During cross-examination of retired Connecticut State Police Detective John Kimball on Monday, defense attorney Jon Schoenhorn tried to separate the actions of his client Michelle Troconis from those of deceased murder suspect Fotis Dulos. Schoenhorn also highlighted tactics employed by police in their multiple interviews with Troconis, who remains on trial in Stamford.
Those interviews took place in the weeks after the May, 2019 disappearance of Jennifer Dulos from her New Canaan home. Jennifer’s husband, Fotis Dulos, was eventually charged with murdering her. He killed himself in 2020. Troconis, Fotis’ live-in girlfriend, is accused of helping him cover up his role in Jennifer’s death. She has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, evidence tampering and hindering prosecution.
In two interviews, Troconis denied knowing what happened to Jennifer Dulos—and never helped police pinpoint where Fotis Dulos was during the time police believe she was fatally attacked in her garage.
Troconis also claims she had no idea what Fotis was doing as she rode with him in his Ford Raptor as he disposed of evidence along Albany Ave. in Hartford hours after Jennifer disappeared. Monday, Schoenhorn got Kimball to admit Troconis is not seen on video making any contact with the trash bags Fotis was throwing out.
Police also say Fotis Dulos disposed of a FedEx envelope containing altered license plates. Schoenhorn says there’s no video evidence Troconis ever handled the envelope. Kimball insists that the evidence exists.
“There’s no time in that video where she touches that FedEx envelope, correct?” asked Schoenhorn.
“I disagree,” said Kimball.
“You disagree? You believe that in that video from Albany Avenue, you see her take possession of that envelope?”
“I believe so, yes,” said Kimball.
Under further questioning from Schoenhorn, Kimball agreed that police sometimes share false or unconfirmed information to draw answers from witnesses. In at least one case during an interview with Troconis, Kimball shared information which turned out to be false.
Schoenhorn asked him about it:
“When you told Michelle Troconis that you had information that there were thirty stops along Albany Avenue disposing of garbage,” asked Schoenhorn, “you have conceded… that was inaccurate, right?”
“It was inaccurate, correct,” said Kimball.
Sometimes, Kimball admitted, inaccurate information is, perhaps paradoxically, included in interviews with the goal of drawing honest answers.
“Was that also a technique, as part of the interrogation technique, whether you thought it might be true or not, you tell her (something) to elicit a reaction?” Schoenhorn asked.
“Yeah, the reaction that we’re trying to elicit is truthfulness,” replied Kimball.
Earlier Monday, a juror left the case, saying they have an emergency and need to leave the country. They were replaced by an alternate. It’s the third juror to leave the case. Two others were removed.