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88-year-old Connecticut mother testifies about daughter's disappearance in murder conspiracy trial

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88-year-old Connecticut mother testifies about daughter's disappearance in murder conspiracy trial

The 88-year-old mother of Connecticut mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos testified at a murder conspiracy trial Wednesday that she has not seen or communicated with her daughter since she disappeared and was presumed by police to be murdered in 2019.

Dressed in a gray suit with scarfs, Gloria Farber didn’t show much emotion as she told the jury that her daughter was supposed to meet her at her New York City apartment on May 24, 2019, after a doctor’s appointment, but never showed up. She suggested Dulos would never abandon her children.

“She was always there for them,” Farber testified about her daughter in the sixth week of the trial against Michelle Troconis in Stamford Superior Court in Connecticut.

CONNECTICUT STATE TROOPER TO STAND TRIAL IN FATAL SHOOTING OF 19-YEAR-OLD COLLEGE STUDENT

Ever since Dulos vanished, Farber has had custody of her five grandchildren, who at the time ranged in age from 8 to 13.

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Troconis denies allegations that she helped Dulos’ estranged husband, Fotis Dulos, cover up the killing of Jennifer Dulos. At the time, Troconis was dating Fotis Dulos and living with him in Farmington, after Jennifer Dulos and the children had moved out and were living about 70 miles away in New Canaan.

Jennifer Dulos’ body has never been found. Farber’s testimony was part of the prosecution’s effort to show her 50-year-old daughter was killed by Fotis Dulos in an attack at her New Canaan home on May 24, 2019. A state probate court declared Jennifer Dulos legally dead in October.

Fotis Dulos died by suicide in January 2020, weeks after being charged with murdering Jennifer Dulos. He denied the allegations. At the time of her disappearance, they were battling each other in contentious divorce and child custody proceedings.

Troconis has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, hindering prosecution and tampering with evidence.

The case drew widespread attention and was the subject of a made-for-TV movie, Lifetime’s “Gone Mom.” Jennifer Dulos was a member of a wealthy New York family whose father, the late Hilliard Farber, founded his own brokerage firm. She also was a niece by marriage of fashion designer Liz Claiborne. Fotis Dulos was a luxury home builder originally from Greece.

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Troconis, a dual American and Venezuelan citizen, has described herself as a co-founder of horse-riding therapy programs in different parts of the world who once had her own TV production company in Argentina and hosted a snow-sports show for ESPN South America.

This undated contributed photo courtesy of the Farber family shows Jennifer Farber Dulos. Gloria Farber, the 88-year-old mother of Connecticut mother-of-five Jennifer Dulos, testified at a murder conspiracy trial Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024, that she has not seen or communicated with her daughter since she disappeared and was presumed by police to be murdered in 2019. (Courtesy of the Farber Family via AP)

Prosecutors Sean McGuinness and Michelle Manning rested the state’s case Wednesday morning after Farber’s testimony. Troconis’ lawyer, Jon Schoenhorn, immediately made a motion for an acquittal, which was denied by Judge Kevin Randolph.

Schoenhorn argued there was no evidence that Troconis knew about Fotis Dulos’ alleged plans for the killing beforehand, or afterward when she accompanied him on trips that prosecutors said were intended to destroy evidence in the case.

McGuiness disagreed, and Randolph ruled there was enough evidence for the jury to make their own conclusions on the charges.

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Police alleged Fotis Dulos drove his employee’s pickup truck to a New Canaan park that morning, rode a bicycle to Jennifer Dulos’ house, attacked her in the garage and drove off with her in her Chevy Suburban, which was later found abandoned at the park.

Later the same day, Troconis accompanied Fotis Dulos to Hartford, where he disposed of several garbage bags in random locations — a trip partially recorded by surveillance cameras.

Police found some of the bags and said they contained clothing, zip ties and other items containing Jennifer Dulos’ DNA. Some of the items, including a shirt and bra, had blood-like stains on them. Some items had Fotis Dulos’ DNA on them, and one bag tested positive for Troconis’ DNA, a state forensics expert testified at the trial.

