Michelle Troconis, a Connecticut woman convicted of helping her boyfriend kill his estranged wife in 2019, was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison.
Tronconis, 49, was convicted earlier this year of six criminal charges, including conspiracy to murder, in connection with the death of Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five from New Canaan.
Under the sentence imposed by Stamford Superior Court Judge Kevin Randolph, Troconis’ sentence will be suspended after 14 1/2 years and he will be on probation for five years.
The defense argued for probation, in stark contrast to the 45-year sentence sought by the prosecution.
“There are some old questions,” Judge Randolph told the court. “When does retaliation become revenge? What is the role of empathy? Should the court show sympathy for one side or the other? These are old questions.”
But if the prison sentence is commuted, Troconis could be eligible for parole after just seven and a quarter years — meaning his actual sentence is 12 and a half years — his Hartford lawyer, James Bergen, said.
Bergen said it was tough to listen to the emotional testimony from both sides on Friday, but the judge imposed an appropriate sentence.
“He was moved by his mission,” Bergen told NBC Connecticut. “He explained it as succinctly and logically as he could.”
Prior to sentencing, Judge Randolph vacated Troconis’ conviction for one count of conspiracy to tamper with evidence. This ruling will not affect her final sentence, and her sentences will run concurrently.
Troconis’ boyfriend, luxury home builder Fotis Dulos, who was a suspect in the disappearance of his estranged wife, died in 2020 two days after attempting suicide.
The man is suspected of killing Jennifer Dulos in her home and then taking her body and fleeing in a car, but the body has not yet been found.
Fotis Dulos has denied murdering his wife, who disappeared on May 24, 2019. She was subsequently declared dead by the probate court.
“It has left a hole in my heart that can never be filled,” the victim’s son, Petros Dulos, who was 13 when his mother was killed, said in court Friday. “My mother was everything to me.”
His parents were in the midst of a divorce, and the boy was often verbally abusive towards his mother.
“Because of the defendant’s actions, I will never be able to apologize to my mother for not being a better son when she needed me,” he said.
“I will never be able to convey how proud I am of my mother’s bravery and, most of all, how much I love her. This truth haunts me every day.”
Troconis mounted a stern defense of his sentence, denying charges that he plotted to oust Jennifer Dulos and become a wealthy suburban mom.
Troconis, a native Spanish speaker who listened to the proceedings through an interpreter, was described by family and friends as an animal lover and dedicated volunteer who worked with those less fortunate.
“From what I see, empathy and compassion are at the core of her being,” said the Rev. Christopher Solimane, pastor of the Avon Congregational Church. “I’ve heard all of her prayers for Jennifer and the children, and all of her concerns about this horrific ordeal.”
Solimene said testifying Friday came at great risk to himself and his church.
“There would have been nothing to gain and in many ways more to lose by offering her pastoral counselling or by opening the doors of our church to her,” Solimene said.
“But today, I can honestly say before God and the world that Michelle Troconis is a woman of not only substantial character, but an almost unique sense of ethics and kindness.”
The victim’s mother, Gloria Farber, said the family remains hopeful that his body will be found. Every year on Sept. 27, the victim’s birthday, the family releases purple balloons with messages to the victim in Central Park.
“We have searched for her remains every year for many years and that search is still ongoing,” she said. “Jennifer provided her children with love, wisdom and humor and she would have been so proud of their accomplishments. My children and I will always treasure her memory.”
Laurel Watts, a longtime friend of the victim, said Jennifer Dulos’ loved ones are still suffering.
“I spoke at a memorial without a body. My mother placed a headstone in an empty grave,” Watts said. “Because Troconis helped (Fotis) Dulos dispose of Jennifer’s body, all we have is her bloody bra and her stiff shirt cut down the middle with Jennifer’s blood and the terror it caused. Those are the only possessions my children have of their beautiful, kind mother.”
