Early Life and Education

Jennifer Farber Dulos was born on September 27, 1968, in New York City, into a prominent and well-connected family. Her parents, Gloria Ortenberg Farber and Hilliard Farber, were both accomplished in their fields. Gloria was known for her philanthropy, and Hilliard was a successful banker. Jennifer grew up with her older sister, Melissa, in an environment shaped by financial security, education, and artistic influence.

The family had notable connections. Jennifer’s maternal uncle and aunt-by-marriage were Arthur Ortenberg and Elizabeth “Liz” Claiborne, founders of the global fashion brand Liz Claiborne Inc. This placed Jennifer among a circle of creative and influential relatives.

Jennifer excelled academically. She graduated from Brown University in 1990 and later earned a master’s degree from New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, where she pursued writing. As an adult, she worked as a writer and blogger, contributing to Patch.com while raising her five young children as a stay-at-home mother.

Fotis Dulos: Early Life and Career

Fotis Dulos was born on August 6, 1967, in Turkey and grew up in Athens, Greece. He moved to the United States in 1986, attending Brown University, where he graduated in 1989, one year ahead of Jennifer. He later earned an MBA in finance from Columbia Business School.

Fotis’s first marriage was to Hilary Vanessa Aldama, also a Brown University alumna. The marriage ended in 2004. Six weeks after that divorce, Fotis married Jennifer.

In the same year, Fotis founded Fore Group Inc., a Connecticut real estate development company specializing in luxury homes.

Marriage, Children, and Emerging Problems

Jennifer and Fotis reconnected from their shared Brown University years while he was still married to his first wife. Their relationship progressed quickly, and they married in Manhattan in 2004. The couple settled in Farmington, Connecticut, where they built a large home and began raising their five children. The children included two sets of twins. Their names were Petros, Theodore, Constantine, Christiane, and Cleopatra Noelle, all named after Greek Orthodox saints.

Although their outward life appeared ideal, internal strain grew over time. Jennifer’s blog writings from 2012 show early signs of distress. She described feeling fear, weakness, and a reluctance to confront Fotis. Friends later described the marriage as troubled long before she filed for divorce.

Jennifer eventually learned that Fotis had been unfaithful, and by 2015, he had begun taking trips with colleague Michelle Troconis, initially claiming they were for business. Their affair became serious, and in March 2017, Fotis admitted it to Jennifer.

Divorce Proceedings and Escalating Fear

June 2017, Jennifer filed for divorce, moving with the children to a rented home in New Canaan, approximately seventy miles from Farmington. In her filings, Jennifer described deep fear for her safety. She wrote:

• “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 stated that during their marriage Fotis had described “sickening revenge fantasies” and plans to harm people who upset him.

Jennifer further alleged:

• Fotis had threatened to kidnap the children if she did not agree to his settlement terms.
• He had purchased a gun that he claimed was for home protection.

The divorce was marked by accusations and contested motions on both sides. By early 2018, after Fotis violated multiple court orders, Jennifer was awarded sole physical custody. Fotis received supervised visitation and monitored phone contact.

Financial Conflict with the Farber Family

In February 2018, tensions escalated further after the death of Jennifer’s father, Hilliard Farber. Jennifer’s mother, Gloria Farber, filed a civil lawsuit against Fotis, alleging he owed the estate approximately 1.7 million dollars in unpaid loans from Hilliard’s financial support of Fore Group. The lawsuit became entangled with the divorce case and created additional pressure on Fotis before Jennifer’s disappearance.

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.
• 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 began the morning routinely. At about 8 a.m., she dropped the children at New Canaan Country School. At 8:05 a.m., a neighbor’s security camera recorded her returning home.

Jennifer never made her 11 a.m. or 1 p.m. appointments in New York City. Friends immediately sensed danger. By 7 p.m., when repeated attempts to reach her failed, two of her close friends, including nanny Lauren Almeida, reported her missing.

