Legally Brunette: The Murder of Jennifer Dulos

Summary

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Two Ts In A Pod: Legally Brunette – The Murder of Jennifer Dulos

Podcast: Two Ts In A Pod with Teddi Mellencamp and Tamra Judge
Episode: Legally Brunette: The Murder of Jennifer Dulos
Date: November 18, 2025
Hosts: Emily Simpson & Shane (Legally Brunette recurring guest/Emily’s husband)

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Episode Overview

This episode of “Legally Brunette” (a segment within “Two Ts In A Pod”) takes a deep dive into the true crime case of Jennifer Dulos, a Connecticut mother of five who disappeared in 2019 amid a high-profile divorce and custody battle with her husband, Fotis Dulos. The hosts, Emily Simpson and Shane, discuss Jennifer’s background, the events leading up to her disappearance, the police investigation, and the legal aftermath for the main suspects. They also touch on broader issues of domestic violence, coercive control, and changes in the law inspired by this case.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Kim Kardashian and the Bar Exam

(02:41 – 08:21)

• Emily and Shane open with a pop culture sidebar, reacting to Kim Kardashian’s recent announcement that she did not pass the California bar exam.
• Discussion centers on the pressure of taking such an exam in the public eye, Kim’s determination, and her Hulu show All’s Fair.
• Quote:

  “Well, I'm not a lawyer yet. I just play a very well dressed one on TV. Six years into this law journey and I'm still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up. Just more studying and even more determination.”
  — Kim Kardashian (as cited by Emily, 04:44)

• Shane jokes about feeling “secretly glad” Kim failed, since it avoids the “embarrassment” of celebrities passing tough exams on their first try.

Introducing the Jennifer Dulos Case

(08:25 – 10:35)

• Emily segues into the main case: Jennifer Farber Dulos, prominent New Canaan resident, vanished after dropping off her kids at school in May 2019.
• Police soon found blood stains at Jennifer’s home and evidence of a violent struggle. Her SUV was found abandoned nearby.
• Emily is especially drawn to the case due to its tragic blend of privilege, family, and psychological drama.

Background on Jennifer and Fotis Dulos

(10:38 – 14:18)

• Jennifer was from a wealthy background (niece of fashion designer Liz Claiborne, daughter of a financier).
• Fotis Dulos was a charismatic Greek-born homebuilder; together, they built a seemingly “storybook” life with five children (2 sets of twins and one son).
• Their marriage deteriorated due to Fotis’s controlling and violent behavior, financial dependence, and extramarital affair with employee Michelle Troconis.

Timeline of the Marriage Breakdown and Disappearance

(14:20 – 18:23)

• The couple’s divorce proceedings grew bitter between 2017–2019, dominated by custody disputes.
• Jennifer was granted sole custody after documenting threats, violence, and fear for her safety; Fotis only had supervised visitation.
• On May 24, 2019: Jennifer dropped off her kids, missed an orthodontist appointment, and vanished. The nanny raised the alarm.

The Crime and Immediate Investigation

(18:29 – 23:59)

• Detectives found blood spatter and evidence of cleanup at Jennifer’s home; her nanny noticed an unusually rapid depletion of paper towels.
• Surveillance captured Fotis and Michelle on the night of the disappearance, making 30+ stops to dump garbage bags containing bloody items and Jennifer’s DNA around Hartford.
• Quote:

  “Almost dumber, because now there’s 30 locations where that DNA is spread around… 30 opportunities to have you on camera or witnesses.”
  — Shane, 20:05

The Plot Unfolds: Evidence and Alibis

(23:00 – 34:34)

• Fotis borrowed a truck from an employee and parked it covertly near Jennifer’s home, waiting to ambush her after she dropped off their kids.
• He used her SUV to dispose of evidence, then rode a bicycle back to the truck and drove away (all caught on various cameras).
• Fotis and Michelle tried to cover their tracks by writing “alibi scripts” with another associate, attorney Kent Mawhinney.
• The attorney was drawn into the case due to his alleged participation in alibi creation, suspicious phone calls, and previous criminal allegations.

Attempts at Cover-up and Additional Suspects

(33:44 – 38:14)

• Investigators found two pre-dug, tarp-lined shallow graves (“murder holes”) at a gun club, which were unused but suspiciously timed.
• There was speculation about whether Jennifer’s body was ever placed there or elsewhere. Both Michelle and Kent would later claim not to know the body’s whereabouts.

Fotis Dulos’s Suicide and Fallout

(38:14 – 41:36)

• In January 2020, Fotis was indicted for felony murder, kidnapping, and murder—then failed to appear in court and committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning.
• He left a note denying involvement and insisting his co-defendants were innocent—statements Emily and Shane mock as “self-serving.”
• Quote:

  “It’s bad when your attorney can’t represent you because he’s also being indicted with the murder charges.”
  — Shane, 39:34

Trials and Sentencing of Co-Conspirators

(41:36 – 48:29)

• Michelle Troconis was tried and convicted in 2024 of conspiracy to commit murder and tampering with evidence; sentenced to 14.5 years.
• Kent Mawhinney entered an Alford plea in 2025 (not admitting guilt but accepting conviction), served 11 months on a lesser charge, and maintains his innocence.

Ongoing Mystery and Legal Impact

(49:29 – 54:00)

• Jennifer’s body was never found; debate continues about whether either Michelle or Kent knows the location.
• Emily and Shane speculate about possibilities (dumpsters, diversion, disposal elsewhere) but see no clear resolution without the body.
• In 2021, Jennifer’s Law was passed in Connecticut, expanding the definition of domestic violence to include coercive control (psychological and financial abuse).
• Quote:

  “Being able to get a restraining order can only go so far… someone like that, that planned the murder, that premeditated, had people involved, borrowed a truck, drove to her house, laid in wait… That is not someone that's going to be deterred by a piece of paper.”
  — Emily Simpson, 51:40

Personal Aftermath—Children and Legacy

(54:00 – 56:43)

• Jennifer’s mother, Gloria Farber, obtained custody of the five Dulos children, who have relocated for privacy.
• Emily reflects on the tragic perspective of Jennifer’s teenage son, who regrets that his last interactions with his mother were marked by “teenage angst,” and he never got to express his understanding or love before her murder.
• The episode closes with Emily’s personal empathy for Jennifer as a mother and the lasting trauma left for her family.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Dulos “Perfect Life”:

  “She had this obsession with dollhouses… She had this idea of creating a real dollhouse and building this fantasy. I think she had this idyllic idea of what she wanted, and he was this good-looking guy… I think in the back of her mind she probably knew this was… not great.”
  — Emily Simpson, 11:04

• On the Futility of Restraining Orders:

  “A restraining order can only do so much… someone like that, that planned the murder, that premeditated, that had people involved… That is not someone that's going to be deterred by a piece of paper.”
  — Emily Simpson, 51:40

• On Michelle Troconis:

  “I don’t understand the kind of woman that is so in love with someone… it has to be infatuation, right?... But that’s not enough for me to commit what is… murder.”
  — Emily Simpson, 28:01

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:41 – Start of main content; Emily & Shane intro, Kim Kardashian bar exam discussion
• 08:30 – Jennifer Dulos case introduction and background
• 14:18 – Timeline: Marriage breakdown, custody battle
• 18:29 – Day of disappearance, investigation begins
• 19:56 – Surveillance captures Fotis & Michelle dumping evidence
• 26:26 – Arrests begin: Fotis & Michelle
• 34:34 – Discovery of the “murder hole” at the gun club
• 38:14 – Fotis indicted, commits suicide
• 41:36 – Trials and sentences for Michelle and Kent
• 49:29 – Jennifer’s Law and discussion of legal reforms
• 54:00 – Impact on Dulos children, personal reflections
• 56:36 – Children relocated for privacy, final reflections

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Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational, personal, at times irreverent, but deeply empathetic toward the victim and her family.
• Emily and Shane balance legal analysis with plain talk and dark humor (“murder holes,” lime juice versus limestone), while also weaving in personal and social commentary.

