulos’ cellphone remained at the property for more than two hours.
• 2:01 PM –  Jeep returned to the property after driving toward Jefferson Crossing.
• 2:24 PM –  Jeep seen leaving again toward Jefferson Crossing.
• 3:38 PM –  Dulos’ phone left Mountain Spring Road and returned to 4 Jefferson Crossing.
• Police allege this time window involved cleaning the Tacoma, handling bloody items, and coordinating disposal.

4:23 PM to 5:41 PM- Movement of the Tacoma, Raptor, and the Suburban

• 4:23 PM –  The Suburban returned to 80 Mountain Spring Road without the phones present in the vehicle.
• 4:51 PM –  Dulos’ Ford Raptor seen moving toward Jefferson Crossing.
• 4:54 PM –  Tacoma and Raptor appear to travel in tandem toward Mountain Spring Road.
• 4:57 PM –  Both vehicles enter 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• 5:01 PM –  Raptor leaves the property and heads back to the Dulos home.
• 5:21 PM –  Dulos’s phone returns to Mountain Spring Road.
• 5:32 PM to 5:41 PM – Suburban enters and leaves 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• This cluster of movements is believed to be associated with moving and discarding evidence, or with repositioning vehicles to prepare for the next stage of disposal.

7:10 PM to 7:41 PM – Hartford Trash Dumping – This is the most critical piece of evidence in the case.

• 7:10 PM –  Cell records place both Dulos and Troconis on Albany Avenue, Hartford.
• Surveillance video captured:
• Fotis stopping at multiple trash bins
• Throwing out contractor bags
• Disposing of items later confirmed to contain Jennifer’s blood
• Forensic testing recovered:
• Clothing with Jennifer’s blood
• Zip ties
• Sponges and cleaning materials
• Items belonging to Jennifer
• A bra and shirt linked by DNA
• 7:41 PM –  Dulos returned to 4 Jefferson Crossing.
• Police allege this trash run was an attempt to dispose of bloody evidence after the murder.

May 25 to May 30, 2019 – Attempts to Clean and Conceal

• Investigators found signs of cleaning inside the Tacoma.
• Gumienny reported the seats and interior had been washed without his permission.
• Phone records showed multiple communications between Dulos and Troconis.
• Additional surveillance from the day after the disappearance documented further trips to properties connected to Fore Group.

May 30, 2019 – Michelle Troconis Contacts Fore Group’s Tech Consultant

• Michelle asks Dean Batchelder, a longtime Fore Group technology consultant, to assist with her phone and computer.

May 31, 2019 Batchelder performs a Time Machine backup for Michelle.

• Michelle deletes photos from her phone and removes her Facebook page.
• This becomes a major lead that later results in a warrant for Fore Group’s Backblaze account.
• Fotis filed a motion to see his children despite the ongoing disappearance investigation.
• The children were kept under armed protection by their grandmother, Gloria Farber.

June 2, 2019 – First Arrests

• Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis were arrested for:
• Tampering with evidence
• Hindering prosecution
• Fotis retained Norm Pattis, a well known and highly polarizing defense attorney, to represent him. Prior to accepting the case, Pattis had publicly stated his belief that Jennifer Dulos was dead, a point that generated significant media attention once he became Fotis’ counsel.

June 14, 2019

• Search Warrant 7: Supervised Visitation Notes**
  Investigators obtain the complete notes and records of visitation supervisor Dennis Puebla and his associates.
  Key findings:
• Fotis was not permitted to enter Jennifer’s home.
• On May 22, he was present on the property longer than allowed, but supervisors never saw him enter the house.
• Search Warrant 8: OnStar GPS Data for Jennifer’s Suburban**
• OnStar confirms “activity” on May 24, but details are limited.
• Investigators confirm the vehicle left Jennifer’s home at 10:25 a.m., consistent with the suspected timeline of transport of her body.