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 6:59 PM – New Canaan Police Department receives a missing person report for Jennifer Dulos, who resides at 69 Welles Lane.
  Friends and family report that she is missing after failing to attend appointments and failing to answer calls.
• 7:00 PM  New Canaan Police locate Jennifer’s 2017 black Chevrolet Suburban:
• Parked on Lapham Road near the southwest portion of Waveny Park.
• Jennifer is not inside, and she is not found in the immediate area.
• A forensic examination finds possible blood evidence on the interior and exterior of the Suburban.
• 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.

Evidence of Violent Assault

When Almeida arrived at the house around 11:30 a.m., Jennifer’s Range Rover was still in the garage, even though she had planned to use it. Her Chevrolet Suburban was gone. When police searched the residence, they found:

• Blood spatter in the garage, including on the floor, door, and wall
• Jennifer’s blood on the exterior of the Range Rover
• Additional blood in the kitchen
• A blood mixture on the kitchen faucet consistent with both Jennifer and Fotis

The evidence indicated a violent assault and cleanup effort.

Crime scene processing at 69 Welles Lane finds:

• Multiple bloodstains in the garage, on the floor and on a vehicle parked in the garage.
• Signs of attempted cleanup.
• Additional blood in the kitchen.
  These findings support the conclusion that Jennifer was violently attacked in the garage, that an attempted cleanup occurred, and that her body was moved using the Suburban.

Investigators later determined that Jennifer’s Suburban left the home at 10:25 a.m. They concluded she was already deceased and that Fotis was the driver.

The Suburban was recovered abandoned near Waveny Park, three miles away.

Disposal of Evidence

Hartford garbage bag dumping

• 7:10 PM to 7:40 PM
  A forensic examination of Fotis’s cellphone shows the device is used in the Albany Avenue area of Hartford during this 30 minute window.
  Hartford Police Department surveillance cameras in the area capture:
• A large black Ford F-150 Raptor, registered to Fore Group, driving along Albany Avenue.
• A Caucasian male who matches Fotis’s appearance driving.
• A female passenger consistent with Michelle Troconis.
• The occupants stopping repeatedly and dumping multiple black garbage bags into trash cans at numerous locations.
• These bags are later recovered and contain:
• Clothing with Jennifer’s blood, including a Vineyard Vines shirt she was believed to have been wearing.
• Cleaning items stained with her blood.
• Gloves with Fotis’s DNA inside.
• At least one bag where Jennifer’s DNA, Fotis’s DNA, and Troconis’s DNA appear together near the bag opening.
• Troconis later admits she threw a paper towel used by Fotis to clean the Tacoma into one of these black bags and that she knows the Tacoma needed to be detailed because “obviously Jennifer’s body was in there.”

Investigative Search Efforts

• Authorities conducted extensive searches of:
• Waveny Park
• Fore Group properties in Farmington
• Sites in Fairfield County
• Reservoirs, forests, and bodies of water
• No trace of Jennifer was found. Her credit cards and phone went inactive immediately after the attack.

Post Disappearance Developments

May 25, 2019

• Fotis refuses to give an interview to help locate Jennifer.
• He also refuses consent for a search of his cellphone.
• The warrant notes that he does not cooperate in any way with the missing person investigation.

May 29, 2019

• Police escalate the search at Waveny Park, treat the matter as a missing person case and a criminal investigation.
• The Tacoma is detailed at Russell Speeder’s Car Wash in Avon.
• Surveillance and phone records show:
• A call to Troconis from Russell Speeder’s at 1:39 PM.
• Troconis’s phone in the car wash lot at 2:28 PM.
• Surveillance shows Fotis driving the Tacoma and Troconis in a rented Yukon, going through the wash and detail.
• Fotis discards a white trash bag and another item while at the car wash.
• He pays 250 dollars for the detail, lists the truck incorrectly as a Toyota Sienna, and uses Troconis’s phone number on the invoice.