CONNECTICUT PASTOR CHARGED WITH SELLING CRYSTAL METH OUT OF CHURCH RECTORY

Schoenhorn said Troconis had no idea what was in the bags. He also said the match with Troconis’ DNA was found on a microscopic sample, and Fotis Dulos could have touched her and later spread her DNA to one of the bags.

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Police also said Troconis helped Fotis Dulos write up a timeline of their activities to prepare for potential questioning by police. Troconis told police she only did that at the request of Fotis Dulos and his lawyer. And she also went with him when he had the employee’s truck cleaned and detailed at a car wash, prosecutors said.

And on the morning of Jennifer Dulos’ disappearance, Troconis answered Fotis Dulos’ cellphone, which he had left at his Farmington home. Prosecutors suggested that was part of the murder conspiracy to give Fotis Dulos an alibi. Schoenhorn denied the allegation.

Police interviewed Troconis three times in 2019. They said she initially lied that Fotis Dulos was home the morning of May 24, but acknowledged that wasn’t true in a subsequent interview and said she didn’t see him that morning.

Also charged in the case is Kent Mawhinney, a friend and former lawyer of Fotis Dulos. He pleaded not guilty and awaits trial on a conspiracy to commit murder charge.

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The defense began to present its witnesses Wednesday. Testimony in the trial is supposed to finish on Friday or Monday.

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New Jersey

Independence Day surprise: New Jersey’s costly new data broker law | IAPP

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Independence Day surprise: New Jersey’s costly new data broker law  | IAPP


The risks and costs of being a data broker in the United States just went up — again. On 30 June 2026, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J., signed A 5328 into law, making New Jersey the seventh state to enact a data broker law, and the second this year, following Connecticut. The bill was introduced and signed over the course of a few days, as New Jersey’s Legislature sprinted toward an end-of-fiscal-year budget deadline.

This is not a simple copy-paste of any other state. The most notable divergence is its breadth. It creates requirements not only for data brokers, but also for data collectors, entities that have a direct relationship with individuals but sell their personal data to data brokers.

Its greatest impact comes from the creation of a tiered — and costly — structure for annual registration fees, requiring the largest data brokers and data collectors to pay a USD1.5 million annual registration fee. Although the minimum fee, payable for selling the personal data of any number of New Jersey consumers, is not the highest in the country, the second tier is higher than any other state, and kicks in at 100,000 consumers. Data brokers and data collectors also face significant fines for failing to register or update their registration information.

Further, the law prohibits the sale of sensitive data both through the data broker provisions and by amending New Jersey’s consumer data privacy law. Violations of that prohibition carry a severe USD50,000-per-record fine.

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The law takes effect immediately, except for the requirement that the New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs create a registry, which takes effect 270 days after enactment, on 27 March 2027.

Data brokers and their suppliers



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Pennsylvania

Why are flags at half-staff today? Why they’ll stay lowered in PA

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Why are flags at half-staff today? Why they’ll stay lowered in PA


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Flags are flying at half-staff across Pennsylvania today after Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered them lowered statewide to honor Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira, who died in the line of duty in Schuylkill County.

Shapiro ordered flags fly half-staff at Pennsylvania facilities, public buildings and grounds — the United States flag and Pennsylvania flag — to honor Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira, who died in the line of duty in Schuylkill County.

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Pahira died after being struck by a tractor-trailer while conducting a commercial vehicle inspection along Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County, authorities said. A Massachusetts truck driver has since been charged in the crash, and flags will remain at half-staff until the date of Pahira’s interment, which has not yet been announced.

Why are flags at half-staff today in Pennsylvania?

Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered flags across Pennsylvania to fly at half-staff in honor of Pennsylvania State Trooper Michael Pahira, who died in the line of duty July 1. The order applies to Commonwealth facilities, public buildings and grounds statewide and remains in effect until his interment.

What’s the difference between half-staff and half-mast?

The difference between a flag flying at half-staff and half-mast depends on where the flag is flown. In the United States, flags on land are lowered on staffs, while half-mast traditionally refers to flags flown from ships and at naval stations ashore.

Who was Trooper Michael Pahira?

