Michelle Troconis sobbed in court as an investigator debunked her blatant lie about showering with her boyfriend the morning he murdered his estranged wife.
Stamford Superior Court jurors were shown videos of the 49-year-old Venezuelan socialite being questioned by police in the days following the May 24, 2019, disappearance of Connecticut mother of five Jennifer Dulos.
Troconis burst into tears, dabbed her nose with a tissue and put her hands on her head in a moment of fear as the case's lead investigator, John Kimball, highlighted discrepancies in the reports she gave in three different interviews .
Police say Fotis Dulos killed his estranged wife Jennifer as she returned home from the school run for their five children, then aged between eight and 13, before dumping the evidence along with Troconis in trash cans around Hartford, Connecticut , disposed of.
Luxury real estate developer Fotis took his own life in January 2020 at the age of 52, leaving his new lover Troconis to face evidence tampering charges alone. She denies knowing anything about Jennifer's death.
Michelle Troconis sobbed in court as an investigator debunked her blatant lie about showering with her boyfriend the morning he murdered his estranged wife
Troconis broke down in tears and dabbed her nose with a tissue as the case's lead investigator, John Kimball, highlighted discrepancies in the reports she gave in three separate interviews with law enforcement officers in the days following Jennifer Dulos' disappearance on April 24 May 2019
Troconis put her hands on her head in a moment of fear as she collapsed in Stamford Superior Court on Thursday, the 10th day of her trial in the disappearance of Jennifer Dulos
Michelle Troconis told police two conflicting stories about what she was planning to do the morning her boyfriend allegedly killed his ex Jennifer Dulos, jurors have heard. (Pictured: Troconis' interview with police on June 2, 2019)
Jennifer Dulos (left) disappeared on May 24, 2019 during her divorce from her husband Fotis (right), who was later charged with murder. Fotis killed himself in January 2020, leaving his new lover Michelle Troconis alone in court for allegedly helping him cover up the murder
Michelle Troconis (left) and Fotis Dulos (right) were living together at his home in Farmington, CT at the time of his ex-wife Jennifer's disappearance on May 24, 2019
On Thursday, former Connecticut State Police detective John Kimball told the court that he interviewed Troconis three times – on June 2, June 6 and August 13, 2019.
Jurors were shown footage of the first interview in which Troconis told officers that on May 24, 2019, she woke up, got in the shower and then “Fotis jumped in the shower with me.”
Prosecutors interrupted the footage to ask Kimball whether Troconis that morning “always maintained her statement that she showered Fotis on Dulos.”
“She didn’t,” Kimball said.
Early in the interview, investigators told Troconis that Fotis had been described to them as controlling and manipulative and that they were concerned about her safety.
“We understand, after learning some things about Fotis, we understand that he was described to us as a person who has a very strong personality and tends to control and manipulate people,” one of the police officers told her.
“We believe there is a possibility that he could manipulate you and that is one of the reasons why you are now physically separated and safe and we are concerned about your safety if you get out of here and he gets out of here is…we don't do that. 'I want something bad to happen to you.'
Troconis spoke with her attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, as they approached the courthouse
Troconis confers with her attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, in the courtroom on Wednesday
Cable ties covered in blood were also recovered from a local trash can
A blood-soaked bra that police officers recovered from a trash can where the state alleges Fotis Dulos dumped evidence with the help of his mistress, Michelle Troconis
Former Connecticut State Police Detective Matthew Reilly testifies in court
The court previously heard from several other police detectives who described finding bloodstained items at Jennifer's New Canaan home, where Fotis allegedly killed her.
Prosecutors also introduced several blood-soaked items, including a bra, a long-sleeved shirt, zip ties and a razor, recovered from several trash cans in Hartford, CT.
Detective Matthew Reilly said they also found traces of blood in Jennifer's Chevy Suburban, which were illuminated by a test for blood and other substances called luminol.
Prosecutors allege Fotis brutally attacked Jennifer at her rented New Canaan property as she returned from the school run for her five children, who were between eight and 13 years old at the time, on the morning of May 24, 2019.
The state alleges he disposed of the evidence in her home before putting her body in her Chevy and driving it about three miles away, where she was found abandoned. Jennifer's body was never found.
Fotis and Troconis are accused of throwing trash bags containing bloody evidence, including a bra, T-shirt and razor, into various trash cans around Hartford in his Ford Raptor.
Jurors were shown images of each bloody item, along with several of them that were in the courtroom, as well as surveillance footage of Fotis and Troconis dumping the items in the Connecticut town.
Almeida previously said Jennifer was an “incredibly caring mother” to her five children, who were between eight and 13 years old when she disappeared on May 24, 2019
Jennifer's heartbroken friend Carrie Luft (pictured) described seeing her blood-soaked clothing shown to jurors the previous day
Jennifer's heartbroken friend Carrie Luft described seeing her blood-soaked clothing in a statement issued on behalf of her family.
“When we saw Jennifer’s blood-soaked clothing and knew it was the shirt and bra she wore on the last day of her life, we could once again imagine what she must have been going through on May 24, 2019,” said Luft.
“We hope that looking at this evidence in three dimensions can put an end to any suspicion that Jennifer is “missing.”
“She died a tragic death and her loss is so palpable that words cannot express it.” We thank the prosecution and investigators for their careful collection and presentation of evidence in this case.
“Above all, we have faith in justice and hope that this process will help find answers and accountability for what was done to Jennifer that day.”
Troconis denies all charges against her – conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence and obstruction of prosecution. The process continues.