The girlfriend of a luxury home builder accused in the 2019 disappearance and death of her boyfriend’s estranged wife was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder by a Connecticut jury Friday.
Michelle Troconis, 49, was also convicted of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution in the killing of Jennifer Dulos, 50, a mother of five whose body has never been found. A judge issued her declaration of death last October.
After a 7-week trial, the six-member jury deliberated for two full days. Troconis laid her head down on the defense table after the verdict was read.
Her sentencing was scheduled for May 31. The judge set her bond at $6 million.
For more on the death of Jennifer Dulos, tune in to “A Life Interrupted” on "Dateline" at 9 ET/8 CT tonight.
Troconis had claimed innocence in the case.
In a statement, a spokeswoman for Jennifer Dulos' family called the verdict "a crucial attribution of accountability, not a victory. There can be no victory when five children are growing up without their mother."
Speaking outside the courthouse, Troconis’ relatives described the jury's decision as an injustice.
“My sister is innocent of all the charges she was convicted of,” Claudia Marmol told reporters. “We still don’t know what happened to Jennifer. We too care to know the truth of what happened to Jennifer. Choosing and putting my sister as the guilty person is not the right thing to do.”
The family's lawyer, Jon Schoenhorn, told reporters he plans to file a motion arguing for a new trial.
Fotis Dulos, Troconis’ boyfriend, had been charged with felony murder, kidnapping and other crimes in the case before his death on Jan. 30, 2020.
Fotis Dulos, 52, was on house arrest at the time after posting a $6 million bond. He attempted suicide at his home in Farmington, west of Hartford, and died two days later, after being flown to a New York hospital and placed in a hyperbaric chamber.
Fotis Dulos left a note denying involvement in the disappearance that his attorney later released.
A close friend of Fotis Dulos’, Kent Mawhinney, was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
Jennifer Dulos was last seen on May 24, 2019. In arrest warrants, authorities said her blood was found in her home, and surveillance video from that day showed Fotis Dulos stuffing garbage bags into trash cans in nearby West Hartford. The bags were stuffed with zip ties, gloves, tape and other items, according to the warrants.
He was also captured on camera allegedly disposing altered license plates, the warrants say.
Bloodlike stains that matched Jennifer Dulos’ DNA were found on a paper towel and a poncho inside the bags, the documents say.
Troconis’ DNA was found on some of the items, according to the documents, and the video showed she was with Fotis Dulos when he threw away the bags.
She later admitted to investigators that she was with him in West Hartford but denied knowing what he was doing or what was in the bags, according to the warrants.
The former couple had five children together and were in the middle of a contentious custody dispute when she disappeared. Authorities alleged that Fotis Dulos was millions of dollars in debt and may have been able to gain access to their childrens' trust fund if he obtained custody.
In his letter, Fotis Dulos said authorities “fabricated” many of the allegations against him. He loved his children, he wrote, and would do “anything to be with them, but unfortunately we all have our limits.”