Jennifer Dulos Case: Troconis Again Denied Removal Of GPS Device

STAMFORD, CT — Michelle Troconis, one of two suspects in the Jennifer Farber Dulos disappearance case, this week was again denied the removal of the GPS monitoring device she wears above one of her ankles 24 hours a day.

During a remote hearing Tuesday in which all participants in the case appeared via videoconference, Troconis's attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, argued that his client has not violated the current terms of her release on bail. And he added that she is already allowed to travel, during which time the GPS device is not operable.

"At some point, this becomes a punishment," Schoenhorn said of Troconis having to wear the device since June 2019. Troconis appeared on camera during the hearing, but she did not speak.

Stamford Superior Judge Gary White disagreed with Schoenhorn.

"You're mischaracterizing this," White said, acknowledging that Troconis essentially lives out of state now. "It's not punishment. The state has an interest in knowing where she is."

Jennifer Dulos, a 50-year-old New Canaan mother of five, vanished from her home on May 24, 2019. She is presumed to be dead, based in part on blood and other evidence found in the garage of her home, but her body has not been found.

Fotis Dulos, her estranged husband, was accused of kidnapping and murdering her, and prosecutors said they believe Troconis and former attorney Kent Mawhinney assisted him in the crime. Fotis Dulos never stood trial for the crime, because he took his own life in January 2020.

Troconis and fellow suspect Mawhinney have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the case. Additionally, Troconis is facing other charges, such as tampering with physical evidence and hindering a prosecution.

Both Troconis, Fotis's ex-girlfriend, and Mawhinney, a former friend of Fotis's, have pleaded not guilty, and Mawhinney's case is moving forward and is marked for trial. His trial date has not been determined, but he is expected to testify against Troconis.

On Tuesday, Judge White also ordered Schoenhorn and Assistant State's Attorney Michelle Manning to continue to work together on Schoenhorn receiving discovery evidence he said he needs to mount Troconis's defense.

Among the items Schoenhorn seeks are documents related to an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security into whether there might have been Greek nationals who may have assisted Fotis Dulos in the crime.

Additionally, Schoenhorn continues to seek the return of several of his client's items, such as laptops and iPhones, that he said no longer hold evidentiary value because information has been removed from them. Manning said she will look into having those items returned.

"It's been almost three years later since they were taken," Schoenhorn said.

In a separate but related court filing on Monday, Schoenhorn also sought clarification on the decisions White made last week, in which the judge declined to drop some lesser charges against Troconis.

Schoenhorn argued that there were errors in the arrest warrant, but in his ruling, White wrote that the errors did not appear to be intentional or reckless but were "simply inadvertent."

"Please articulate the factual basis for the court's conclusion that Detective Kimball's false statements about the number of times the Ford Raptor stopped and the driver disposed of trash bags was 'simply inadvertent' as opposed to intentional or reckless," Schoenhorn wrote in one section of the Motion for Articulation and to Reargue.

Troconis's next remote pre-trial hearing is scheduled for June 7.

The Dulos case:

• New Details On How Jennifer Dulos May Have Died: Warrant
• Jennifer Dulos' Killer Still At Large, Says Fotis Dulos' Family
• Finding Jennifer Dulos Remains '#1 Focus' For Chief Prosecutor
• Jennifer Dulos Was Never In 'Human Grave' Prosecutor Says: Report
• Shocking Details Revealed In Case Of Missing New Canaan Mom
• The Haggling Over Fotis Dulos Estate Has Begun: Report
• New Documentary Explores Jennifer Dulos Murder Mystery
• Law Enforcement Convinced Someone Knows Where Jennifer Dulos Is