June 18, 2019

• Search Warrant 2: SiriusXM Data for Jennifer’s Chevy Suburban** Covers activity on May 24.
  Confirms timeline for when the vehicle was abandoned near Waveny Park.
• Search Warrant 3: SiriusXM Data for Fotis’s Ford Raptor** Covers March 20 to July 18, 2019.
  Enables reconstruction of vehicle movements on May 24 and during the Hartford trash dump.
• Search Warrant 4: Jennifer’s Apple iCloud Account** Investigators know:
  Fotis frequently contacted Jennifer via iMessage, photos, and audio during supervised visitation periods. This warrant was used to retrieve metadata, communication threads, and activity from Jennifer’s Apple account.
• Search Warrant 5: Fore Group Backblaze Account
  User: [email protected]

September 2019 Additional Tampering Charges

• Forensic testing on the Tacoma revealed a blood-like substance consistent with Jennifer.
• Troconis was charged again.
• Dulos was charged again for evidence tampering.

January 7, 2020 – Murder Charge

Fotis Dulos was officially charged with:

• Murder
• Felony murder
• Kidnapping
• Conspiracy counts tied to Troconis and attorney Kent Mawhinney

This warrant included the full reconstruction of:

• The attack
• The blood loss
• The disposal route
• Coordination between Dulos, Troconis, and Mawhinney

Arrest of Michelle Troconis – On the same day, state police arrested Michelle Troconis and charged her with:

• Conspiracy to commit murder

The warrant outlined her alleged involvement in:

• Coordinating movements with Fotis on May 24
• Participating in cleanup or disposal efforts
• Providing conflicting or false statements
• Assisting in attempts to conceal evidence
• These charges superseded the earlier tampering and hindering prosecution counts.

Arrest of Kent Douglas Mawhinney

• Also on January 7, 2020, authorities arrested Kent Douglas Mawhinney, a longtime friend of Fotis Dulos and a former attorney connected to his business dealings.
• He was charged with:
• Conspiracy to commit murder

The warrant cited:

• Meetings between Mawhinney and Fotis preceding the disappearance
• Communications and coordination related to the events of May 24
• Evidence suggesting participation in planning or facilitating the crime
• Mawhinney became the third defendant in the homicide conspiracy.

January 28 to January 30, 2020

Suicide and Death

• Fotis failed to appear in court for a bond revocation hearing.
• He was found inside his SUV in his garage with a severe carbon monoxide exposure.
• He died on January 30, 2020 at Jacobi Medical Center.

Police recovered a handwritten note where he claimed innocence.
Prosecutors maintain that forensic evidence directly contradicted that statement.

2017

• Jennifer leaves 4 Jefferson Crossing in Farmington with her five children and moves to New Canaan without telling Fotis.
• Months later, Michelle Troconis and her daughter move in with Fotis at 4 Jefferson Crossing.

2018 to Early 2019

• Custody battle becomes increasingly contentious.
• Multiple witnesses later describe Fotis as manipulative, dishonest, and secretive, including toward Michelle.
• Fotis picnics at Jennifer’s house two days before the disappearance and keeps this from Michelle.

March 2019

• Family court orders supervised visitation for Fotis.
• Michelle is prohibited from having contact with the children.
• Michelle expresses disappointment and considers moving to Colorado.

April 2019

• April 24: Dr. Herman finishes the custody evaluation.
• April 30: Copies of the custody report are distributed to attorneys.
• Fotis tells several people that the report is favorable for him.

May 2019 (Before Disappearance)

• May 2: Fotis files emergency ex parte custody application.
• May 14 and 17: Hearings held. Dr. Herman testifies but is not finished.
• May 21: GAL Meehan meets with Fotis about visitation frustration.
• May 23: Fotis hosts dinner at 4JC, announces the custody evaluation is in his favor, and guests toast him.

May 24, 2019 Day of disappearance

Morning

• 8:00 AM, Jennifer is last seen on school surveillance returning home.
• Police later find blood evidence and signs of a violent assault in her garage.
• Jennifer’s Suburban is later found abandoned at Waveny Park.

State’s Theory of Morning Events

• Fotis allegedly drives employee Pawel Gumienny’s Toyota Tacoma to New Canaan.
• He rides a bike to Jennifer’s home.
• He attacks Jennifer in the garage.
• He then returns the bike and leaves the area.

