More than four years after her arrest, jury selection has begun in Stamford for Michelle Troconis. She is one of the two alleged co-conspirators in Jennifer Dulos' murder.
The New Canaan mother of five dropped her children off at school on May 24, 2019, and hasn't been seen since. Authorities believe she is dead.
Her estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, was charged with murder before his death back in 2020.
Troconis was Fotis Dulos' girlfriend and has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, hindering prosecution and tampering with physical evidence.
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At the center of her three arrest warrants, state police describe recorded interviews with Troconis, DNA evidence, surveillance video and information downloaded from her cell phone.
State police said Troconis' DNA was found on three of the trash bags left along Albany Avenue in Hartford by Fotis Dulos that contained Jennifer Dulos' blood.
Troconis has maintained her innocence in Jennifer Dulos' disappearance.
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The pandemic largely postponed the trial, which begins at Stamford Superior Court on Wednesday.
Troconis' attorney requested to move the trial to Hartford after conducting a public opinion poll that found a large percentage of people in Stamford knew about the case.
A judge denied this request.
Troconis was in court Wednesday to listen to questioning for the men and women who could decide her case.
The jury for Troconis’ trial will consist of six regular jurors and six alternates.
“This is gonna be a slow process, it seems that a lot of people have opinions,” Jon Schoenhorn, attorney for Troconis, said.
The initial 30 potential jurors were handed a witness list and asked if they recognized any of the names.
Jurors who were not immediately excused were then asked five questions:
Have you heard about the case, do you regularly follow media reports about the case, have you posted to social media about the case, have you formed an opinion about the defendant and are you able to not follow media reports, have conversations about or investigate the case? The potential jurors were also informed the trial will be livestreamed.
Jennifer Dulos’ family said in a statement, “We are relieved that the trial process is underway and we are endlessly grateful to the Connecticut State's Attorney office for their commitment, diligent work and support.”
Jury selection is expected to take up to a month.
The trial is scheduled to start in January, but Troconis' attorney said he plans to ask for an earlier date.
The evidence portion of the trial is set to start on Jan. 8 and it is expected to last at least six weeks.
Local attorney Kent Mawhinney was also arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. He represented Fotis Dulos in previous civil cases unrelated to Jennifer Dulos' disappearance.