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Summary for Listeners

This episode provides a thorough, narrative-driven exploration of the Jennifer Dulos case: from her privileged beginnings and turbulent marriage to a chilling, never-fully-closed disappearance and its impact on Connecticut law. Emily and Shane shine at making the legal complexities accessible, spotlighting the emotional realities for victims of domestic abuse and their families. The episode leaves listeners with a sense of unresolved tragedy and a call to recognize the signs and consequences of coercive control.

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For anyone interested in true crime, legal reform, or the intersection of privilege and violence, this episode offers both a complete case overview and thoughtful social context.

Transcript

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[Emily Simpson]

Hi, guys. Welcome to a new episode of Legally Brunette. I will be your host, Emily Simpson with my co host, Shane. Shane. Okay, first of all, before we get into the case we're going to talk about today, which is the Jennifer Doulos case, we have to talk about Kim Kardashian not passing the bar exam. I feel like it was, it just happened. She made a statement. So Kim Kardashian has revealed the results of her recent bar exam as the reality TV star continues to pursue a career in law. First of all, I have to say, let me ask you your opinion because you did take the bar exam multiple times under the scrutiny and first of all, you had to take it.

[Shane]

Not the same scrutiny.

[Emily Simpson]

Not the same scrutiny. A low level of scrutiny. It was the Bravo TV community scrutiny. She's taking it. And it's a. How many followers does she have on Instagram?

[Shane]

Like 300 million or something.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. I mean, that's a lot of eyes on her. So what do you think? Like, what is that? What do you think to go. To have to take something that, that big and then the whole world knows about it. You have no opinion.

[Shane]

It sucks for her.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay.

[Shane]

Like, but, but you got to think about it. She's worth nearly $2 billion. She's got a skims company which is huge. I'm sure that's very time consum as much as she wanted wanted to be all the public appearances. How many kids does she have?

[Emily Simpson]

I think four.

[Shane]

Yeah. And then she has to deal with Kanye.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

So she's got a lot and, and a reality show. Oh, and she's, she's playing a bad actress on the lawyer movie you want or show you watch.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes.

[Shane]

So she's got a lot going on. It's amazing that she even wants to do this. I don't know why she wants to do this.

[Emily Simpson]

You know, I don't either. But, but like you said, she's worth $2 billion. But you have to give her credit for wanting to do it and saying that she's going to do it again. I mean it take lot I know of, of guts I know to publicly put yourself out there to say.

[Shane]

I'm sure there's millions of comments of people making jokes at her expense or criticizing her, but it didn't stop her. So, you know, good for her.

[Emily Simpson]

So Kim wrote via her Instagram stories on Saturday, November 8, well, I'm not a lawyer yet. I just play a very well dressed one on tv. Six years into this law journey and I'm still all in until I pass the bar. No shortcuts, no giving up. Just more studying and even more determination. Thank you to everyone who has support and encouraged me along the way. Falling short isn't a failure, it's fuel. I was so close to passing the exam. That only motivates me even more. Let's go. Do you think she was close?

[Shane]

Oh, who knows?

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She.

[Shane]

The scores don't come out that early. She posted it before scores came out.

[Emily Simpson]

When did the scores come out?

[Shane]

I don't think they come out to like, like Monday or something like that. Like, like the week after. So you're saying they get mailed to you? I think. Or I, I don't know, but I don't remember the scores coming out. It's just pass or fail. Yeah. On, on the Friday that you check the results, your number, it either says you're there or it does, or it says your name cannot be found. It doesn't give you results. So I don't know how she knew.

[Emily Simpson]

That unless she had some. She's like special insider.

[Shane]

She cheated, but apparently not good enough maybe, huh?

[Emily Simpson]

No, there was no way. You can't cheat on the California bar exam. There's no way possible.

[Shane]

But she's probably the only person that took a private jet to take the California bar.

[Emily Simpson]

She probably did like.

[Shane]

Yeah, I know.

[Emily Simpson]

Or a private helicopter. She just landed on a helipad and then, you know, went in the back door. I mean they obviously, you know, she.

[Shane]

Took the baby bar too. She had to take that. That a couple times and she didn't stop.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So the baby bar is when you go to a non licensed school or what she did, which was some mentoring program. You had to take the baby bar a year into it as a couple subjects. And she took that a couple times and she passed it. So she didn't quit on that one. And I kind of thought she would have.

[Emily Simpson]

Let's just talk for a second about her new Hulu show. It's called All Fair.

[Shane]

Hulu.

[Emily Simpson]

I said Hulu.

[Shane]

You said Hulu, not Hulu.

[Emily Simpson]

Hulu. Hulu Show. It's called All's Fair. I'm sure the, the term all all is taken from the. What is the line? All's fair in love and war. Right. I started watching it and it was so bad and so campy. But I do have to admit that.

[Shane]

Not only are you still watching, I watched the whole thing.

[Emily Simpson]

There were three episodes that were released and I watched all three. I think I stayed up till 3 o' clock in the morning watching all three episodes. So the acting. Her acting, it's just there. There's no acting. It's just her, like how she is in a reality show. It's just basically like how she is on this scripted television show. Also her outfits. There is an outfit where she actually has a thong coming out the back of her suit, and you can see the thong. And I'm like, who. What lawyer dresses like that? It reminds me of Sex in the City, the second movie, where I feel like they just. They threw out the script. They were like. They were like, we don't need content or good. Or good writing. We just will wear fabulous outfits and go to the Middle East. And I feel like that's kind of what they did with All's Fair. They were like, all we need is Kim Kardashian and some fabulous outfits and a ridiculous private jet that looks like the inside of a. Of a Vegas hotel. And that's all we need to make good tv. And so.

[Shane]

And. And you. And here you are.

[Emily Simpson]

And I watch it. I did. All right.

[Shane]

You know, lastly, I'm kind of secretly glad she didn't pass, because if she passed, everyone would be like, what, making fun of you? Yeah, yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

They'd be like, shane. Shane couldn't pass it, but Kim Kardashian passed it the first time.

[Shane]

Exactly.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Thank you, Kim.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes. Shane feels better because of that. Well, we wish Kim Kardashian luck. I hope she does eventually pass it.

[Shane]

I do.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

And then I'll be submitting my job application.

[Emily Simpson]

You're gonna work for her?

[Shane]

Yeah. What are you gonna do? Whatever she wants.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, my goodness. Okay, let's move on to the Jennifer Doulos case. Jennifer, first of all, let me say I have watched multip on this case. I think there's something on Hulu. There's also been 2000 and 20s datelines, Etc. I don't know what it is, but this is one of those cases. I watch a lot of true crime. But I will tell you, this is one of those cases that just always stuck in my mind. I would just always think of it. I kind of. I don't know why Jennifer Doulos is just always. It just always stayed with me. So you've been.

