STAMFORD, Conn. (TCD) — A 49-year-old woman will spend over 14 years behind bars for conspiring to kill a missing mother who was in the middle of a divorce with the defendant’s former boyfriend.
The State’s Attorney for the Stamford/Norwalk Judicial District announced May 31 that a judge sentenced Michelle Troconis to two decades in prison suspended after serving 14 1/2 years for the 2019 death of Jennifer Farber Dulos.
A jury found Troconis guilty in March of conspiracy to commit murder, two counts of conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence, two counts of tampering with physical evidence, and hindering prosecution. The judge vacated one of her charges of conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence. Troconis initially faced up to 45 years in prison.
Farber Dulos was reported missing to the New Canaan Police Department on May 24, 2019. The mother of five reportedly dropped her children off at school that morning, and that was the last time anyone had contact with her.
Officers responded to Farber Dulos’ home, but they didn’t find her, and her vehicle was located shortly after. According to The Associated Press, Dulos’ remains have never been found, and a probate judge declared her legally dead in 2023.
Prosecutors argued that Troconis conspired with her former boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, to kill the victim. At the time, Dulos and Farber Dulos were reportedly in the “middle of a contentious divorce and custody battle.”
Investigators believe Dulos killed his estranged wife and then fled with her body. After the slaying, Troconis reportedly drove with Dulos to Hartford to dispose of multiple trash bags. The state’s attorney’s office said investigators found clothing containing Farber Dulos’ blood, as well as altered license plates connected to a vehicle previously owned by the victim. Officials also located a trash bag that reportedly contained Troconis’ DNA.
Prosecutors argued that Troconis tried to hide her crimes by cleaning a vehicle and burning evidence in a fireplace. She also reportedly “manipulated Dulos’ cellphone shortly before Farber Dulos was murdered so Dulos could create an alibi.”
According to The Associated Press, Troconis was residing with Dulos when the victim went missing. Dulos was charged in his estranged wife’s death and took his own life in 2020.
Farber Dulos’ children and her mother were present in court for the sentencing hearing.
State’s attorney Paul Ferencek said, “Although Jennifer’s family and friends will probably never experience full closure from the trauma Troconis has thrust upon them, hopefully today’s sentence will afford them at least some sense that justice has been achieved.”
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