A woman convicted of helping her boyfriend plot and cover up the murder of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, during contentious divorce and child custody proceedings in 海角换妻 was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison Friday.
Judge Kevin Randolph in Stamford handed down the punishment to in the 2019 disappearance of Dulos, whose body has never been found since
Prosecutors say Dulos鈥� husband, , killed her at her home and drove away with her body, which has never been found. in 2020, shortly after being charged with murder. He had denied killing his wife.
Troconis, 49, was living with Fotis Dulos when his wife disappeared. Troconis was convicted in March of conspiracy to commit murder, hindering prosecution and evidence tampering.
Randolph on Friday issued a 20-year prison sentence, to be suspended after 14 1/2 years. Troconis must serve five years probation. Some of Jennifer Dulos' family and friends said in the courtroom that the sentence wasn鈥檛 nearly long enough.
Troconis鈥� lawyer asked the judge to release her on bond pending an appeal. Randolph denied the request.
About 80 people packed the courtroom for the sentencing, with Jennifer Dulos鈥� family and friends on one side and Troconis鈥� supporters on the other. All five of Dulos鈥� children, as well as her mother Gloria Farber attended.
Jennifer Dulos has not been seen since she dropped her five children off at school on May 24, 2019.
Farber told the court she knew 鈥渟omething terrible had happened鈥� when her daughter did not return calls or texts that day. She said her daughter 鈥渙nly wanted to give and get love and be a loving mother.鈥�
Jennifer Dulos鈥� oldest child, 18-year-old Petros Dulos, said his mother鈥檚 death left him with 鈥渁 hole inside of me that I know I will never fill.鈥�
He said he had been close to his mother but struggled during the divorce.
鈥淭he defendant's actions mean that I will never be able to tell my mom how sorry I am for not being a better son when she needed me,鈥� he said.
Lauren Almeida, the Dulos family's nanny, asked Troconis: 鈥淲here is she, Michelle?鈥�
Jennifer Dulos' disappearance was the subject of documentaries and a made-for-TV movie, Lifetime鈥檚 鈥淕one Mom.鈥�
She belonged to a wealthy New York City family. Her father, the late Hilliard Farber, founded the brokerage Hilliard Farber & Co. after running Chase Manhattan Bank's bond trading desk. She also was a niece by marriage of fashion designer Liz Claiborne.
Troconis, a dual American and Venezuelan citizen, said she co-founded a horse-riding therapy program, had owned a TV production company in Argentina, and hosted a snow-sports show for ESPN South America. Fotis Dulos was a luxury home builder from Greece.
Troconis' family and friends described her Friday as upright and caring.
Her pastor, the Rev. Christopher Solimene of Avon Congregational Church, said Troconis attended Bible study and cooked for the church soup kitchen. 鈥淗er heart is big for all of God's created, especially for children and those afflicted with disability,鈥� Solimene said.
Troconis' mother, Marisela Arreaza, said her daughter was a loving mother to her teenage daughter and was not the homewrecker portrayed by Dulos' friends.
鈥淲hen Michelle met Fotis Dulos, he presented himself as a family-oriented man going through an amicable divorce,鈥� Arreaza said. 鈥淢ichelle believed Fotis and had no reason to doubt him."
Troconis' daughter, Nicole, 17, told Judge Kevin Randolph: 鈥淢ichelle isn鈥檛 just my mother. She鈥檚 my best friend, my rock and my guiding light."
Troconis spoke last, saying: 鈥淚 am a person of profound faith and I have been praying and continue to pray for those who have suffered and continue to suffer.鈥�
As he issued the sentence, Randolph said: 鈥淔rom what the court has heard, she has a great deal to offer.鈥�
Authorities believe Fotis Dulos killed his wife because of his growing frustration with their divorce and child custody proceedings.
Jennifer Dulos had been living with the children in New Canaan while Fotis Dulos stayed in the family鈥檚 10,000-square-feet (929-square-meter) home about 70 miles (115 kilometers) away in Farmington.
Hours after Jennifer Dulos was last seen alive, surveillance video recorded Troconis accompanying Fotis Dulos on a trip to Hartford, where he discarded trash bags from his pickup truck. Police later found some of the bags after seizing Fotis Dulos' cellphone, checking its location data and obtaining the surveillance video.
At Troconis鈥� trial, the prosecution and state forensic experts showed a shirt, bra and zip ties with blood-like stains that were found in one of the trash bags. DNA testing linked the items to Jennifer Dulos.
Troconis told police she didn't know what was in the bags or why Fotis Dulos dumped them.
Prosecutors also said Fotis Dulos left his cellphone at home on the day Jennifer Dulos vanished and Troconis answered a call to it from his friend that morning. They say that shows Troconis was in on the plot and tried to help him create an alibi. She denied the allegation.
Kent Mawhinney, a friend and former lawyer of Fotis Dulos, is awaiting trial on a murder conspiracy charge in Jennifer Dulos' disappearance. He has pleaded not guilty.
Although Jennifer Dulos' body has never been found, a probate judge declared her legally dead last year. The Dulos children are in Farber's custody in New York City.
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Associated Press reporters Karen Matthews and Philip Marcelo contributed from New York City.
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This story has been corrected to show Troconis was sentenced to 14 1/2 years in prison, not 20 years.