[Shane]

You've known about this case for a while?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, I have. I've known about it for a while. I've watched things on it. I've watched a couple different documentary type of shows on it. And I don't know, it just always stayed with me. So I'm. I'm so let's go into it. So Jennifer Farber doulos was a 50 year old mother of five from New Canaan, Connecticut. She vanished on May 24th in 2019 after dropping her children off at school. Jennifer was reported missing after she failed to show up to several appointments and no one had been able to reach her for about 10 hours. When officers checked Jennifer's home, they found what appeared to be blood stains on the floor in the garage and on a vehicle parked inside. Police would later find Jennifer's SUV located three miles away, but there was no sign of her during the investigation. Police obtained surveillance footage that showed her estranged husband Fotus Doulos, who is Greek, and his mistress Michelle Triconis, in and around Hartford, Connecticut the night of Jennifer's disappearance. They made multiple stops dumping garbage bags into various bins throughout the city. Police recovered these bags and found bloody clothing, cleaning supplies and sponges containing Jennifer's DNA. Her disappearance quickly became one of the most high profile criminal cases in Connecticut, Ticket centering around a bitter divorce and a bitter custody battle with the children. Maybe it stuck with me because I think when you, you start digging into the case and you watch shows, you know, all this aerial footage of her home and his home and he was a builder or developer and these are these huge, multi million dollar beautiful homes in this east coast area of the United States.

[Shane]

She's very scream crime. Crying, right?

[Emily Simpson]

I mean violent crime. Huge, beautiful. I'm talking like 10,000 square foot, 15,000 square foot homes on like sprawling land with five children. And she's very attractive and he's very attractive and they're educated and their ages. Well, she's 50 when she disappeared.

[Shane]

Oh, she was. How old were their children? Do you know?

[Emily Simpson]

I'm two.

[Shane]

Two daughters, right. I think.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, there's five kids all together.

[Shane]

Five. Okay, I was wrong.

[Emily Simpson]

All right, let's just talk about a little bit about who Jennifer Doulos is. In May of 2025, a book titled Murder in the Dollhouse, the Jenn Doulos Story was written by Richard Cohen, a prolific journalist and author of 14 books. Cohen sketches the origin story of Jennifer Farber Doulos, who is the niece of Liz Claiborne, an American fashion designer and businesswoman and the beloved daughter of a wealthy financier. Before becoming a mother of five, Jennifer worked as a playwright in New York City. Cohen pointed to her dream of creating a life size dollhouse for the inspiration behind the title of his book. She had this obsession with dollhouses when she was a little girl, Cohen said. She had this idea of creating a real dollhouse and building this fantasy for real. In fact, the decor of her first adult apartment had included an empty baby crib. So when she was still unattached at 35, she began to panic. At the time of her disappearance, Jennifer believed in curating a dream domestic life. A dream that Cohen believes she was struggling with giving up. I think that's another reason why she ended up in this bad marriage. I think she had this idyllic idea of what she want and he was this good looking guy and he was Greek and he was this builder and developer and they built this big, huge, beautiful home. And she had this, you know, fantasy with dollhouses and creating this perfect image. And I think in the back of her mind she probably knew that this was a.

[Shane]

What was the falling out of the marriage for?

[Emily Simpson]

Well, I think he was controlling and violent throughout the marriage and then I think she just continued to ignore or hope that he changed or you know.

[Shane]

So it was just, it was just butting heads and I mean it wasn't like there was an affair or something shady or money wasn't like being lost or.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, he kept borrowing money from her parents. She had wealthy parents. I believe her dad was a bank. Owned a bank.

[Shane]

Was he? Was he.

[Emily Simpson]

No, he was Greek. I believe he. I believe he was an immigrant that came to the United States and that he married her. He married into a wealthy family.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

And I think he had a lot of ambition and he wanted to make a lot of money. I believe he borrowed a lot of money from her father or her family.

[Shane]

But was he his business like viable like he was?

[Emily Simpson]

No. From what I understood in these, in a lot of these documentaries I watched that he was losing money. He was a developer and he kept building these.

[Shane]

So he played the role of a.

[Emily Simpson]

Big developer but he kept having to borrow money from her family to pay debts. And I think he was always in debt and I don't know if he was actually making money. She was the one that was.

[Shane]

So then. Yeah, okay, so then you have a divorce here and then she's going to still be okay financially, Right? At least based on what you just said, then he's going to be screwed and he's probably going to lose his job it her business.

[Emily Simpson]

So. 2003-2004 Jennifer Farber and Fotus Doulos relationship begins. So in the December of 2003, Jennifer runs into Photos Doulos who is currently married at an Aspen airport. Jennifer and Photos had attended Brown at the same time but never had a Relationship photos, emails. Jennifer, test, are you there? That's very romantic. In March of 2004, FOTUS Doulos files for divorce from his first wife. He. He officially signs the divorce papers in July of 04. And then in August of 04, less than one month later, FOTUS Doulos marries Jennifer Farber and they end up having five children together. Two sets of twins and one son.

[Shane]

Wow.

[Emily Simpson]

Then we get to 2017 to 2018. This is the marital breakdown. This is when it really starts to.

[Shane]

You know, you always wonder like south, the first spouse.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

If they're like, dang, I escaped that one. I'm glad I didn't have kids with that guy. I'd be dead now.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So In June of 2017, Jennifer Farber Doulos files for divorce from her husband. Citing fear for her safety. She accuses him of controlling behavior, threats, and having an affair with Michelle Triconis, one of his employees at his company, which was called four group, incorporated in 2017-2019. So this is a two year. A bitter custody battle unfolds. Jennifer is granted temporary sole custody of their five children with phone with photos getting limited to supervised visitation. Court records show Jennifer repeatedly expressed fear that photos would harm her. So clearly he's exhibiting, I mean that he's not only controlling, but he's violent as well. I think in the documentary they are in some of the things that I watch, they talk about, I believe he like drove a truck at her really like fast. Like, like he was going to hit her. He like strangled her, grabbed her by her neck. I think there was like some stalking where he followed her and allegations like that. And they have five children. So clearly in regards to money and child support, he wants the kids as much as possible, correct?

[Shane]

Yeah, absolutely. And yeah, and probably because he's worried, fearful for his business if, if her parents, if his in laws are actually helping on the business side, they might pull from that. I was just looking up. She was 57.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, no, she'd be 57 now. She was 50. She was 50 in 2019. That's what I meant. Okay, so tell me the ages of the kids. When she. Around the time, at the time of.

[Shane]

Her disappearance, which we know was the death, she had five kids, you said two sets of twins and a singleton and all between the ages of 8 and 13. So they lost their mother at the age of between 8 and 13 and then their father going to jail.

[Emily Simpson]

So in 2017-2019, we were talking about a bitter, bitter custody battle unfolds. And the custody battle, obviously he wants as much custody as possible because he, he wants her to pay child support. I would assume she's the one that's financially secure. She's the one that has the wealthy parents. She's the one, you know, that's going to be fine.

[Shane]

She's got the upper hand in that area of finance and employment.

[Emily Simpson]

But she's clearly been able to prove to a court that he is violent because he has supervised visitations, which I'm sure has just pushed him to.

[Shane]

Oh, that. I mean, I mean he probably well deserved, but man, that has got to be really a blow to the ego, right?

[Emily Simpson]

So I would say as a man and having five children and wanting as much custody as possible because you want as much child support as possible, or he doesn't. And then to have to have supervised.

