Connecticut socialite Michelle Troconis broke down in tears before being branded “the most hated woman in America” by a cop in newly surfaced interview footage.
The Venezuelan was arrested over the 2019 disappearance of her late boyfriend's ex, Jennifer Farber Dulos, and her trial is set to begin Thursday in Connecticut Superior Court.
Jennifer, 50, a writer and mother of five from New Canaan, near Stamford, disappeared after dropping her five beloved children off at school on May 24, 2019.
She had been dealing with a messy, bitter child custody battle amid divorce proceedings with her real estate developer husband, Fotis Dulos, who was accused of brutally beating her to death and disposing of her body thrown away.
Troconis, 49, was in a long-term relationship with Fotis at the time, and prosecutors believe she helped him commit the murder. But Fotis committed suicide in his mansion at the age of 52 while awaiting trial in January 2020, leaving Troconis to face music alone.
Connecticut socialite Michelle Troconis burst into tears before being labeled 'the most hated woman in America' by a cop in newly surfaced interrogation videos
The Venezuelan national (pictured) was arrested over the 2019 disappearance of her boyfriend's ex, Jennifer Farber Dulos, and her trial is set to begin Thursday in Connecticut Superior Court.
Jennifer, a 50-year-old writer and mother of five from New Canaan, near Stamford, disappeared after dropping her five beloved children off at school on May 24, 2019.
Troconis, a former TV presenter in South America and a mother herself, has denied several crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with physical evidence and hindering prosecution.
During hours of police interrogations over several days in June 2019, she was questioned about the whereabouts of her then-boyfriend.
When she couldn't reveal whether he was at their Farmington home at the time of Jennifer's disappearance, a detective tried to encourage her to reveal everything she knew about his movements, promoting it as a “golden ticket” to her reputation. to save.
“Have you even watched the news? Have you seen your face plastered (all over)?' he asked Troconis as she sat next to her attorney Andrew Bowman on June 6.
“I'll be honest with you. You're probably one of the most hated women in America right now. And I'm not mean. So this is like the golden ticket.
“If you know where he could have done something, it could be where he frequented if you could give us a tip, or if he said something in jest.”
Troconis made a pained expression and placed her fingers on her temples, muttering something inaudibly as he made the comment.
During another interrogation four days earlier, Troconis appeared to burst into tears as he slumped over a table.
Images of her in that position resting her head on her arms were released by prosecutors ahead of her trial.
Troconis, 49, was in a long-term relationship with Fotis Dulos (pictured), and prosecutors allege she helped him commit the murder. But Fotis committed suicide in his mansion at the age of 52 while awaiting trial in January 2020, leaving Troconis to face music alone.
Fotis (pictured) committed suicide in his mansion at the age of 52 while awaiting trial in January 2020, leaving Troconis to face the music alone
Jennifer Dulos is pictured in a photo released by police when she went missing
Troconis has always denied playing a role in the murder and said she does not know what happened to Jennifer.
Footage from previously released police interviews shows her crying as she insists to investigators not to cover for Fotis.
'I'm not protecting him. I'm not protecting him…I really don't ever want to see him in my life again,” she said in the video.
Jennifer's body was never found, but detectives believe Fotis attacked her in the garage of her rented home in New Canaan before allegedly disposing of her body at Troconis.
Although police have not yet found Jennifer's remains, they did discover pools of blood in her garage that someone had attempted to clear and clean. They also found traces of her blood in her car, which was later found abandoned in a parking lot.
Investigators found bags of items in Hartford, including Jennifer's blood and DNA, but no evidence was ever found.
In divorce documents before her death, Jennifer said she knew the filing would infuriate her husband – and in a blog post discovered by DailyMail.com, she even said she feared she would end up “in a body bag.”
Troconis, a former South American TV presenter and mother herself, has denied several crimes, including conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with physical evidence and hindering prosecution.
Jennifer Dulos disappeared in May 2019. Her remains were never found, but police believe she was murdered by her husband Fotis, with the help of Troconis.
She claimed he would “retaliate by attempting to harm her in some way” and claimed he exhibited “irrational, unsafe, bullying, threatening and controlling behavior.”
According to court documents, she said, “I fear for my safety and the physical safety and emotional well-being of our minor children.”
Troconis requested that the case be moved from Stamford to Hartford, but was denied.
Fotis also denied playing any role in the disappearance of his estranged wife. He was pronounced dead in hospital in February 2020, days after gassing himself in his car while on bail.
The five Dulos children now live with their grandmother in New York.