Pahira was a Schuylkill County native and nearly 20-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police, authorities said. He enlisted in January 2007 and was assigned to Troop L in Frackville as a Motor Carrier Inspector. He was 44 years old and became the 106th member of the Pennsylvania State Police to die in the line of duty.

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What happened to Trooper Michael Pahira?

State police said Pahira was conducting a commercial vehicle inspection along Interstate 81 southbound in Schuylkill County when a second tractor-trailer left the roadway and struck his marked patrol vehicle and the truck he was inspecting before hitting him. Both commercial vehicles caught fire after the crash. Pahira was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities said a Massachusetts truck driver has since been charged with homicide by vehicle in connection with the crash.

How long will flags be lowered?

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro ordered US and Pennsylvania flags fly half-staff today and through the date of interment, or the burial or entombment of Pahira following his funeral.

Lori Comstock is a New Jersey-based reporter covering trending news with USA TODAY Network’s Mid-Atlantic Connect TeamShe covers news in the Northeast, including New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Reach her at LComstock@usatodayco.com.



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Rhode Island

Exclusive | Not everyone’s happy about Taylor Swift’s MSG wedding, as Rhode Island residents are left at altar 

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Exclusive | Not everyone’s happy about Taylor Swift’s MSG wedding, as Rhode Island residents are left at altar 


Not everyone’s happy about Taylor Swift’s marriage to Travis Kelce being at MSG 

Reports previously speculated that Swift and her fiance were going to tie the knot on June 13 at the posh Ocean House hotel in tony Watch Hill, the Rhode Island, where Swift famously owns a home.

The “Shake It Off” singer even allegedly cut a major check to another bride-to-be who’d booked her wedding at the venue. But it was revealed that the pop star and the NFL star changed the location to accommodate more people… and are now getting hitched at the much less intimate Madison Square Garden.

Taylor Swift owns a summer house in the Watch Hill section of Westerly, RI. David McGlynn
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are tying the knot at MSG. Billboard via Getty Images

You’d think that residents of Watch Hill would be relieved to avoid the attendant media circus and other headaches that would descend on the intimate enclave. But it turns out they’re bummed the nups won’t be in their proverbial backyard. In fact, more than one Watch Hill regular told us on Wednesday that they were disappointed Swift had changed venues.

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The wedding would’ve also been a boon to the local economy, they said.

“Taylor has done a very good job of endearing herself here, and not being a jerk,” bluntly summed up a longtime Watch Hill habitué.

The wedding between is taking place under heavy secrecy, with attendees forced to sign strict NDAs. Getty Images
The local hotel, Ocean House, could have made a lot of money from a Swift-Kelce wedding weekend. David McGlynn

An insider added, “Taylor is a very good neighbor, and a very good member of the community. [She and her family] shop locally and go out of their way not to create problems — she has her own home with her own security. She’s really truly not an inconvenience to anyone.”

“In terms of the wedding, from a financial point of view, even the town next door, Westerly, they were going to get a little economic boom. Or at least a bump!” a source said.

As for the supposed previous wedding venue, “The local hotel, Ocean House, would make an enormous amount of money from the wedding,” said a source.

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A number of A-listers are expected to attend the wedding in New York. Getty Images

Then again, they added, “A regular room with the taxes goes right up against $2K a night. That’s like the regular room. Bottles of water are $18.”

Page Six has reported that Swift’s wedding will last 10 hours and include 1,000 guests!

On the wedding day, doors open for guests at 3:30 p.m., with cocktails beginning at 4 p.m. on the sixth-floor concourse at MSG. The ceremony will then start at 5:30 p.m. on the arena floor.

Traffic near the World’s Most Famous Arena will be shut down during the busy July 4th weekend. REUTERS

The night before, there will be a more intimate rehearsal dinner for just 100 guests at the arena’s Infosys Theater on Thursday.

Some Watch Hill types were left wondering how their town, which one inhabitant described as being “two city blocks,” could have handled that influx.

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“The real locals were just a little concerned about just having access to their lives… They thought the whole place was going to be shut, including the streets, and how would they get in and out, etc.”



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