Crime & Safety

3rd Suspect In Jennifer Farber Dulos Disappearance Case Pleads Guilty: Reports

Of the three suspects in the case, only Michelle Troconis is currently serving a prison term.

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Kent Mawhinney pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in connection with the disappearance and death of Jennifer Farber Dulos, but is currently free and will not serve any additional prison time. He had been accused of assisting in the murder plot.
Kent Mawhinney pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in connection with the disappearance and death of Jennifer Farber Dulos, but is currently free and will not serve any additional prison time. He had been accused of assisting in the murder plot. (Connecticut State Police)

STAMFORD, CT — Kent Mawhinney, the third suspect in the disappearance and death of Jennifer Farber Dulos, pleaded guilty Friday to a single count of interfering with police in the case, but will avoid further jail time, WTNH-TV and The Hour reported.

Mawhinney, 59, served 11 months in prison following his arrest in 2020, because he could not post bail. He was originally charged with conspiracy to commit murder, accused of helping his former friend, the late Fotis Dulos, in the plot to kill Jennifer Dulos, Fotis' estranged wife.

Under the plea deal Mawhinney reportedly settled with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, and was sentenced to time already served. He had pleaded not guilty to the original conspiracy to commit murder charge.

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Three people were accused of participating in the disappearance and death of Jennifer Dulos, who vanished from her New Canaan home on May 24, 2019, and whose body has not been found.

Fotis Dulos was accused of kidnapping and murder, but never stood trial, because he took his own life in late January 2020.

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Mawhinney, a former attorney, was accused of being involved in the cover-up of the crime, and Michelle Troconis, Fotis' former girlfriend, who was also charged with conspiracy to commit murder and related violations.

Troconis is the only one to stand trial in the case, and is the only one to be sentenced to prison. She was convicted of a half-dozen charges in March 2024, and was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years in prison.

Following Friday's hearing, Mawhinney called Jennifer Dulos' disappearance and death "a tragedy," and said he "has as much responsibility for that tragedy as you do," pointing to reporters present outside of court, as reported by News 12 Connecticut's Marissa Alter.

In a statement to Patch, Carrie Luft, a longtime friend of Jennifer's and a spokesperson for the Farber family, said that they agree with the prosecution's decision to reach a plea deal with Mawhinney on a lesser charge.

"We want to thank the state’s attorney’s office—in particular, Paul Ferencek, Michelle Manning, and Sean McGuinness—for their long-term commitment to this case and their careful consideration in seeking justice," Luft said. "We also express deep gratitude to the investigators and other law enforcement personnel for their dedication.

"Today’s development does not absolve Kent Mawhinney of conspiracy to murder. His arrest warrant includes evidence sufficient to bring that charge, but the burden of proof is great by necessity. The conspiracy charge was dropped for multiple reasons, including the fact that another lengthy, complex jury trial would come at a substantial cost, financial as well as emotional, to all involved. We are in full support of the state’s attorneys’ decision.

"Recently, we marked the six-year milestone of Jennifer’s disappearance. Many questions remain. It is clear that Jennifer was the victim of a systematically planned, ruthlessly executed murder, and her body still has not been found. We believe that someone possesses additional knowledge about where she is, and we hope fervently that they will come forward with that information.

"We miss Jennifer every day, in every way, and ask that you please respect the privacy of her family and loved ones. Thank you."

Read the WTNH-TV story; read The Hour story.

The Dulos case:

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