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.
• 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.
• 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.
• While detectives are at Fotis’s residence, Pawel Gumienny arrives in the Fore Group white Jeep with Porsche seats in the back.
• He says he has been at 61 Sturbridge Road in New Canaan working, and then at 585 Deercliff Road removing seats from Fotis’s Porsche Cayenne to put into his red Toyota Tacoma.
• Gumienny explains that Fotis told him to swap or sell the Tacoma seats, later referred to as “hardware.”
• Gumienny decides to keep the original seats without telling Fotis.
• DNA testing later confirms blood on one of those original passenger seats is Jennifer’s.

Arrests and Criminal Charges

June 1 2019

• Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis were arrested in Avon, Connecticut, and charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. Jennifer’s five children were moved to New York to live with their grandmother, where they remained under protective custody.
• Fotis hired Norm Pattis to represent him. Despite earlier public statements suggesting Jennifer was dead, Pattis argued Fotis’s innocence. Troconis and Fotis both pleaded not guilty.

June 2, 2019

Michelle’s first police interview: 

In her first interview, Troconis:

• Admits it is her and Fotis seen on the Albany Avenue garbage route in the Raptor.
• Acknowledges she cannot account for Fotis’s whereabouts on the morning of May 24 from about 8 AM to between 1 and 2 PM.
• Admits they were dumping bags of “unknown contents” but claims she stayed in the truck on her cellphone.

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

• A search warrant is executed on the red 2001 Toyota Tacoma. More searches at MIRA. Some potential evidence may have been burned or shredded before police could reach it.
• Forensic swabs reveal:
• Multiple bloodlike stains
• Positive Kastle Meyer tests
• Positive luminol reactions on upholstery
  This truck, owned by Fore Group employee Pawel Gumienny, is the same vehicle police saw on surveillance traveling from New Canaan toward Farmington after Jennifer disappeared.

June 9, 2019

• Fotis hired attorney Norm Pattis.

June 10, 2019

Search Warrant 9:

• Verizon Records for Fotis’s Cell**
  Covers March 20 to June 10, 2019.
  Key findings:
• On May 31, Fore Group employee EE arrived sweaty at his Simsbury residence and admitted he had been removing Porsche seats at 585 Deercliff Road.
• EE was using Fore Group vehicles frequently, including the white Jeep and the Raptor.
• His timeline shows inconsistent contact with Fotis on May 24.

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 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.

Mid June 2019

• Investigators obtain handwritten pages from Jefferson Crossing listing timelines for May 24 and 25, including shower times, phone calls, and alibi events for Fotis and Troconis.
• Troconis admits:
• She wrote one of the pages.
• Many “alibi” events never happened.
• Listed witnesses were false.
• The notes do not mention the Albany Avenue garbage dump at all.

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]

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.

August 13, 2019

• In her third recorded interview, Troconis significantly revises her account:
• Admits she was not truthful in prior interviews.
• States she did not actually see Fotis from about 6:40 AM until after noon on May 24.
• Admits the claimed shared shower on the morning of May 24 did not occur, despite being written into their alibi notes.
• Confirms Fotis left his cellphone at Jefferson Crossing, which aligns with the theory that he left his phone behind to create a false digital alibi while traveling in other vehicles.
• Admits she saw him cleaning the Tacoma, and that he handed her a towel with a stain that did not smell like coffee, telling her to put it in a plastic bag.
• Ultimately acknowledges that the Tacoma needed to be detailed because, in her words, “obviously Jennifer’s body was in there.”

September 4, 2019

• Both were arrested again on additional tampering charges related to the disposal of evidence.
• Investigators found bloodlike evidence in the Tacoma that had been cleaned after the disappearance.

October 2, 2019

• Search Warrant 1 – Comcast Landline Assigned to Fotis Dulos**
  Investigators confirm the mystery phone number that left voicemails for Fotis at Debby Cello’s home belonged to Fotis.
• This suggests:
• Attempted covert phone usage
• Possible burner-style communication method
• A pattern of communications inconsistent with Jennifer’s disappearance timeline

September 6, 2019

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

October 2019

• Reports indicated Michelle moved out of Fotis’s Farmington home with her young daughter.

