Judge to Rule on Michelle Troconis' Attempt to Vacate Her Conspiracy to Murder Jennifer Dulos Conviction By Liam Quinn

Michelle Troconis, who was convicted of conspiring to murder Jennifer Dulos, will have her appeal heard in court.

In 2024, Troconis was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, hindering the prosecution and tampering with evidence in the 2019 death of Dulos and was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison, according to previous reports from NBC Connecticut, ABC News and WTIC.

Prosecutors had claimed that Troconis helped Dulos’ estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, dispose of her body following her disappearance in March 2019, per the outlets. Her body was never found.

Fotis was engaged in a custody battle with Jennifer at the time and was dating Troconis, according to NBC. He died by suicide in 2020 while facing murder charges.

Troconis has since filed a habeas corpus petition seeking to overturn her conviction, which will be heard by a judge beginning on Monday, Jan. 5, according to the Stamford Advocate.

According to the paper, the habeas trial will see a judge hear a constitutional challenge to Troconis’ conviction, which argued that she received ineffective counsel during her 2024 trial.

Troconis’ challenge argues that her original attorney, Andrew Bowman, allowed her to be questioned by police without immunity from prosecution and that statements she made were later the focal points used in the case against her, the Advocate reported.

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“There is no basis in fact or law to support this habeas petition,” Bowman previously said, per the paper. “I absolutely reject any claims that I did not render effective assistance of counsel.” 

It will ultimately be up to a judge to decide if Troconis indeed received ineffective counsel and if her conviction should be vacated.

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Dulos, a mother of five from New Canaan, Conn., filed for divorce from Fotis in 2017 — two years before she vanished, according to The New York Times.

The paper reported that Fotis was accused of attacking his estranged wife in her home after she dropped her kids off at school and restraining her with zip ties.

According to the Times, blood stains and spatter were found in her home following her disappearance.