Woman convicted of ’19 murder plot

A woman was convicted Friday of conspiring to murder Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five who vanished from a wealthy Connecticut enclave in 2019 and was never found.

Michelle Troconis, 49, was convicted by a Stamford jury after a lengthy trial in which prosecutors laid out a case that she helped her then-boyfriend, Dulos’ husband, to plot and cover up the killing of his estranged wife as they battled each other in divorce and child custody proceedings.

Traconis’ family members were shocked and angered by the verdict, arguing that she is innocent and that the mystery over Jennifer Dulos’ disappearance is unfairly being blamed on her.

Fotis Dulos, who denied that he had anything to do with his estranged wife’s disappearance, never stood trial. He killed himself in January 2020 shortly after being charged with murder.

A spokesperson for Jennifer Dulos’ family, Carrie Luft, thanked the jury, judge and prosecutors but stressed that a “mother, daughter, sister, cousin and cherished friend” still remains missing.

“Today’s verdict is a crucial attribution of accountability,” Luft said in a statement. The family hopes the verdict might spur new leads.

Besides the conspiracy to commit murder charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, the jury convicted Traconisof hindering the prosecution and evidence tampering. Her bond was set at $6 million and she is scheduled to be sentenced May 31.

“While it’s our hope that today’s verdict brings Jennifer’s family and friends some peace, we also hope that someday we can provide resolution to the still-unanswered question of where Jennifer rests,” State’s Attorney Paul Ferencek said in a statement.