[Shane]

Visits or just he's, he's a madman and he'd just rather kill her than deal with anything at all because clearly when they were married, he tried to run her over with a truck or whatever, so.

[Emily Simpson]

Thursday, May 23, 2019, Jennifer attends a school event with her children in New Canaan. She has exchanges texts and emails with friends that evening and everything seems normal. And she's making plans for the weekend. On Friday, May 24, 2019, this is the last day that Jennifer's ever seen alive. 8:00am, Jennifer drops her children off at New Canaan country School. At 8:05am Jennifer returns to her rented home at 69 Wells Lane. At 10:25am Jennifer misses her children's orthodontist appointments, which is uncharacteristic for her. You know, she has a nanny that takes care of the kids as well. And the nanny was also very frightened of the photos. Yes. And the nanny is the one who repeatedly tries to get a hold of her and she's not answering her phone, which she said has never ever happened, that she's never not been able to get a hold of her. And also she once she doesn't show up at the orthodontist appointment to meet her with the children, then the nanny.

[Shane]

Knows immediately that there's a, an appointment that day, the day of her disappearance.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, I just said that.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So I didn't know it was the same day. Okay.

[Emily Simpson]

It was the same day. She had. Well, it wasn't. The children had an orthodontist appointment.

[Shane]

Yeah, but she dropped him off at school in the morning.

[Emily Simpson]

She dropped him off at school in the morning and then the nanny had them later in the day. And then the nanny was Taking them to an orthodontist appointment where she was meeting up with the nanny after school.

[Shane]

Okay. That's why I was confused if that was during school.

[Emily Simpson]

So the nanny gets worried and calls the police to report Jennifer missing. This is around 11am at 7pm police locate Jennifer's black Chevy Suburban abandoned on Lapham Road near Waveney Park. Inside her home, detectives find blood splatter and evidence of an attempted cleanup, later confirmed as Jennifer's blood. So when they go back and they search her house, I remember that the nanny said that she had just. She remembered that she had just opened a brand new roll of, like those paper towels from Costco where you have multiple.

[IBM Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Rolls of multi pack. Multi pack. Right. And she had put them in the cabinet. And then later that day, when the police were searching, there was only like two rolls left, which meant he. What, are there like 12 rolls in there or something?

[Shane]

Yeah, I don't know. Yeah. So that means even eight. At eight, six were missing.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So someone had gone through multiple rolls of. Of paper towels within that short period of time. So that evening, surveillance cameras capture Fotus Doulos and his girlfriend, Michelle Triconis, driving a Ford Raptor pickup truck truck through Hartford. They are seen making over 30 stops.

[Shane]

30 stops? 30 stops at, like, different locations each time.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. Disposing of garbage bags along Albany.

[Shane]

Almost dumber, because now there's 30 locations where that DNA is spread around.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

And I don't know, 30 opportunities to have you on camera or witnesses.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't understand how you wouldn't think that there would be some type of surveillance camera that would pick that up. This is in 2019. Well, it's not like we're talking about the 80s or 90s before, you know.

[Shane]

I mean, we're talking no digital footprint everywhere.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. And he has a cell phone, which is like, you know, putting him in.

[Shane]

All these areas, like I always say. And it's hard to fathom, but people wouldn't commit crimes. They didn't think they were going to get away with it. So he didn't kill her and then not know how to get. And then worry he wasn't gonna get away with it. He knew he planned this. Right. We're gonna get into it. But he planned it wasn't like it.

[Emily Simpson]

Wasn'T the heat of the moment. Right. It wasn't like they got in a fight.

[Shane]

So he plans it. And if he planted that means he thought this plan was foolproof.

[Emily Simpson]

That's when you're a narcissist.

[Shane]

Oh, yeah. Well, clearly. What do you want me to say? He's a killer and you're. Yeah, that's. We got a bigger problem. He's a murderer.

[Emily Simpson]

You're saying killer goes first and then narcissist.

[Shane]

At the end of the day, he kills someone. So who cares what the diagnosis.

[Emily Simpson]

But I'm saying the part of where you. You just honestly believe that you're so, I guess smarter.

[Shane]

Don't like the word narcissist.

[Emily Simpson]

I know, but I'm saying you'll call.

[Shane]

Me a narcissist and then you call this murder narcissist. So I'm in the same category as Fotus.

[Emily Simpson]

No, you're not. I'm saying he's a narcissist killer. But I'm saying the reason that he thinks he's going to get away with it is because he finds himself to be so much more.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

Intelligent and better than everyone else. Which is a trait of narcissism, that that's what leads them to do it. Because he doesn't. He can't fathom the idea that he would get caught.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

That.

[Shane]

Okay, that was a long way of saying what I just said.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay. So. June through December of 2019, arrests and evidence start building. So on June 1st of 2019, FOTUS doulos and Michelle Triconis are arrested and charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. Both were held on a five hundred thousand dollar bond. The arrest came after investigators descended onto two locations connected to Fotus and his company, the four group. According to the arrest warrant, there were several blood stains found on the garage floor in Jennifer's home. And that blood was found in Fotus's garage. When officials looked as well, the warrant had said that Fotus's phone had pinged him traveling back and forth between two properties he owns in Farmington throughout the day on May 24th. Worth, you know, also I believe what happened. I think he had a very elaborate plan. He ended up like riding a bicycle.

[Shane]

No, no, he. Well, partly true.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

He borrowed a truck.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

From an employee.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. From an employee.

[Shane]

And he drove it there at her house. So. Because I was. When I was reading up on this, I realized like, why is he doing that? But then she's not living. They're not living together anymore.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. He lives.

[Shane]

So if he parked his car in front of her house, she'd know and he's violent and whatever. So he borrowed a truck, parked, wait for her, waited for her. She comes, he does whatever. You'll discuss it. Then when he goes. And. And then he uses her vehicle to. To place, what, three miles away from the house or whatever, as a distraction. Then he. There's cameras of. Of her car being driven at 10:25am but she's not driving it. He is. Then there's. I think there's cameras of him riding a bicycle back to the house. House. And getting in the employee's truck and leaving.

[Emily Simpson]

Where did he park the employee's truck, though? Somewhere hidden like.

[Shane]

Like across the street or something. And it didn't say so, but the idea was it was an unrecognizable truck. So then when she came home from taking kids to school, he knew. He knew the kid's schedule.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

So he knew when she was going to be home. So she comes home and he's hiding in the garage. Yeah. And then waiting.

[Emily Simpson]

He's lying in wait.

[Shane]

Yeah. No, exactly.

[Sleep Apnea PSA Speaker]

Right.

[Shane]

Yeah. He's a psycho. Oh, sorry.

[Emily Simpson]

Narcissist and psycho.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

And murderer.

[Shane]

Yeah.

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[Emily Simpson]

So June 11, 2019, Fotus and Troconis, that's the girlfriend, are released on bond in September of 2019.

[Shane]

Six million dollar bond, by the way. So I don't know where he got that money.

[Emily Simpson]

Probably because he has properties. I don't know. Does he put it up for collateral or something?

[Shane]

Yes.

