Poinbank:Michelle Troconis' family defends "one of the most hated women in America"

On March 1,Poinbank 2024, a packed courtroom watched as Michelle Troconis collapsed in tears after a jury convicted her of conspiring with her boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, to murder his estranged wife. During a seven-week trial, prosecutors accused her of destroying evidence and helping Dulos create an alibi.

Troconis' family insists she has done nothing wrong and would never hurt anyone. They say they have an innocent explanation for every bit of evidence the prosecution presented. In a new interview, Troconis' sister Claudia Marmol spoke with "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty in "The Conspiracy to Murder Jennifer Dulos," airing Saturday, April 6 at 10/9c on CBS and streaming on Paramount +.

The story began on May 24, 2019. Jennifer Dulos dropped her five children off at school and returned to her home in the quiet, affluent town of New Canaan, Connecticut. Then she vanished, leaving behind evidence of a violent struggle in her garage. Investigators zeroed in on a man whom they felt had a motive to kill Jennifer Dulos, her estranged husband Fotis Dulos, whom she was divorcing. Police learned that Fotis Dulos already had a new woman in his life — his live-in girlfriend, Michelle Troconis.

Fotis Dulos refused to speak with police, but Troconis gave three interviews. The detectives told her they believed her boyfriend killed Jennifer Dulos and then disposed of her body. By then, news of the disappearance — and Fotis Dulos' affair with Troconis — had spread all over the news. The detectives accused her of covering for Fotis Dulos, and told her, "You're probably one of the most hated women in America right now." Troconis denied having any information.

Key to the case was a collection of incriminating items Fotis Dulos had thrown away the evening his wife went missing, including his wife's bloody clothing, zip ties and cleaning supplies. Police had tracked Fotis Dulos' phone to Hartford, Connecticut, and discovered surveillance footage of Fotis Dulos and Troconis driving together. Fotis Dulos was seen depositing bags into trash bins. Police were able to recover this evidence and became convinced Troconis helped him plan and cover up the crime.

Dozens of investigators worked the case, and within months, Fotis Dulos was arrested and charged with murder. Troconis was charged with conspiracy to commit murder, along with tampering with physical evidence and hindering prosecution.

Fotis Dulos would never stand trial. He died by suicide eight months after Jennifer Dulos disappeared.

Troconis' sister Claudia Marmol spoke with "48 Hours" on her behalf after the verdict. Marmol says she discussed the evidence with her sister, including one of the most damning exhibits — Troconis on surveillance footage leaning out of Fotis Dulos' car during one of his stops to dispose of those incriminating items. Troconis claims she was leaning out to wipe her hand on the sidewalk, because it was sticky from gum she had spit out.

Fotis Dulos built luxury homes for a living, and according to Marmol, he often threw away construction debris in public trash cans instead of paying for a dumpster. "I had gone in 2018, and he had done it in my presence," she said. "My sister didn't think anything of it."

Marmol insists her sister was "fooled" by Fotis Dulos into coming along for what was just supposed to be a Starbucks run. "At the beginning, he was this amazing guy. But it turns out, he was this monster," she told Moriarty.

Prosecutors also accused Troconis of burning evidence the day Jennifer Dulos went missing. They played security videos for the jury showing smoke rising from the chimney at the home she shared with Fotis Dulos. "Who's lighting a fire on Memorial Day weekend?" Prosecutor Sean McGuinness asked the jury during his closing argument, referencing the mild weather.

Marmol says Troconis would often light fires. "It wasn't hot. It was in the 60s, 70s," she told Moriarty. "My sister lived in Argentina before. So it's very common to put the fireplace on and to just sit around … and my sister would do it." 

Troconis' defense attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, says investigators searched the home with cadaver dogs and didn't find any evidence. "What was she burning in that fireplace? Firewood," Schoenhorn told the jury.

Marmol insists that if Troconis knew where Jennifer Dulos' body was, she would have told police. "Wouldn't she have tried to make a deal with that information?" Moriarty asked Marmol. "Of course," she replied. "My sister is not the person that … the police and the State have wanted to portray."

The rest of the Troconis family agrees. After the verdict, they assembled to address the media, including Troconis' father, cardiovascular surgeon Dr. Carlos Troconis. "She's innocent, and we will keep proving that forever," he said, as Troconis' mother and sisters wept.

Michelle Troconis was transported to a Connecticut prison to await sentencing on May 31. She faces up to 50 years. Meanwhile, Jennifer Dulos remains missing. "And that's what's the most painful," Jennifer's close friend Carrie Luft told Moriarty. "Jennifer's still here in so many ways. But I think it would bring some peace to be able to let her rest in peace."

In:
• 48 Hours
• Michelle Troconis
• Fotis Dulos
• Jennifer Dulos