New photos of apparent bloodstains in the home of mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos were shown to jurors in the trial of Michelle Troconis, the woman accused of covering up her murder.
Troconis, 49, a glamorous American-Venezuelan socialite who was dating Jennifer's ex-husband Fotis Dulos at the time of her death, appeared petrified as she arrived at the Connecticut Supreme Court on Tuesday for the third day of her trial.
She watched carefully the police photos shown and appeared to be listening to a translation of the hearing through headphones.
Fotis and Jennifer were in the middle of a bitter divorce and custody battle when she disappeared on May 24, 2019 and he was later charged with her murder.
But in January 2020 he took his own life, leaving Troconis alone with his music. She denied any involvement in Jennifer's disappearance.
Troconis' trial began in Stamford on Thursday last week before being adjourned over the weekend and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Michelle Troconis appeared petrified as she arrived at the Connecticut Supreme Court on Tuesday
Troconis' trial began in Stamford on Thursday last week before being adjourned over the weekend and on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Pictured: Troconis arrives at the Stamford courthouse with her mother and a member of her legal team)
Troconis arrived at Jennifer Dulos' trial accompanied by her mother (right) and her legal team, including attorney Jon Schoenhorn (left).
Troconis started straight as she approached court Tuesday for the third day of her trial
Troconis and her attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, arrive at the Stamford courthouse before the third day of her trial. The American-Venezuelan defendant has denied all allegations
Michelle Troconis in court on the third day of her trial
Troconis consulted with her attorneys at times during the trial in Stamford, CT
On Tuesday, jurors heard more evidence of what investigators described as “blood-like stains” on multiple surfaces at Jennifer's New Canaan CT home, where she lived with her five children
Jurors were presented with evidence of “blood-like stains” on the floor of Dulos' garage
Police said they also found red stains in Dulos' kitchen, including on the inner tube of a paper towel roll, on the faucet at her sink and on the edge of a countertop
Former state police investigator Matthew Reilly said he discovered red stains on several surfaces in Jennifer's kitchen, including a paper towel roll, a sink faucet and a countertop – and in her garage
On Tuesday, jurors heard more evidence of what investigators described as “blood-like stains” on multiple surfaces at Jennifer's New Canaan CT home, where she lived with her five children, who were between eight and 13 years old at the time.
Former state police investigator Matthew Reilly said he discovered red stains on May 25, 2019, on several surfaces in Jennifer's kitchen, including a paper towel roll, the sink faucet and countertop – and in her garage.
Jurors were also shown photos of alleged blood stains on Jennifer's Chevy Suburban, which was found abandoned about three miles from her home the day after she disappeared.
Former Detective Reilly said he wiped the stains and some of the garage samples tested positive for blood. The samples were sent to a laboratory for confirmation, but none of the witnesses have yet testified about these results.
Troconis' trial began last week with testimony from several other Connecticut detectives. Jurors were also shown bodycam footage of officers searching her home and what appeared to be a bloody footprint on the floor.
According to police, Fotis transported her body from the garage and later disposed of it in a friend's SUV.
Troconis, a former ESPN anchor in South America, denies charges related to the alleged murder – including conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence and obstruction of prosecution.
Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared in May 2019. Her remains have never been found, but police believe she was murdered by her husband Fotis Dulos and that his new girlfriend Michelle Troconis conspired with him to help him cover up the murder to help crime
Jennifer and Fotis Dulos
Troconis – who is accused of helping his lover Fotis Dulos kill his wife in 2019 – is currently free on a $2 million bond and faces up to twenty years in prison if convicted
Troconis will be in court on Tuesday, January 16, 2024, for the third day of her trial
Troconis looked pensive as she listened to her trial unfold on the third day of proceedings
Troconis speaks with her lawyers, including Jon Schoenhorn, during her trial on Tuesday
A “red stain” on the grill of Jennifer Dulos' Range Rover on May 24, 2019, the day she disappeared. Police who searched the home said they noticed it and did not appear to be the result of a deer attack. The state alleges Fotis Dulos killed his wife either in the house or garage, injured her so badly that she bled profusely, and then removed her body
Police also found a bloody footprint in the garage where they believe Jennifer's body was taken
The police also pointed out that, in their opinion, there were “drops of blood” in the same garage
Jennifer disappeared on May 24, 2019, at the age of 50, after dropping off her children at school, and her body was never found. Judge William P. Osterndorf declared her “officially dead” on Wednesday.