[Emily Simpson]

Photos is taken into custody once more in the arrest warrant, state police said that Triconis admitted back on June 2 that she could not account for Fotus's whereabouts on the morning Jennifer went missing. The warrant also stated that Fotus and Troconis were wrote alibi scripts detailing where they were. But Triconis reportedly later stated the details were false. False. At the time, police also believed that photos had driven Jennifer's suburban with her body inside along with items to help clean up the evidence. Then we get to January of 2020. Fotus Doulos is charged with felony murder, kidnapping and murder. He was held on a six million dollar bond. That's what you were talking about?

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

He's held on a six million dollar bond. The second time he gets arrested.

[Shane]

It's the second time. Sorry. So I just find that always funny. It's like innocent before proven guilty, but you probably did it. So $6 million because you're gonna run away.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, he. The first time he gets arrested, he's charged with tampering with evidence.

[Shane]

Right. Because it was just hindering 30 locations he had been in.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

Moving the car. Right. Parking it far away because there's no body. Yeah. Using up paper towels.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes. Using a lot of paper towels to clean up a crime scene. So the first time he's arrested it's only with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. That's why it's a 600000 bond and he gets out on bond easily and Traconis does too.

[Shane]

The girlfriend, she was in the car when they were running around and problem.

[Emily Simpson]

With not being able to locate a body, which is what we talked about earlier in the Crystal Rogers case. Like her body's never been discovered.

[Shane]

No, either.

[Emily Simpson]

So there's no body.

[Shane]

But, but there was enough blood. My understanding there was enough blood that they had expert testimony saying it was likely death.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So then later when he gets arrested for the second time, when he gets arrested. Because now they have enough evidence. Right. They've been building a case. They've been, they've been interviewing Tronus and they're getting, you know, her statements which are getting contradictory, conflicting statements. Right. And they're pulling up his, his forensics on his phone and they have all the surveillance of him and, and the experts with the blood saying that she's likely dead.

[Shane]

How do you get involved? She was an employee of his. Yeah. I mean, it's like, hey, my wife's leaving me because she's accusing me of beating her up and driving her over with a truck and you want to murder her with me.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Okay. No, but no, wait.

[Emily Simpson]

It's like I'll, I'll do the actual murder. I just need you to help me dispose of everything.

[Shane]

Yeah, I need a passenger so we can get in the carpool lane, please. And these 30. I got 30 places to go.

[Emily Simpson]

You know, I don't understand the kind of woman that is so in love with someone or so. And it's not love, it has to be infatuation. Right. He's a good looking guy.

[IBM Advertiser]

Was he?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know. Yeah, I mean he's, yeah, he's a good looking guy. But that's not enough for me to commit what is. I mean it would have to be more than just good looking.

[Shane]

So there, so there is a number.

[Emily Simpson]

There might be. So when he's arrested the second time for felony murder, kidnapping and murder, he is held on a $6 million bond. Michelle Tronus was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Kent Moini, this is his attorney. So Kent Mooney got.

[Shane]

I got to look this guy up. I wonder what.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. Kent Moeny is Fotus Doulos's attorney. It's not, I don't think it's his defense attorney.

[Shane]

What's his last name?

[Emily Simpson]

Mawini. It's M A W H I N N E Y. He's not his defense attorney. He's just like his attorney. I don't know if in real estate transactions or like a friend that's an attorney. Yeah.

[Shane]

Well, let's see what kind of law he practiced.

[Emily Simpson]

He. So Kent Mawini, who was a friend and lawyer for fotus, was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder with them and Mawenni's warrant. His name appeared in both Trconis's and Fotus's alibis for the morning Jennifer was reported missing. When he was interviewed twice by police afterwards. So what did they think? They think if they write out these alibis that are that match each other, like let's write out alibis, that'll be fun. It'll be like a fun date night. We'll go out to dinner and we'll write our matching alibis. And I know, let's use my friend who's a lawyer because that gives him credibility or gives us credibility. If a lawyer says that he was also with us and saw us that morning and then what lawyer agrees, agrees to be a part of that.

[Shane]

Kent.

[Emily Simpson]

Kent. First official said he claimed there was no meeting scheduled between Fotus and himself on the morning of Jennifer's disappearance. In a second interview, he reportedly stated that there was a pre arranged meeting with Fotus, stating he arrived at Fotus's home just before 8am where he stood for almost an hour before leaving. Without seeing him. The warrant said phone record showed Mawini had called Fotus the night of May 24th when Fotus was allegedly dumping bloody bags of evidence in Hartford. But Mawenni denied any phone contact with Fotus that day. See, that's another thing I don't understand. This guy is an attorney and he doesn't understand that they can get the forensics off of his phone to show that he made multiple phone calls or where the phone calls were made from or where his cell phone is pinging.

[Shane]

Yeah, and I bet you he passed the bar the first time. I don't make a difference. He's still a piece of crap.

[Emily Simpson]

Mawenni had been arrested before. Well, so this is. He's clearly has very high ethical standards.

[Shane]

Okay. I just looked him up. He's in real estate law and like construction law. I don't know.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, so this guy was obviously an attorney that Fotus had used that he become friendly with. He's not a stand up guy. No, he's been arrested previously and then.

[Shane]

He gets all stupid. He's thought like, oh, attorney client privilege, I think just I can't say anything. So I'll do a lot of the work and then they'll ask me and I won't tell him anything. He's probably that stupid and doesn't.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, but they interview him twice. They like contradicts himself. He can't even keep his story straight. And he's. He agrees to be part of this alibi. So Fotus's and Michelle Tronus's alibi is that they had a meeting with this guy. This real estate.

[Shane]

I don't know what people are. He's just hoping for more business from this client. I mean, I don't know. It's one thing to take your client out to dinner and host them somewhere. It's another thing to help them commit murder and cover it up.

[Emily Simpson]

Exactly. So Moeny had been arrested before he.

[Shane]

How does this Fotus guy get these people so committed? He's got this girlfriend that's helping him out, this attorney that's helping him out. He's getting the in laws to fund his development business.

[Emily Simpson]

He's smooth. He's. He's smooth. He's a smooth character.

[Shane]

I can't even get you to make me a turkey pot pie. I know this guy is. He could sell a book.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. So again, I've read this line like 5 times now. Moeni had been arrested previously. He's facing an allegation of sexual assault and was charged with violating a protective order filed by his estranged wife. See, that's what they have in common. That's where. That's it. They bond over.

[Shane]

They want to murder their.

[Emily Simpson]

They bond over the violence towards their previous spouses. She also stated that she believed that Moeni was trying to kill her. Oh, so see, that's. His ex wife states that. Also in Maweni's arrest warrant, the Windsor rod and gun club was mentioned. Two members were reportedly hunting on the land when they came across a large hole in the ground that appeared to be hidden. One of the members described the hole as 100. A human grave.

[Shane]

You know, the place was 6ft by 2ft in the dimensions.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

And I don't know about depth, but that was it. And it was lined with a tarp.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, but they did not find any human remains.

[Shane]

No, but it was lined with a tarp. And limes.

[Emily Simpson]

Not lime juice. Where I was like, what are you talking about?

[Shane]

Where's that part of the murder kit?

[Emily Simpson]

Limestone. It's. It covers up, I believe the decay and the smell so that animals don't dig it up. That's why you have to use the limestone.

[Shane]

But they need a body.

[Emily Simpson]

You are not a good murderer because you would be using lime juice instead of lime.

[Shane]

To pride in not being a good murderer.

[Sleep Apnea PSA Speaker]

I.

[Emily Simpson]

That's good. All right. But anyway, this human grave that they came across, it did not have any human remains in it.

[Shane]

No.

