Jennifer Dulos, the victim — Credit: Copyrighted — editorial use
Jennifer Farber Dulos, a writer and mother of five, was last seen on the morning of May 24, 2019, after dropping her children off at school in New Canaan, Connecticut. She and her husband, Fotis Dulos, were in the midst of a contentious divorce and child-custody dispute; in her divorce filings, Jennifer had written that she believed he would try to harm her if she pursued the case. She missed two medical appointments scheduled later that day, and that evening two friends, including the family's nanny, reported her missing after failing to reach her.
Investigators who searched Jennifer's home found blood spatter in the garage and kitchen; DNA testing matched most of the blood to Jennifer, though blood on the kitchen faucet was a mixture of her blood and Fotis's. A neighbor's security camera recorded Jennifer's Chevrolet Suburban leaving the home that morning, and authorities concluded Fotis was driving it, along with Jennifer's body and cleanup materials. That evening, Fotis and his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, were recorded on video disposing of garbage bags containing bloodied clothing and cleaning items in Hartford; Fotis's DNA was found on a glove inside one bag. Investigators concluded that Fotis had arrived at the house by bicycle and lay in wait for Jennifer before attacking her in the garage. Jennifer's vehicle was later found abandoned near Waveny Park in New Canaan, and her body has never been found.
On June 1, 2019, Fotis and Troconis were arrested and charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution; both pleaded not guilty, and were arrested again on the same charges in September 2019. In August 2019, a shallow grave containing bags of lime and a tarp, but no body, was found on a secluded property owned by Kent Mawhinney, Fotis's friend and former attorney.
In January 2020, Fotis was arrested again and charged with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping; Troconis and Mawhinney were each charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Later that month, Fotis failed to appear at a bond hearing and was found unresponsive at his Farmington home after poisoning himself with carbon monoxide. He died two days later, on January 30, 2020, without having stood trial.
Troconis was convicted in March 2024 of all six charges against her, including conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering, and hindering prosecution, and was sentenced in May 2024 to fourteen and a half years in prison. Mawhinney was sentenced to eleven months in prison.
Because Jennifer's body was never recovered, a Connecticut court initially denied a family request to declare her legally dead, citing a required seven-year waiting period; in October 2023 another court granted an expedited declaration of death, citing the advanced age of her children's legal guardian. In 2021, Connecticut lawmakers passed "Jennifers' Law," a domestic-violence bill named in part for Jennifer, expanding the legal definition of domestic violence to include coercive control; it was signed on June 28, 2021.
Jennifer filed for divorce in Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford and moved to New Canaan with the children.
2018-02
Jennifer's mother sued Fotis over $1.7 million in loans made to him by Jennifer's father.
2018-03
Following Fotis's violation of prior custody orders, a judge awarded Jennifer sole physical custody of the children, with joint legal custody shared and Fotis granted supervised visitation.
2019-05-24
Jennifer was last seen dropping her children off at school in New Canaan; she was reported missing that evening after failing to keep two medical appointments and not answering calls from friends.
2019-06-01
Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis were arrested and charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution; both pleaded not guilty.
2019-08
A shallow grave containing bags of lime and a tarp, but no body, was discovered on a secluded property owned by Kent Mawhinney, a friend and former attorney of Fotis Dulos.
2019-09
Fotis Dulos and Michelle Troconis were arrested again on tampering-with-evidence charges and again pleaded not guilty.
2020-01
Fotis Dulos was arrested and charged with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping; Michelle Troconis and Kent Mawhinney were each arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder.
2020-01-28
Fotis Dulos failed to appear at an emergency bond hearing and was found unresponsive at his Farmington, Connecticut home after poisoning himself with carbon monoxide.
2020-01-30
Fotis Dulos died after being taken off life support, without having stood trial.
2020-10
Jennifer's family petitioned a Connecticut court to have her declared legally dead.
2021-01
Connecticut State Police searched a Farmington property once owned by Fotis Dulos's real estate company for possible additional evidence, using a forensic specialist in locating unmarked graves; no findings were disclosed.
2021-06-28
Connecticut enacted "Jennifers' Law," a domestic-violence bill named in part for Jennifer Dulos that expanded the legal definition of domestic violence to include coercive control.
2023-10
A Connecticut court granted an expedited declaration of Jennifer Dulos's death, citing the advanced age of her children's legal guardian.
2024-03
Michelle Troconis was convicted on all six charges against her, including conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering, and hindering prosecution.
2024-05
Michelle Troconis was sentenced to fourteen and a half years in prison.
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Titles and descriptions are the creators’ own and may not reflect current legal status; see the dossier above for sourced case facts.
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People
Kent Mawhinney
CONVICTED
Fotis Dulos's friend and former attorney; charged with conspiracy to commit murder in January 2020 in connection with Jennifer Dulos's disappearance, and ultimately sentenced to eleven months in prison.
Jennifer Farber Dulos
VICTIM
Victim; a New Canaan, Connecticut mother of five who disappeared on May 24, 2019, and was later ruled legally dead in October 2023.
Fotis Dulos
CHARGED
Jennifer's estranged husband; charged with capital murder, murder, and kidnapping in January 2020 in connection with her disappearance. Died by suicide on January 30, 2020, before the case went to trial.
Michelle Troconis
CONVICTED
Fotis Dulos's girlfriend; convicted in March 2024 of six charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering, and hindering prosecution, in connection with Jennifer Dulos's disappearance and death. Sentenced in May 2024 to fourteen and a half years in prison.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Jennifer Dulos, a mother of five in New Canaan, Connecticut, disappeared on May 24, 2019, after being attacked at her home; her body has never been found, and she was declared legally dead in 2023. Her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was charged with her murder but died by suicide in January 2020 before trial, while his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, was convicted in 2024 of related charges.
Where did the murder happen?
New Canaan, Connecticut, United States.
Who was convicted?
Kent Mawhinney (Fotis Dulos's friend and former attorney; charged with conspiracy to commit murder in January 2020 in connection with Jennifer Dulos's disappearance, and ultimately sentenced to eleven months in prison.) and Michelle Troconis (Fotis Dulos's girlfriend; convicted in March 2024 of six charges, including conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering, and hindering prosecution, in connection with Jennifer Dulos's disappearance and death. Sentenced in May 2024 to fourteen and a half years in prison.).