Prosecutors allege Fotis, a luxury real estate developer, brutally murdered Jennifer in her New Canaan home before disposing of her body in several trash bags with the help of Troconis.
Jennifer, who made a living as a writer for Patch.com, was last seen on a neighbor's security camera returning home at 8:05 a.m.
She missed two doctor's appointments scheduled for later in the day in New York City, and two of her friends, including her nanny Lauren Almeida, reported her missing after they were unable to contact her.
State police began an investigation and began a search of her home. They found her blood splattered on the outside of a Range Rover in her garage and on several surfaces in the kitchen.
Officials said there was evidence of a cleanup attempt and the massive amount of blood made it clear Jennifer could not have survived.
She was going through a difficult divorce with Fotis at the time, and arrest warrants show he was also $7 million in debt while living with Troconis and their daughter in the Farmington, Connecticut, home he once owned with his wife and his family shared with children.
The Dulos children – Petros, Theodore, Constantine, Christiane and Cleopatra Noelle – were between eight and 13 years old at the time.
Jennifer Dulos is pictured in a photo released by police when she went missing
Jennifer, a 50-year-old writer and mother of five from New Canaan, near Stamford, disappeared after dropping off her five beloved children at school on May 24, 2019
Fotis (pictured) killed himself in his villa aged 52 while awaiting trial in January 2020, leaving Troconis alone with music
Prosecutors believe Fotis drove an employee's Toyota Tacoma pickup truck from that property to New Canaan before riding his bicycle to Jennifer's home and attacking her in the garage.
He placed her body in her Chevrolet Suburban and drove about three miles, police said. The vehicle was found abandoned near Waveny Park in New Canaan.
That evening around 7:30 p.m., Fotis and Troconis were seen on surveillance cameras in his pickup truck, which stopped at several locations in Hartford. Fotis exited the vehicle to dispose of several bags of trash while Troconis remained inside.
A few days later, police recovered some of the bags and found bloody clothing, zip ties and other items that contained DNA matching Jennifer and Fotis. According to authorities, Troconis' DNA was also on one bag.
In police interviews, Troconis said she believed the bags contained goods from one of the houses Fotis was selling at the time.
Officers also uncovered the so-called “alibi scripts” – two pages written by Fotis and Troconis that detailed their activities almost hourly on the day Jennifer was last seen, but did not include the time when the bags were disposed of.
Troconis claimed they detailed their actions on the advice of Fotis' attorney.
But her arrest warrant also says she told police conflicting stories in three interviews about whether she saw Fotis the morning Jennifer died.
That morning, Fotis was supposed to meet with Kent Mawhinney, his friend and lawyer, but they never met. Mawhinney has also been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty.
Jennifer Dulos went missing in May 2019 and her body was never found despite extensive searches by investigators. Her husband, Fotis, took his own life the following January after being charged with her murder
Venezuelan socialite Troconis (left with Dulos and right with her daughter) has always denied having any involvement in Jennifer's death
Meanwhile, Jon Schoenhorn, Troconis' lawyer, has accused police of lying and misleading his client during interviews and questioning her in English without an interpreter, even though her primary language is Spanish.
Schoenhorn has also challenged much of the evidence in the case. Judge Kevin Randolph recently ruled that police's seizure of Troconis' cell phone was illegal and the evidence obtained from it could not be used during the trial.
But Randolph allowed other evidence that Schoenhorn sought to ban, including video of Troconis' police interview and DNA test results.
Dulos' family and friends hope the trial will take responsibility for her death and provide answers to unanswered questions.
“As we begin this process, it is important to remember who is at the center: Jennifer, whose five children have lost their mother and possibly both parents,” her friend Carrie Luft said in a statement on behalf of family and friends.
“Jennifer’s family and loved ones have lost a loving daughter, sister, cousin and lifelong friend.”