[Emily Simpson]

So I don't know if they pre dug it. And that was the plan. That was where they were going to get rid of her body. And then something happened and they ended up not burying her there.

[Shane]

And then. And then he was pinged around that area. He said. Right. So I mean it was. It was a little. And then I read that he. After the disappearance, he never went to the club again.

[Emily Simpson]

Otis or the attorney.

[Shane]

The attorney. So it's like. Like they were there. He was there. He was floating around there. He was there a lot like heavily. And then boom. Vanished.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. Because he dug a murder hole and he doesn't want to be around it.

[Shane]

We call a murder hole.

[Emily Simpson]

A murder hole.

[Shane]

Shallow grave.

[Emily Simpson]

A shallow grave. So on January 28th of 2020 photos.

[Shane]

That might have been for his ex wife.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, you mean you don't have two holes? Was it too hole?

[Shane]

I think so. I don't know. That might have been for his ex wife.

[Emily Simpson]

Which ex you're talking about? Fotus's.

[Shane]

The attorney's ex.

[Emily Simpson]

Wow. The attorney's ex wife.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

So their plan, that's what they bonded.

[Shane]

Maybe that was. That was part two of their big plan.

[Emily Simpson]

They were gonna bury both women there.

[Shipt Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Or. I don't know. Because where is Jennifer? We don't know.

[Emily Simpson]

We don't know her.

[Shane]

So clearly they had a better hiding spot for her.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, but they. The better hiding spot was a last minute hiding spot. And they did the dumpsters. I don't know.

[Shane]

It's. At least they put the evidence in the.

[Emily Simpson]

They put the evidence of the murder in the dumpsters. But her body has never been located. Did right to this.

[Shane]

But that's because if there was 30 locations that he dumped stuff in, they probably didn't retrieve it in time. Like if they find out days later that they're tracking his whereabouts. Yeah, but then they go and the dumpsters are gone by then, so it's too late.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, but they found the evidence that he dumped in those dumpsters.

[Shane]

Not all 30. You're gonna tell me they went to all 30 and retrieved 30?

[Emily Simpson]

So you're saying that he could have dumped the body in one of those dumpsters?

[Shane]

I. I just thought this all along that, that they didn't get to some of the dumpsters in time. And some they did.

[Emily Simpson]

But I feel like they would have searched the dump site where those dumpsters.

[Shane]

Yeah, like a five square foot or squad five square mile radius.

[Emily Simpson]

They have before. I've seen police.

[Shane]

Yeah, and sometimes they find things, sometimes they don't.

[Emily Simpson]

All right. In January 28th of 2020 photos fails to appear in court. Police find him unconscious at his home in Farmington after attempting to take his own life by inhaling poisonous carbon monoxide. Inside his Farmington, Connecticut home, FOTUS allegedly had handwritten a suicide note which was attained, obtained by ABC News, which he addressed to all. Dear all. It was littered with self serving statements to clear his and Tronus's names. He said, if you are reading this, I am no more. I refuse to spend even an hour more in jail for something I had nothing to do with. He had nothing to do with it. However, he's on video dumping bloody, bloody, bloody towels. Towels and into dumpsters.

[Shane]

And his DNA was mixed in some of the blood.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. In 30 different locations. But the fact that this man has the audacity to write a suicide note saying, here's what I got to do with it is beyond me.

[Shane]

Yeah. Here's what I got out of it. He committed suicide so quickly after being charged. That makes me think his lawyer or whatever, he. He looked it up and thought, oh man, the evidence is against me. I'm dead, I'm going to jail. So he killed himself. It's not like he tried to fight it. He went to trial and then he was sentenced and he thought, I can't live like this. He did it in the beginning because you would fight it. You would try. If you truly didn't have anything to do with it, you would try to fight it. You wouldn't be so, so quick.

[Emily Simpson]

No.

[Shane]

He was. Eliminate yourself.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. I mean, he took himself out because he knew. Yeah. Because he knew he was guilty. He knew he was going to go to prison. He was going to get the death penalty. I don't know if there's a death.

[Shane]

Penalty and then try. Kids aren't going to come see him. You know, And I just looked it up. There was two shallow graves. Doug. At the gun club.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay.

[Shane]

So it's very interesting.

[Emily Simpson]

That is too.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

Wow. Maybe the attorney. Maybe there was further plans for the attorney to also eliminate his wife. And that's why I said.

[Sports Announcer]

I know.

[Emily Simpson]

But now that you said there were. That there was definitely two shallow graves that. With me.

[Shane]

Limestone.

[Emily Simpson]

Limestone. Not lime juice.

[IBM Advertiser]

Yes.

[Emily Simpson]

We're not making fajitas. It's limestone.

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Emily Simpson]

No, but that makes me think that maybe that was the connection that allowed the two of them.

[Shane]

Yeah. They bonded over wanting to murder their spouses.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. Why would they. Why would you dig a shallow grave at a gun club where there's a lot of people hunting and walking around.

[Shane]

That might have been large Property or something, or who knows? Why would you kill your spouses?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know. I. I have lots of questions about that. I don't know. So in he says, if you are reading this, I am no more. I refuse to spend even an hour more in jail for something I had nothing to do with. I want it to be known that Michelle Triconis had nothing to do with Jennifer's disappearance, and neither did Kent. Kent wasn't involved either. I just want everyone to know that. He goes on to write, my attorney can explain what happened with the bags on out on Albany Avenue. And also adds, please let my children know that I love them. I would do anything to be with them. But unfortunately, we all have our limits. Limits. The state will not rest until I rot in jail. I don't know what his attorney was going to explain he had to do with the bags and that he dumped in the 30 different locations, but I don't know.

[Shane]

It's bad when your attorney can't represent you because he's also being, like, indicted with the murder charges.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, he's referring to his defense attorney.

[Shane]

He had to go get a defense attorney because his kid. Because Kent was also being charged.

[Emily Simpson]

Charged. Right. So January 30th of 2020. This is two days after FOTUS is found unconscious at his home. He does end up dying in a New York hospital.

[Shane]

Wait, did you mention how he. He committed suicide, Right?

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah, he did. The carpet. I don't. Was. I don't know if it was in the. Did he do it in the car? In the garage?

[Shane]

My understanding was it was in the garage, and he had a vacuum tube or some type of hose that went from the exhaust to inside his car to accelerate it.

[Emily Simpson]

And then he sat in the car and he closed the garage door. Yeah.

[Shane]

And then you just go to sleep a lot. Sometimes you take sleeping pills or something. Just kind of, like, pass out.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

Don't wake up.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, he had so much carbon monoxide poisoning that he did end up dying.

[Shane]

And, you know, this is ridiculous. Like, oh, I. I don't want to go to jail for something I didn't do, so I'm going to kill myself. Well, what about taking care of your kids? If you didn't do it, like, so then what, you just quit on your five kids, too?

[Emily Simpson]

Yep. All right, so then we get to 2020 to 2023. There are legal. Legal proceedings continue because we still have Michelle Traconis, the girlfriend, and Kent the attorney. So the murder case against Fotus is officially dismissed due to his death. However, prosecutors continue building cases against Michelle Traconis and Kent Mawini. Custody of Jennifer's five children is permanently granted to her mother, Gloria Farber, who also files and wins a civil suit against Fotus's estate. Date, 2024. Michelle Tronas goes to trial. So in January of 2024, Michelle Trcona's trial begins in Stanford, Connecticut. The prosecution presents hundreds of exhibits, including surveillance footage, phone data, and testimony that Tronas helped photos cover up the murder and clean up the evidence. You know, here's the other thing. Do you think Michelle Tronas knows where the body is? Because obviously if she did, she would use that as. As. As leverage for a plea deal, right?

