Jennifer Dulos murder: Michelle Troconis issues public statement
STAMFORD, Connecticut (WABC) -- Michelle Troconis, the woman charged in connection with the murder of mother of five Jennifer Dulos in Connecticut, issued a statement regarding the case Thursday.
It is her first public comment since the death of ex-boyfriend Fotis Dulos, who died by suicide in January while accused of killing his estranged wife.
Troconis' attorney Jon Schoenhorn said his client has been wanting to speak out for a while, but the court dates kept getting pushed back.
Her statement, as follows, was an audio recording in Spanish that was translated into English by Schoenhorn's office.
"My name is Michelle Troconis. For the past year, people have said many things about me, some kind, some cruel. I was advised by my lawyers to remain quiet and rely on the justice system, which is very frustrating for me because there is a lot I would wish to say.
It has been nearly a year since I first heard about the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos. As a mother, I am saddened for the loss that these five children have suffered, being left without both parents in such a short period of time. But despite the way I have been treated by the police, I know nothing about Jennifer Dulos' whereabouts or what may have happened to her.
I know that under American law, I don't have to prove my innocence, but actually to me it feels that way, during all this time while under public scrutiny.
To those who are quick to judge people they do not know, let me say this: It is possible to misjudge others. Whether or not Fotis Dulos was capable of doing the things the police and prosecutors accused him of doing, I do not know. But based on what I have learned in the last year, I think it was a mistake to have trusted him."
In February, Schoenhorn unsuccessfully argued for the judge to lift court imposed restrictions. Troconis wanted her electronic monitoring ankle bracelet removed and her house arrest lifted as part of her bond release, and her attorney argued she should be allowed to shop and go out for approved work trips.
The judge denied her request to leave the state and also the request to have the monitor removed but ruled Troconis was allowed to shop for basic necessities and leave her house for approved work appointments.
Fotis Dulos died after he was found unresponsive inside his car in the garage of his Farmington home, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning, after he failed to show up for a previously scheduled bond hearing.
He is accused of killing Jennifer Dulos, though he denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to murder and kidnapping charges.
Troconis and attorney Kent Mawhinney, who represented Fotis Dulos in a civil matter, were also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
No suicide note was found in Fotis Dulos' home, but police did find a document in which Dulos reiterated his innocence and that of Troconis and Mawhinney.
Jennifer Dulos was last seen on May 24 driving a 2017 black Chevrolet Suburban shortly after dropping her kids off at school in New Canaan.
Her body has not been found, but Connecticut State Police said there has been no activity on any of her financial accounts since the day before she went missing, no activity on her cellphone, and no one has seen or heard from her.
Fotis and Jennifer Dulos were embroiled in a contentious divorce battle, and state police have alleged in court papers that Fotis Dulos was "lying in wait" for Jennifer Dulos at home and that a violent assault took place in the garage.
Previous court documents revealed that clothing and sponges soaked with Jennifer Dulos' blood were found in trash cans in Hartford, where surveillance cameras captured a male appearing to be Fotis Dulos wearing a baseball cap and disposing of garbage bags in more than 30 different receptacles along a four-mile stretch of Albany Avenue.
The children are currently being cared for by Jennifer Dulos' mother.
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