Evening: Albany Avenue

• 7:00 PM, Fotis and Michelle drive to Starbucks, then along Albany Avenue.
• Fotis stops three times and throws garbage bags into public trash cans.
• Michelle stays in the truck, texting and talking with her family.
• Michelle leans out once to wipe gum off her hand.
• One bag contains Jennifer’s clothing with her DNA.
• Another bag contains an extremely small mixed DNA sample that cannot include or exclude Michelle.
• Michelle is excluded from many other forensic samples.

Late Evening

• After returning home, police notify Fotis that Jennifer is missing.
• Michelle states that this is when she first learns Jennifer has disappeared.

May 25, 2019: 80 Mountain Spring Road

• A prospective buyer is scheduled to visit 80 Mountain Spring Road.
• Fotis tells Michelle to bring cleaning supplies.
• Michelle and Fotis clean the property.
• Fotis gives Michelle a dirty paper towel, saying it is from a coffee spill in the Tacoma. She throws it away.

May 29, 2019: Car Wash

• Fotis brings the Tacoma to Russell Speeder’s Car Wash.
• Surveillance shows Fotis alone inside the lobby.
• Michelle arrives separately and waits outside in her Jeep.
• Michelle’s phone number appears on the work order even though she never entered the building.
• Michelle later drives Fotis to his lawyer’s office.

May 31 – June 3, 2019 Search of 4 Jefferson Crossing

• Police execute a search of 4JC beginning on May 31.
• The search lasts four days.
• Police seize handwritten timelines created by Fotis, Michelle, and attorneys.
• Defense later argues the search was overly broad and unconstitutional.

June 1, 2019 Late night Transport:

• 11:53 PM: Michelle closes her eyes in the cruiser.
• 11:56 PM: She opens her eyes.

June 2, 2019 Overnight transport and first recorded interview

• 12:07 AM: Michelle closes them again.
• 12:47 AM: Arrives at New Canaan Police Department.
• 12:50 AM: Taken out of the car. She asks for her lawyer. Police stop questioning.
• 2:24 AM: Booked, photographed, fingerprinted, and given her rights.
• 9:00 to 9:30 AM: Attorney Bowman meets her. After two consultations, Michelle voluntarily agrees to a recorded interview.

June 6, 2019 Second police interview

• Michelle participates fully and voluntarily.
• She explains that Fotis had discussed parts of the custody evaluation with her and that a mental health provider told her other details.

June 24, 2019 Custody report litigation

• Attorney Pattis files a motion in family court to unseal the custody report.
• He acknowledges police took a copy of the report during the May 31 search of 4JC.

August 13, 2019: Third Interview

• Michelle participates voluntarily in a third recorded interview.

August 31, 2020 Mawhinney statement

• Co-defendant Kent Mawhinney tells police that in 2019, Fotis shared parts of the custody evaluation with him and that he believed Fotis would likely win custody.

January 2020: Fotis Dulos dies by suicide

• Fotis Dulos dies by suicide while facing charges.
• The cases against Michelle and Kent Mawhinney continue.

2021 – 2023 Pretrial

• The court seals the custody report.
• Defense files motions to suppress searches and statements.
• Defense argues the 4JC search was unconstitutional, Michelle’s statements were coerced, and the search of her home lacked proper particularity.

August 2023 – February 2024 Trial

• Jury selection and trial take place.
• The state presents surveillance footage, DNA evidence, witness testimony, and custody-related context.
• The defense is blocked from presenting the contents of the custody report.

March 1, 2024 Verdict

• Michelle is convicted of:
• Conspiracy to commit murder
• Conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence
• Tampering with evidence (two counts)
• Hindering prosecution
• One conspiracy count is later vacated on double jeopardy grounds.

May 31, 2024 Sentencing

• Michelle is sentenced to 20 years, suspended after 14.5 years, followed by 5 years of probation.

August 4, 2025 Rectification hearing

• The custody report is marked as Court Exhibit 1 under seal.
• Additional sealed material is designated Court Exhibit 2.

2025: APPEAL

• Michelle appeals her conviction.
• Claims include:
• Insufficient evidence
• Improper exclusion of the custody report
• Illegal searches
• Suppressed or coerced statements
• Double jeopardy violation
• Failure to disclose exculpatory and impeachment material