A Connecticut woman convicted of murdering her boyfriend’s ex-wife, whose disappearance five years ago garnered national attention and whose body has never been found, was sentenced Friday to 14 1/2 years in prison. years of prison.
The woman, Michelle Troconis, 49, was Fotis Dulos’ girlfriend when his wife, Jennifer Dulos, disappeared amid a turbulent divorce and custody battle over the couple’s five children.
Troconis was convicted in March of six charges related to Dulos’ murder, including conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. Dulos committed suicide in January 2020 after being accused of the murder.
On Friday, each of the five Dulos children spoke in court before Ms. Troconis was sentenced.
“I have been left with a void inside me that I know I will never be able to fill,” said Petros, one of Dulos’ sons. He was 13 years old when his mother disappeared. “My mother was everything to me.”
His twin brother Theodore addressed Mrs. Troconis directly.
“You showed no remorse and you still haven’t shown any to this day,” he said, calling for her to be sentenced to 50 years in prison, 10 years for each of her mother’s five children. “You hoped to get away with it because you thought you were above the law.”
Ms. Troconis expressed remorse when it was her turn to address the court.
“Your Honor, I am deeply saddened by this tragedy that has affected so many lives,” Troconis said through tears that lasted about a minute, adding that she regretted having a relationship with Dulos.
“I am a person of deep faith and I have been praying and will continue to pray for those who suffered and still suffer,” he said.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kevin A. Randolph sentenced Ms. Troconis to five years’ probation. She had faced up to 50 years in prison.
His attorney, Jon L. Schoenhorn, had asked for a sentence of probation. He said Friday that he planned to appeal his client’s conviction.
Ms. Dulos, 50, disappeared on May 24, 2019, after dropping her children off at school. Drones, dogs and helicopters scoured the state looking for her, but she was never found. A judge declared her dead four years later.
Before she disappeared, Dulos had accused her husband of threatening and controlling behavior. Ms. Troconis lived with Mr. Dulos in the Dulos’ home in Farmington, Connecticut, at the time, and Ms. Dulos lived in a rented house in New Canaan.
Ms. Troconis and Mr. Dulos drove to Hartford the night Ms. Dulos was reported missing and dumped trash bags full of evidence, according to prosecutors. The evidence included zip ties, clothing and a blood-stained kitchen sponge, prosecutors said.
Another of Dulos’ children, Noelle, told the court that “I’m scared to trust other people now because of Michelle Troconis.” Mrs. Troconis wiped her eyes after the girl spoke.
Friends and family of Ms. Troconis, including her parents, also addressed the court and asked Judge Randolph for leniency. They said that Mrs. Troconis was not a monster and that she had wrongly placed her trust in Mr. Dulos.
“My heart goes out to the Dulos children who lost both of their parents,” said Ms. Troconis’s father, Dr. Carlos Troconis, adding that his daughter “if given the opportunity, could continue to be a valued member of the society”.
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