November 24, 2019

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

Murder Charges and the Mawhinney Connection

January 7, 2020

• Fotis Dulos was arrested at his home and charged with:
• Capital murder
• Murder
• Kidnapping
• Michelle Troconis was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
• Kent Douglas Mawhinney, Fotis’s friend and former attorney, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
• Mawhinney had been estranged from his wife following accusations of sexual assault. She later told police she feared Fotis and Mawhinney were conspiring to kill her. Investigators discovered a shallow grave with lime and a blue tarp on land linked to Mawhinney. The grave was empty by the time it was found in August 2019.
• Jennifer’s family released a statement expressing relief that charges were filed but reaffirming their ongoing grief.
• Fotis’s bond was set at six million dollars. He was released the following day and scheduled for court.

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.

The Death of Fotis Dulos

January 28, 2020

• Fotis failed to appear for a bond hearing. A welfare check found him in his garage suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. He died on January 30, 2020. A note was found in which he proclaimed his innocence.
• His attorneys attempted to substitute his estate as a defendant to continue the legal fight, which Connecticut courts later rejected.

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.

January 2021

• Connecticut State Police reexamined the Mountain Spring Road property in Farmington with experts in locating clandestine graves. Digging and excavation took place, but no publicly reported findings resulted. Jennifer’s body has never been recovered.

Key Investigative Takeaways

1. The Tacoma Is Linked to Transport and Clean-Up

• Positive blood tests and luminol across upholstery inside the Tacoma directly contradict Fotis’s alibi.

2. The Hartford Trash Dump Is Confirmed With Multiple Data Sources

• Between SiriusXM, Verizon, surveillance video, and statements, investigators firmly link Fotis and Michelle to the disposal of bloodstained items.

3. Phone and Cloud Backups Revealed Consciousness of Guilt

• Michelle’s May 31 data purge
  Backblaze account access
  Suspicious landline behavior
  All pointed to intentional concealment of evidence.

4. OnStar and Vehicle Data Established the Precise Movement Timeline

• Jennifer’s Suburban leaving at 10:25 a.m.
  The Raptor and Tacoma movements
  The 11:09 a.m. phone disconnect
  The chain of events becomes tightly anchored to vehicle data.

5. Visitation Records Identified Boundary Violations by Fotis

• These documents helped police prove Fotis was escalating behavior and ignoring legal restrictions leading up to the murder.

Legal Status and Declaration of Death

In October 2020, Jennifer’s family petitioned for a legal declaration of death. The request was initially denied due to Connecticut’s seven-year requirement for presumption of death.

In October 2023, the court granted an expedited declaration, due in part to the advanced age of Jennifer’s mother, who remained guardian of Jennifer’s children and needed clarity for estate matters.

Statements and Interviews:

Voluntary Interviews

• Michelle Troconis 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 Michelle Troconis 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.

Fotis Dulos Death 

January 28, 2020
Discovery of Fotis Dulos During Suicide Attempt**
Source: Farmington Police Department Incident Report, Case No. 2000001546.

