A trial will begin on Thursday connected to the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five from New Canaan who has been missing since May 2019 and has been declared dead.
Michelle Troconis will be standing trial, charged with conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with physical evidence, hindering prosecution and additional charges. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
At the time Jennifer disappeared, Troconis was dating Jennifer’s estranged husband, Fotis Dulos.
Fotis Dulos and Troconis were both charged in the case and Fotis died in early 2020 after attempting suicide.
The evidence portion of the trial was set to start on Jan. 8, but that was delayed to refill the alternate juror pool that slowly dwindled as jurors were excused for various personal reasons. It is now scheduled to begin on Thursday, Jan. 11.
You can Watch the Trial live on NBC Connecticut’s Streaming Channel. Coverage begins at 9 a.m. Here's how to watch.
Here is a look at the people in the case and what officials say happened.
THE PEOPLE
Jennifer Dulos
- Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five, was 50 years old when she disappeared on May 24, 2019.
- She and her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, were going through a divorce.
- In a 2017 affidavit, Jennifer wrote she was “terrified for (her) family’s safety” and said her “husband has a history of controlling, volatile and delusional behavior.”
- But in a court filing from his attorney, Fotis denied those allegations. And the day before being served with divorce papers in June of 2017, he called 911 with his own concerns.
- “I’m worried about my wife and kids because they left to go to New York and I haven’t been able to get in touch with them,” Fotis said in a 911 call.
- Jennifer moved from their shared home in Farmington to New Canaan around the same time she filed for divorce.
- In October, a court declared her dead. Her mother had petitioned for the court to do so to protect the assets of Jennifer and her children.
Fotis Dulos
- Fotis Dulos was Jennifer’s estranged husband.
- He was charged with felony murder, murder and kidnapping
- Fotis maintained his innocence and died in January 2020, days after attempting suicide at his Farmington home.
- A judge later agreed to nolle the murder charge.
Michelle Troconis
- Michelle Troconis was Fotis’ girlfriend when Jennifer disappeared.
- She has pleaded not guilty in connection with Jennifer Dulos’ death.
- Her trial begins on Jan. 11.
Kent Mawhinney
- Kent Mawhinney, an attorney, represented Fotis Dulos in prior civil cases unrelated to Jennifer's disappearance.
- He has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and pleaded not guilty. He has been released from custody and no court date has been set, according to online court records.
THE TIMELINE
May to December 2019
May 24, 2019: Jennifer Dulos disappeared after dropping her children off at the New Canaan Country School in New Canaan.
Police said she missed multiple appointments that day and her friends reported her missing around 7 p.m. that night.
Police found Jennifer’s black SUV abandoned on Lapham Road by Waveny Park.
May 29, 2019: The search for Jennifer intensified in New Canaan.
Officers said they were treating the disappearance as a missing person case, while also launching a criminal investigation to determine if Jennifer had been the victim of foul play.
May 31, 2019: Authorities put out a new missing person poster.
By that afternoon, state police confirmed the search for clues moved to multiple locations in Hartford including on Milford Street, Albany Avenue, Homestead Avenue and Sigourney Street.
June 2, 2019: New Canaan Police Chief Leon Krolikowski announced that Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis had been arrested in Avon and were charged with tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and hindering prosecution in the first degree, according to authorities.
June 3, 2019: Both appeared in court and were ordered to have no contact with each other, with Jennifer or her family. Troconis surrendered her passport and left court with a GPS monitoring device on her ankle.
June 4, 2019: State police were at the Materials Innovation Recycling Authority (MIRA), a trash facility in Hartford, in connection with Jennifer's disappearance.
A source with knowledge of the investigation told NBC Connecticut that state police contacted MIRA on Friday about a garbage truck that made a collection on May 28, 2019.
Jennifer's mother, Gloria Farber, filed a motion in court for custody of Jennifer’s and Fotis’ children.
June 5, 2019: Police executed search warrants on properties owned by Fotis, including his home on Jefferson Crossing in Farmington and a property at 61 Sturburdge Hill Road in New Canaan.
June 8, 2019: State troopers continued to search for evidence related to Jennifer's disappearance at MIRA in Hartford.
A source told NBC Connecticut that troopers were looking for evidence that might have been picked up by a garbage truck and shredded inside the facility days after Jennifer disappeared.
An employee at MIRA told NBC Connecticut that some of the clues related to Jennifer's disappearance might have been burned before police had the chance to search the facility.
June 11, 2019: Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis appeared in court and both entered not guilty pleas.
July 2, 2019: Fotis Dulos sat down for an exclusive interview with NBC where he maintained his innocence and said he never wished ill of his estranged wife.
July 25, 2019: A court granted Jennifer's mother temporary custody of the couple's five children.
Sept. 4, 2019: Fotis Dulos was arrested by Connecticut State Police on additional hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence charges. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.
2020
Jan. 7, 2020, Fotis Dulos was charged with felony murder, murder and kidnapping, according to his attorney, Norm Pattis.
Michelle Troconis was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder, according to Connecticut State Police.
Later in the afternoon, local attorney Kent Mawhinney was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
Jan. 28, 2020: Fotis Dulos attempted suicide at his Farmington home and was in critical condition, according to police.
Police had gone to check on him because he was late for a bond adjustment hearing and they found him in a car in his garage, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning.
A source close to the case said Fotis Dulos was being called into court that day to address the security for the $6 million bond in the case.
Jan. 30, 2020: Fotis Dulos was declared dead. Pattis said the family wanted to clear his name, so they filed for an estate to stand in for Dulos as a defendant.
March 3, 2020: A judge agreed to nolle murder charges against Fotis Dulos after the state asked the case to be dropped.
It was soon after that the courts closed due to the COVID pandemic.
2023
Oct. 4, 2023: Jury selection began in Michelle Troconis’ trial.
Oct. 24, 2023: Probate court declares Jennifer Dulos dead after her mother filed a petition to protect the assets of Jennifer and her children.
Oct. 26, 2023: The jury for Troconis’ trial was seated.
Dec. 12. 2023: A judge granted the motion to suppress Troconis’ cell phone for the upcoming trial. He claimed the phone was taken unlawfully because there was no warrant for it in the spring of 2019.
Dec. 20, 2023: The judge in the suppression hearing ruled that statements Troconis made in interviews with police may be used in her trial.
2024
Jan. 4, 2024: Troconis' trial was postponed by a few days to seat more alternate jurors. It was supposed to start on Jan. 8, but was pushed back to Jan. 11.
Jan. 10, 2024: Jennifer Dulos' family and friends released a statement ahead of Michelle Troconis' trial. You can read it here.
Jan. 11, 2024: Michelle Troconis' trial will begin.
