Michelle Troconis To Appeal Prison Sentence In Jennifer Dulos Case

STAMFORD, CT — Michelle Troconis, who was sentenced to 14 and a half years in prison on Friday in connection with the disappearance and death of Jennifer Farber Dulos, will appeal the sentence, her attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, confirmed.

Speaking to reporters outside of Stamford Superior Court following the sentencing, Schoenhorn said he did not believe that his client received a fair trial.

"I don't think there was anything fair about this entire process," Schoenhorn said. "I don't think this case should have been heard here in Stamford from the get-go. I do not believe that the publicity surrounding this case for years did not play a role in the charging, in the prosecution and in the verdict. I'm not going to criticize [Superior Court Judge Kevin Randolph], but there were many, many issues that I believe were decided in error. But that's not for me to decide, that's going to be for the Connecticut Appellate Court or the Connecticut Supreme Court."

Schoenhorn said he will prepare and file the notice of appeal in the next couple of weeks, and will challenge that the trial was held in Stamford (he had sought to have the case moved to Hartford, where the crimes Troconis was alleged to have committed occurred); that his request for a speedy trial was not granted (he had sought a trial in September, but the trial was not started until January); among other things.

When the appeal will be heard, Schoenhorn said he does not know. A trial for the second defendant in the case, Kent Mawhinney, a former friend of the late Fotis Dulos, has not yet been scheduled.

Troconis was convicted on March 1 of all six charges she faced, including conspiracy to commit murder. Judge Randolph dismissed one of the tampering with evidence charges on Friday.

"I still believe there was not sufficient evidence presented to prove that Michelle knew anything about what Fotis Dulos was planning with his wife," Schoenhorn said.

Claudia Troconis, one of Michelle's sisters, agreed.

"There was insufficient evidence to convict Michelle, and there were legal flaws with this process," Claudia said outside of court. "Both families have suffered endlessly. The only thing we know is that Fotis Dulos killed Jennifer, and Michelle Troconis had absolutely nothing to do with it, before, during or after Fotis killed Jennifer. Michelle would never be capable of harming anyone."

Friday's sentencing hearing featured powerful impact and character statements from Gloria Farber, Jennifer's mother, and Jennifer's five children, who now range in age from 13 to 18. The children — Petros, Theodore, Christiane, Constantine and Noelle — were five years younger when their mother died.

Click here to view Law & Crime Network's coverage of the sentencing.

After the hearing, Carrie Luft, a longtime friend of Jennifer's who is the Farber family's spokesperson, issued the following statement about the sentencing:

Judge Randolph’s sentences today reflect the maximum time for each charge across all five counts, reinforcing the severity of the defendant’s crimes. The judge’s decision to have the sentences run concurrently mitigates the impact in terms of years to be served, but the message is clear: grievous crimes without remorse incur serious consequences.

For us, there is some relief in knowing the defendant will serve substantial time for her crimes, starting now. This painful chapter has come to a close, but the legal process continues, and none of it will bring Jennifer back. The courageous, eloquent, and powerfully loving statements from her five children today made that achingly evident. We will continue to honor Jennifer’s memory and spirit in every way we can, day by day.

We thank Judge Randolph for his careful, expert consideration of all the factors involved in sentencing and acknowledge his wise observation that “every exercise is not ‘either/or.’” We are deeply grateful to prosecutor Michelle Manning for her thoughtful involvement of Jennifer’s family and loved ones in the proceedings and to everyone in the state’s attorney’s office for their years of commitment to this case. Heartfelt thanks also to the investigators who have supported us throughout this experience and who continue to search for Jennifer.

Thank you for respecting the privacy of Jennifer’s family and loved ones at this time.

The Dulos case:

• Jennifer Farber Dulos' Family: Seeing Bloody Evidence Was 'Brutal'
• Jennifer Dulos Case: Jury Hears Authorities Feared For Troconis' Life
• Jennifer Dulos Case: New Updates As Mystery Remains Unsolved
• New DNA Evidence Disclosed In Jennifer Dulos Disappearance
• New Documentary Explores Jennifer Dulos Murder Mystery
• Troconis Wants Evidence Thrown Out In Dulos Disappearance Case
• Mystery Continues 3 Years After Jennifer Farber Dulos' Disappearance
• New Details On How Jennifer Dulos May Have Died: Warrant
• Jennifer Dulos Case: Examination Of Forensic Evidence Continues
• Fotis Dulos Pressed Witness To Destroy Evidence: Court Testimony
• Jennifer Dulos Case: Troconis To Face Contempt Charge In Trial
• Jurors Dismissed, Blood Evidence Presented In 1st Week Of Dulos Trial