Jennifer Dulos

New Dateline Episode Sheds Light on Jennifer Dulos Case

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The disappearance of Jennifer Dulos continues to capture the nation's attention. NBC Connecticut's own Shannon Miller appeared on Dateline Friday at 10 p.m. to go over the case.

But more than three years later, why has there been no trial? There's a few reasons for the delays - the biggest one being COVID-19.

If you travel over Avon Mountain, you've seen the memorial for Jennifer. Flowers are placed outside the reservoir off Route 44 in West Hartford and signs are displayed, calling for justice for the mother of five.

While charges have been filed against people, more than three years later, there's been no trial and no decision.

"A lot of that delay is because of COVID...And when there's nobody in custody in a case, you're at the end of the line," Shipman & Goodwin attorney Jim Bergenn said.

Bergenn, who's not affiliated with the case, says another reason is that the main suspect for investigators in the case is dead.

Jennifer was last seen in May of 2019 when she dropped her kids off at school. There's been no sign of the New Canaan mother and she's presumed dead.

Police charged her estranged husband Fotis Dulos with murder before he died by suicide in 2020. Fotis and his girlfriend Michelle Troconis were charged with tampering with evidence in connection with the disappearance.

Troconis and Kent Mawhinney, a friend of Fotis, were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Both say they had nothing to do with it, and have appeared in court several times.

Bergenn said with Troconis' attorney needing to go through large amounts of material, it will still probably take some more time to get to trial.

"I know John Schoenhorn is a highly motivated defense attorney, and he's got a client who is not happy about how her life has been. So he's eager to get going, but on the other hand, he's just been handed over these hundreds of thousands of documents. So I don't see how it can happen fast," Bergenn said.

On the anniversary of her disappearance this year, Jennifer's family wrote in part, "Above all, we miss Jennifer more than words can express, and we are thankful for the continuing support."

Troconis is due back in court next month.

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