By Tim Stelloh—
NBC News
The girlfriend of a luxury home builder accused of the 2019 disappearance and death of her boyfriend's estranged wife was found guilty Friday by a Connecticut jury
of conspiracy to commit murder.
Michelle Troconis, 49, was also found guilty of tampering with evidence and hindering the investigation into the murder of Jennifer Dulos, 50, a mother of five whose body was never found.
A judge issued her death declaration in October.
Troconis appears in a Connecticut court on Thursday, February 22, 2024. Tyler Sizemore / Hearst Connecticut Media via AP
The jury deliberated for two full days.
After the verdict was read, Troconis rested his head on the table.
The sentencing to determine his punishment for these crimes was set for May 31.
Troconis
had pleaded not guilty
to all charges.
Fotis Dulos, Troconis' boyfriend, 52, had been charged with murder, kidnapping and other crimes linked to this case before his death in January 2020. He was under house arrest after posting $6 million bail when he attempted to commit suicide at his home in Farmington, west of Hartford;
He died two days later, after being flown to a New York hospital.
He left a note denying his involvement in the disappearance.
A close friend of Fotis Dulos, Kent Mawhinney, was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death.
He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The missing woman was last seen on May 24, 2019. In arrest warrants, authorities indicated that her blood was found in her home, and surveillance video from that day showed Fotis Dulos stuffing bags into cans of garbage in nearby West Hartford.
The bags were filled with gloves, duct tape and other items, warrants stated.
He was also caught on camera allegedly disposing of altered license plates, according to warrants.
Jennifer Dulos.Courtesy Carrie Luft
Blood stains matching Jennifer Dulos' DNA were found on a paper towel and a poncho in the bags, documents state.
Troconis' DNA was found on some of the items, documents say, and video showed she was with Fotis Dulos when he dropped the bags.
The woman admitted to investigators that she was with him in West Hartford, but she denied knowing what she was doing or what was in the bags, they said.
The victim and her husband had five children together and were in the middle of
a controversial custody dispute
when she disappeared.
The authorities alleged that Fotis Dulos had million-dollar debts and she could have accessed the trust for her children if she obtained custody.
In his note, Fotis Dulos stated that the authorities “made up” many of the accusations against him.
He loved his children, he wrote, and would do “anything to be with them.” “But, unfortunately, we all have our limits,” he added.