Crime & Safety

Michelle Troconis' Lawyer Seeks To Move Jennifer Dulos Court Case

Troconis, one of the defendants in the Jennifer Farber Dulos disappearance case, appeared at a virtual court hearing on Tuesday.

Michelle Troconis is seeking to have her pending trial in the Jennifer Dulos disappearance case moved from Stamford to Hartford court. Patch file photo
Michelle Troconis is seeking to have her pending trial in the Jennifer Dulos disappearance case moved from Stamford to Hartford court. Patch file photo (Alfred Branch/Patch)

STAMFORD, CT — The attorney representing Michelle Troconis, one of the suspects accused of conspiracy in the disappearance of Jennifer Farber Dulos, argued in a court hearing Tuesday to have the case moved, but a prosecutor countered that they missed their chance.

Attorney Jon Schoenhorn said during the court hearing, which was held virtually as a concession to the coronavirus pandemic, that the conspiracy to commit murder charge his client faces "is alleged to have occurred" in Hartford County, not Fairfield County.

New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos disappeared from her home on May 24, 2019, and is presumed to be dead. Her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was accused of kidnapping and murdering her, but he took his own life in January before he could stand trial. Troconis, his former girlfriend, and Kent Mawhinney, an attorney and former friend of Fotis Dulos, face similar charges, and both have pleaded not guilty.

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Troconis and Fotis Dulos were living together in his Farmington home at the time of Jennifer Dulos' disappearance. In addition to conspiracy to commit murder, Troconis also is charged with hindering a prosecution and tampering with evidence, which stems from accusations that she helped Fotis discard items authorities believe were used to clean up blood in the garage where Jennifer was attacked.

Assistant State's Attorney Daniel Cummings argued to Judge John Blawie that for more than six months after Troconis' initial arrest on June 1, 2019, her then attorney Andrew Bowman not only did not object to the case being in Stamford court, but also consented to hold it there.

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Additionally, Troconis is accused of conspiring to commit a murder in New Canaan, which is where Jennifer was killed, Cummings added, though Schoenhorn countered that there is no evidence that she was actually killed there.

"The prosecution also charged Mr. Dulos with kidnapping, and there were zip ties found," Schoenhorn said, alluding to the possibility that Jennifer Dulos might have been killed somewhere other than in New Canaan.

"There is nothing showing that my client was in Fairfield County" as it pertains to the accusation of conspiracy, Schoenhorn said.

Cummings said that whether Jennifer Dulos was killed in New Canaan or not, "the overt act" occurred there.

In addition to seeking the change in venue, Schoenhorn also is seeking significant amounts of discovery evidence he told Judge Blawie he has not yet received.

"There appears to be cabinets worth of materials that I still have not received," Schoenhorn said.

In a motion filed in late September, Schoenhorn listed several items, such as underlying notes from lab tests of evidence; video footage (including video of Troconis being transported by police following her arrest); surveillance footage of a person riding a bicycle (who authorities believe was Fotis Dulos to get from Waveny Park to Jennifer Dulos' home on May 24); an unpublished manuscript written by Jennifer Dulos; the report in the custody battle between Fotis and Jennifer over their five children. Schoenhorn said his client testified in the custody case, and there might be information pertinent to his client's defense.

Chief State's Attorney Richard Colangelo said most of the requested materials have or will be turned over to Schoenhorn, including a hard drive with terabytes worth of information, but Colangelo added that he did not have the manuscript. He also said that he did not have the custody report, because it had been sealed by Judge Donna Nelson Heller.

During the hearing, Blawie learned that the custody case had been dismissed, and decided that he would review the report to determine whether it should be turned over to Schoenhorn.

"There are five minor children involved who are in my mind before I will rule on that," Blawie said. Schoenhorn said that he would state on the record that if allowed to see it, he would not share it publicly.

Finally, Schoenhorn also said that he has no idea what happened to photos taken of his client after she was strip searched by authorities, and he also needs them for her defense.

"For all I know, they've been passed around the [state police] barracks," Schoenhorn said.

Blawie said he will rule on the requests in the next several weeks, and set the next court date (which again might be virtual) for Jan. 25.

The Dulos case:


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