• 11:44 AM Connecticut State Police Detective John Kimball calls Farmington Police.
  He reports that Fotis Dulos has failed to appear at a 12:00 PM emergency bond hearing in Stamford.
  GPS data shows Fotis’ anklet is still at his residence at 4 Jefferson Crossing.
  Farmington Police are asked to conduct a welfare check.
• 11:50 to 11:57 AMFarmington officers begin responding.
  Officer Frink arrives first at approximately 11:57 AM.
  Sergeant Raines, Officer Noddin, and Lieutenant Bailey arrive seconds later.
• 11:58 AM Officers knock repeatedly at the front door.
  There is no response.
  After roughly two minutes, officers begin checking the perimeter and garage.
• Shortly before 12:03 PM Lieutenant Bailey reaches the garage windows.
  He sees a black Chevrolet Suburban with its headlights on.
  He notes fogged windows and a haze consistent with exhaust fumes inside the garage.
  He suspects someone is inside the vehicle.
• 12:03 PM Sergeant Raines breaks the garage side-door window with his baton and unlocks the door.
  Officers enter and find a heavy exhaust haze.
  They smell strong vehicle exhaust.
  Lieutenant Bailey opens the driver door of the Suburban.
  Fotis Dulos is found slumped toward the right, skin gray, not breathing.
  Officers check for a carotid pulse for 10 seconds.
  No pulse is detected, but his skin is still warm.
  Sergeant Raines radios for a medical response at 12:03 PM.
• 12:03 to 12:05 PM Sergeant Raines opens the rear overhead garage door to ventilate the carbon monoxide.
  Officers drag Fotis outside into the driveway to begin CPR.
• 12:05 to 12:10 PM Chest compressions begin.
  Officer Noddin retrieves the AED and medical kit.
  The AED advises no shock.
  Ventilations are provided through an oxygen bag valve mask.
  Captain Ryan later relieves Officer Noddin with chest compressions.
• 12:07 PM A gray 2002 BMW M3 arrives in the driveway.
  The driver is later identified as Anna Curry, Fotis’ girlfriend.
  She exits the vehicle screaming for help.
  Officers tell her emergency services are already en route.
• 12:10 PM to 12:15 PM Members of the East Farms Fire Department arrive and take over CPR and medical treatment.
  Temporary screens are erected to shield the scene.
• 12:12 PM to 12:20 PM Lieutenant Bailey orders a protective sweep of the residence to ensure no additional victims.
  Teams consisting of Farmington officers and Adult Probation officers search both wings of the home.
  No additional victims or suspects are located. Inside the home, officers note:
• The carbon monoxide detector in a room above the garage was removed and placed on furniture.
• Legal papers are visible in an office area.
• No suicide note is found during the sweep.
• 12:15 PM to 12:30 PM Officers interview Anna Curry, who provides the following timeline:
• She and Fotis planned to drive together to court for the 12:00 PM hearing.
• Fotis instructed her to stop at the bank beforehand.
• At 10:59 AM, Fotis called her sounding out of breath and said he was leaving immediately for court because he was running late.
• He claimed he placed two computers needed for court inside his vehicle.
• When she returned home around 11:15 AM, the computers were still on the kitchen island.
• She saw a Tylenol PM or Advil bottle cap on the counter.
• She assumed Fotis had already left for Stamford.
• At 11:38 AM, attorney Kevin Smith called asking where Fotis was and reported that the GPS still showed him at home.
• At that moment she suspected he was attempting suicide.
• Anna admits she did not call 911 herself because she was focused on getting home.
  During one of her calls from the cruiser she says, “He wanted to do this.”
• 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM Fotis is stabilized enough to regain a faint pulse.
  He is transported by ambulance to UConn Health for further treatment.
  The residence and vehicles are secured pending a search warrant.
• 1:00 PM to Evening Detectives process the exterior and garage. Photographs document:
• The Suburban, hose setup, fogged windows
• A haze of exhaust in the garage
• The broken-keyed door
• Photos of Fotis’ family left inside the vehicle
• A bottle of Tylenol PM
• Two rolls of duct tape
• A Fiji water bottle
• A hose attached to the tailpipe and vehicle window
• Evening of January 28, 2020 Detectives apply for two search warrants,
  one for the home and Suburban, and
  one for the BMW Anna Curry drove.
• Judge Laura Baldini declines to grant either warrant that evening.
• Scene remains secured overnight.

January 29, 2020

• Connecticut State Police obtain their own search warrants for:
• The residence
• The Suburban
• The BMW
• During the search, detectives locate:
• A handwritten suicide note dated January 28, 2020
• Duct tape
• The hose system
• A bottle cap in the kitchen
• Photographs of Fotis and his children

January 30, 2020, 5:32 PM

• Fotis Dulos is pronounced dead at Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx.

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.

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