[Shane]

Well, yeah, I don't know. I think the body is divvied up. I mean, why would you go to 30 different locations? I know. I keep going back to that, but they chopped it up.

[Emily Simpson]

You think?

[Shane]

Yeah.

[Commercial Announcer]

What do you think they did?

[Shane]

Drop one piece of paper towel in each of the 30 dumpsters?

[Emily Simpson]

No, because I'm saying, how do you go from digging a grave so where you're gonna bury the body?

[Shane]

I don't know. Change of plans.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know, man. To cut up a body, it takes a. A sick individual to be able to do something like that.

[Shane]

Well, or. Or to beat someone to death, it also takes a sick person. Then they had to go clean the blood. Then they had to go borrow a truck, and he had to ride it. I mean, there was a lot. There was a lot of forethought.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, yeah.

[Shane]

Of thinking.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

It was opportunities for him to say, no, this is not a good idea.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

And he kept doing it and doing it and doing it and doing it.

[Emily Simpson]

So in March 1st of 2024, Michelle Tronus is found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder and two counts of tampering with physical ev. Evidence. I don't know. I still don't know if I. So you think the body parts are. Are in. In the dumpsters?

[Shane]

Well, what's your explanation for going to 30 dumpsters? Because dumpster diving?

[Emily Simpson]

Because. Well, because there was so much cleanup afterwards that.

[Sleep Apnea PSA Speaker]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So you think paper towels are spread all out like that way? I don't think so.

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know. But they didn't find any body parts at all. None. Well, and they found. And they found garbage bags of the cleanup material, but there was no. No actual body parts. I'm saying.

[Shane]

Okay.

[Emily Simpson]

The fact that they found zero to me, means that I think he disposed of the body somewhere else, and then went to 30 locations to try to throw off police or whatever the reasoning was for that.

[Shane]

So either way, we know she's dead. We know he likely did it, obviously. So I don't know. I don't. They don't think that she was there. Michelle was there. No, she was after the. That fact.

[Emily Simpson]

Fact, yeah.

[Shane]

That's why she gave conflicting statements and she was trying to cover up because I think at one point she said she was. She vouched as an alibi for him. Later changed the story.

[Emily Simpson]

Well, they had their alibis worked out and that. And then Kent, because they both were claiming that they had a meeting with the attorney. Kent.

[Shane]

Yeah, you're right. It's not a good idea when your alibi is your co conspirator.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So in May 31st of 2024, Michelle Tronus is sentenced to 14 and a half years in prison.

[Shane]

Prison. Then we get to June, sentenced to 20 and she can not eligible to be released until 14 and a half years.

[Emily Simpson]

So she was sentenced.

[Shane]

So she. She's gone for nearly 15 years.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. Again that. My question is she must not know what happened to the body and she must not know where it is because if she did and the guy's dead, he killed himself.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So it's not like she has to be loyal to him or keep her mouth shut for him anymore. That's why I'm saying if she knew where the body was, she would have used that as a bargaining tool to get a lesser sentence.

[Shane]

Did she plead guilty?

[Emily Simpson]

So a trial jury found her guilty.

[Shane]

Right.

[Emily Simpson]

So all right then, so now she's in jail a long time.

[Shane]

Yeah, you're right. So if she was going to use the body location as a bargaining chip.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

It would had to be done prior to a trial, so.

[Sleep Apnea PSA Speaker]

Right.

[Shane]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Emily Simpson]

I'm just saying that I feel as if she doesn't know what.

[Shane]

You make a good point. I don't have an answer for you, but you make a good point.

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[Emily Simpson]

But the crowded gym?

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[Emily Simpson]

So then we get to recent actually, this just happened in June 13th of 2025. So this summer Kent Mawini is sentenced. So Kent Mawini entered an Alford plea. That is a plea where the defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges the prosecution has enough evidence to convict him. So he enters this plea to a lesser charge of interfering with police case. And remember, he was originally charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the disappearance and presumed death of Jennifer. He was sentenced to 11 months in jail time he had already effectively served and the original conspiracy murder charge was dropped due to insufficient evidence to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Mawini maintains that he did not conspire to kill Jennifer and has stated publicly that he does not know what happened to her or where her Body is located. I did see him give an interview or something. And he does claim that if he knew where the body was, he was.

[iFit Advertiser]

Would.

[Emily Simpson]

He would tell. He would give it up.

[Shane]

He would say.

[Emily Simpson]

So I. I don't think trotus went.

[Shane]

Rogue a little bit and deviated from the plan.

[Emily Simpson]

That's what I think.

[Shane]

And panicked or whatnot. And didn't obviously avoid a shallow grave.

[Emily Simpson]

And I think something happened and something got messed up or hindered where he wasn't able to dispose of her body in the grave that they originally had planned to put her in. I think he did something with the body. I don't know. Maybe he threw it off a ravine or in a river or something. I don't know. But I. I would guess that Kent and Michelle don't know where the body is. Otherwise, I feel as if they would have used that in their defense. What impact did Jennifer Doulos's murder have? So, In June of 2021, Jennifer's Law was signed into Connecticut law. Jennifer's law, named in honor of Jennifer farber doulos and Jennifer magnano, which are two Connecticut women who were killed by their husbands after suffering years of abuse. The law was created to. To expand the legal definition of domestic violence beyond physical abuse, recognizing that many victims experience psychological, emotional, and financial control long before violence turns physical. Under Jennifer's law, Connecticut now legally recognizes coercive control as a form of domestic abuse. This means that behaviors such as isolation from friends or family, Monitoring communications or movements, Financial control, threats, intimidation or manipulation, gaslighting and emotional degradation can all be considered forms of domestic violence, even if no physical harm has occurred. What do you think about that?

[Shane]

Yeah, that's just. That's a tough one to really.

[Emily Simpson]

Those are tough to prove, that's for sure. I mean, the physical violence, obviously, is like. That's when you have photos or pattern. Yeah.

[Shane]

And exercising severe control over the person as opposed to just like, you know, he would let me call my mom just today.

[Emily Simpson]

Before Jennifer's law, Connecticut's legal system typically only recognized physical or sexual violence in domestic abuse cases. This often left victims, especially those like Jennifer Doulos, who exp. Who expressed fear for her safety during her divorce without strong legal protections. You know, here's. Here's the problem also, Even if it was more recognized previously that. That financial control, threats, stalking, following gaslighting, Emotional abuse are considered abuse, and you can get a restraining order. It doesn't have to just be evidence of physical abuse. The problem is that someone like fotus, he doesn't do you think he's going to abide by. He's not going to abide by a protective. A restraining order?

[Shane]

No. He's a narcissist.

[Emily Simpson]

Yes. And a murderer and a psychopath.

[Shane]

He's not a rule follower.

[Emily Simpson]

No. So, you know, being able to get a restraining order can only go so far for a female. At the end of the day, if someone like him, a restraining order, a piece of paper is not going to keep him. He. It doesn't matter if she got a restraining order because he was psychologically, you know, abusive or physically abusive. Someone like that, that, that planned the murder, that premeditated, that had people involved that, that through the COVID of the night, borrowed a truck, drove to her house, laid in wait, murdered her in the garage, cleaned it up, took her.

