WATCH LIVE: Michelle Troconis' trial underway in Jennifer Farber Dulos case
The trial for Michelle Troconis, a woman charged in connection to the disappearance and death of a Connecticut mother, is underway in a Stamford courtroom.
STAMFORD, Conn. (WTNH) – The trial for Michelle Troconis, a woman charged in connection with the disappearance and death of a Connecticut mother, is underway in a Stamford courtroom.
The trial comes more than four years after Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared in New Canaan and only months after a judge officially declared her dead.
Farber Dulos, a mother of five, was last seen in May 2019. After she was reported missing, officers with the New Canaan police responded to her residence and found blood evidence on a Range Rover parked in the garage bay, along with more blood evidence in multiple areas of the garage and in her Chevrolet Suburban, which was found abandoned in New Canaan, according to court filings.
Farber Dulos had previously moved from Farmington to New Canaan after separating from her husband, Fotis Dulos.
The state’s chief medical examiner, commenting on the officers' findings, indicated that Farber Dulos sustained injuries he would consider "'non-survivable' without medical intervention." He categorized the event as “homicide of violence.”
Dulos' body has never been found. More than four years after her disappearance, a Connecticut court finally declared her dead.
“To date, more than four years have passed and the body of Jennifer has not been located,” Judge William P. Osterndorf said in October 2023 upon issuing a declaration of death. “Neither Jennifer’s mother, children or other family members and friends have been contacted by Jennifer since May 24, 2019. The inescapable conclusion is Jennifer is dead.”
Police arrested Fotis Dulos in January 2020 and charged him with felony murder, murder and kidnapping in connection with his estranged wife’s disappearance and presumed death. He pleaded not guilty and died a few days after attempting suicide at his Farmington home.
Michelle Troconis, who was dating Fotis Dulos at the time of Farber Dulos' disappearance, was charged with second-degree hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and conspiracy to commit murder.
Troconis has denied any involvement in Farber Dulos’ disappearance.
Hundreds of witnesses are expected to be called to testify in the multi-week trial, including officers from multiple police departments, the FBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Nexstar's WTNH will be offering live coverage of the trial. Updates on the case can also be found at WTNH.com.