#Michelle Troconis faces new charges in Jennifer Dulos murder case

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Michelle Troconis enters the Stamford, Conn. Courthouse today.
Douglas Healey

Michelle Troconis was hit with additional charges Friday in connection with hiding evidence in the murder of Connecticut mom Jennifer Dulos, according to reports.

Chief State’s Attorney Richard Colangelo filed charges of second-degree hindering prosecution, tampering with physical evidence and conspiracy to commit tampering with physical evidence ahead of Troconis’ appearance in Stamford court, NBC Connecticut reported.

The fresh charges are related to surveillance video evidence that prosecutors claim shows Troconis and her late ex-boyfriend Fotis Dulos disposing items along Albany Avenue in Hartford on the same day Jennifer went missing.

Jennifer, Fotis’ estranged wife and mother of their five children, was last seen in New Canaan on May 24, 2019 after dropping off her kids at school.

The videos allegedly show Fotis throwing out trash bags that contained a shirt he wore the day of her disappearance and other items that had her blood on them, according to the Hartford Courant.

A woman resembling Troconis is in another recording, showing her getting out of the passenger side of Fotis’ pickup truck and then him allegedly ditching a package containing old license plates in a storm drain.

In one of the videos, Troconis allegedly leans out of the passenger side and wipes her hands on the ground, according to a News 12 reporter.

Her lawyer Jon Schoenhorn said the videos, made public as part of court filings earlier this week, don’t prove his client was involved in any crime.

He said police have alleged “that Ms. Troconis actively assisted co-defendant Dulos in disposing of evidence during six stop along Albany Avenue … when those videos show no such thing.”

Fotis, 53, was charged with Jennifer’s murder in January — and died days after police found him attempting suicide at his Farmingdale home weeks later.

Investigators believe Jennifer, 50, was the victim of a violent assault at her home in New Canaan amid a nasty divorce and custody battle with Fotis.

Troconis, 45, and Fotis’ former lawyer Kent Mawhinney were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, Troconis, who is free on $2.1 million bond, on Friday made her first court appearance in the case since February amid the coronavirus crisis — with Judge John Blawie loosening some of the restrictions of her bail.

She’ll no longer be required to call her probation officer before leaving her house but will still be under curfew and must continue wearing an ankle and wrist bracelet with GPS monitoring, the Hartford Courant reported.

Blawie said he’ll rule in mid-September on whether to remove the bracelets.

Troconis is currently only allowed to leave her house for meetings with her lawyer, religious services, medical appointments and court.

She was accompanied to court by her sister, Marisela Troconis, who spoke to the media after the court hearing.

“I just want to reinforce that my sister is innocent and that I thank God for today’s ‘baby steps,’” Marisela said.