[Shane]

Car somewhere, rode a bike back, went to 30 dumpsters.

[Emily Simpson]

Exactly. That is not someone that's going to be deterred by a piece of paper. By a piece of paper. The new law allows victims experiencing coercive control to obtain restraining orders before violence escalates, present non physical evidence such as as texts, financial records, witness statements, et cetera, in court, and receive broader protection through family court proceedings, including custody hearings. Jennifer's law represents a major step forward in domestic violence reform, aiming to prevent tragedies by intervening earlier in the abuse cycle. It also inspired other states to consider similar legislation expanding the definition of abuse to include psychological and financial domination. Domination. I mean that's good and I'm glad that it's been expanded because obviously we know that abuse comes in many forms. It's not just physical. Like a woman can be severely abused and he could never lay a hand on her. It could all be psychological. But again, when it, when someone's abusive like that and a restraining order can only do so much, I mean maybe it deters some men, but not, not someone like him. I mean, as we discussed. Do you have anything else about this case?

[Shane]

Oh yeah, the. So he posted six million dollar bond.

[Emily Simpson]

He did.

[Shane]

And then he, he commits suicide.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

So what happens to the bond?

[Emily Simpson]

I don't know what happens to the.

[Shane]

Bond goes to the state.

[Emily Simpson]

Oh, they get the $6 million. It doesn't like go to his children.

[Shane]

No. That sucks.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

And I don't know if it's because he committed suicide, like intentionally didn't appear in court.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah.

[Shane]

That is intentional versus if he got in a car accident, what would happen? But I think that's kind of weak because the bond is meant to make sure you go to court.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. So you get Your money back.

[Shane]

So I get it. He didn't go to court.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

But it's not like he skit it. I mean, that. So the bond is not serving a purpose anymore.

[Emily Simpson]

Right.

[Shane]

It's not like he. He skipped town. And they're gonna hold on to the bond till they, you know, so they can get him. Or. Or it's like, you know, he forfeited that, and that's just his penalty. It's like he's dead. And there's five kids. Kids which now live with the. The grandma.

[Emily Simpson]

Yeah. You know what?

[Shane]

The mother's.

[Emily Simpson]

The mother. Yeah. So Jennifer Doulos's mother has the children permanent custody.

[Shane]

Right. Like, so she secured them. And they're in privacy, it said, and they're not in the public eye.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. I did read that the son made a statement or wrote something, and this. This was really. He was. I. I don't remember his exact age around the time that his mother was murdered, but I'm thinking it was like 12, 13 or something like that. That age.

[Shane]

Well, at the age they were 8 to 13.

[Emily Simpson]

Okay. So I think he was around the 13 age. Anyway, he wrote something. I read that he said that during that time when his mother disappeared and was murdered, he was not getting along with her very well. And I think he had a lot of.

[Shane]

He being the son.

[Emily Simpson]

The son because of. I mean, first of all, let's look at his age. We. You and I, we have Annabelle. She's 12, almost 13. That's. That's a very critical age for kids. That's just. They.

[Shane]

Well, yeah, and then there's a divorce here.

[Emily Simpson]

There's a divorce.

[Shane]

The dad's psycho dad.

[Emily Simpson]

The dad's moved out. The mom's trying to protect the kids. Kids at that age, they don't understand that you're trying to protect them. I mean, we constantly have conversations with Annabelle that we're not limiting things or taking things away or not allowing her to do things because we're mean and we're terrible people and we want her to have a terrible life. We're doing it because we're protecting her and we love her and we care about her. But that age, it's very difficult to get. They don't see it that way. My point is, is that he has now said that he did not have the opportunity to ever say to his mother. Now he realizes that all the things that he was. That he was upset about was just her trying to protect him and that he was at that teenage, critical, angst age where he was just Upset with her and he was mad at her and, you know, he was arguing with.

[Shane]

Her over there and now.

[Emily Simpson]

Right. He's devastated. Stated that his last interactions with his mother before she was taken from his life were these teenage angst interactions where he was mad at her, he was upset with her, and he can't ever get that time back. He can't ever say what he really thinks. He can't say that. He can't say. I now understand that you were trying to protect me, that you were an amazing mom. And that's what's so sad, is just this mom was taken away from these.

[Shane]

Five children and probably the only hope they had. Well, now they're with a grandma. But prior to that, there she was their hope. You know, she was. If she was protecting him, he was the one that's more aggressive. So.

[Emily Simpson]

So it was. That's a sad story. Anyway, there's a lot of different documentaries out there on Jennifer Doulo, so if you'd like to investigate it further and watch it, I would. I. I think it's an interesting story. I. I guess I take away from it because I'm the same age as her and I have children. And I just.

[Shane]

It's nice to know, though, the happy end, the happy championing, the. The nice note to leave it on is all five are together. They're with the grandma. I think they moved to a different state.

[Sleep Apnea PSA Speaker]

They did.

[Emily Simpson]

They moved away.

[Shane]

They're in privacy. And so, you know, they can kind of try and live forward that way.

[Emily Simpson]

A normal life as much as possible.

[Shane]

And I hate to say this, but, I mean, maybe it's better their dad's dead instead of in jail where it's kind of always lingering that your dad's there.

[Emily Simpson]

He's probably reaching out, trying to like.

[Shane]

Or fearful that he might come out one day or, you know, I don't know. Yeah, I mean.

[Emily Simpson]

All right. Thanks, guys, for listening to Legally Brunette. We appreciate it. And again, we are on our own feed, so please follow us on our own feed. Make sure you leave a review. Make sure you follow us. And if you ever have any suggestions for cases or you have feedback on any of the cases we talk about. I love it when you guys send me dms. I like to read them and I like to stay engaged. So please feel free to do that. And thanks so much for listening.

[Shane]

Thank you.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Shane]

This is Julian Edelman from Dudes on Dudes with Gronk and Jewels Sunday mornings.

[Commercial Announcer]

I've got my game day ritual, coffee.

[Shane]

Lucky socks and now new Morning Uncrustable Sandwiches.

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[Shane]

Soft, pillowy, packed with protein and easy enough for Gronk to grab from the freezer.

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[Shane]

Your new Sunday kickoff ritual starts here with New Morning Uncrustable sandwiches packed with 12 grams of protein.

[Sports Announcer]

Season two of unrivaled basketball is here and the talent is unreal. The best women's players on the planet are running it back back with even bigger moments and bigger stakes. Don't miss as Paige Beckers, Nafiza Collier, Kelsey Plumb, Brianna Stewart and more take the court and redefine the game. This isn't your regular season. This is unrivaled, where the pace is faster, the energy is higher and every athlete shines. Unrivaled basketball season two, sponsored by Samsung Galaxy, tips off January 5 on TNT, TruTV and HBO Max.

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[Emily Simpson]

10 athletes will face the toughest job interview in fitness that will push past physical and and mental breaking points. You are the fittest of the fit.

[Sleep Apnea PSA Speaker]

Only one of you will leave here.

[Emily Simpson]

With an IFIT contract worth $250,000. This is where mindset comes in.

[Sleep Apnea PSA Speaker]

Someone will be eliminated.

[Emily Simpson]

Pressure is coming down.

[Commercial Announcer]

Trainer games on Prime Video January 8th.

[Shane]

Watch the trailer on trainergames.com.