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Troconis jury sees smoke footage day Farber Dulos disappeared, hears about interview discrepancies

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Troconis jury sees smoke footage day Farber Dulos disappeared, hears about interview discrepancies


After addressing concerns that Michelle Troconis was allegedly reading court-sealed documents during her criminal trial in Stamford, the 23rd day of her trial continued Friday with testimony from a state police detective who interviewed Troconis three times in 2019.

In that final interview in 2019 — which the jury saw a recording of Friday — detectives point out inconsistencies in Troconis’ earlier statements to police and urge her to be honest.

Retired Connecticut Police Department Det. John Kimball returned to the stand Friday and first walked the jury through surveillance footage that showed a Jeep Cherokee and Chevrolet Suburban, which Troconis and her then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos, were allegedly driving, going back and forth between their home at 4 Jefferson Crossing in Farmington and a property Dulos’ company owned at 80 Mountain Spring Road in Farmington on May 24. 2019, the day Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared.

Judge in Troconis trial issues warning, delays contempt hearing over sealed custody report

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In questioning Kimball about that footage, state prosecutor Sean McGuinness zeroed in on smoke that could be seen coming from a chimney at the home where Troconis was living with Dulos when his estranged wife went missing.

The jury had seen some of this video before, but this was the first time the chimney and smoke had been pointed out.

McGuinness asked Kimball if, in the three interviews Troconis did with investigators, she ever mentioned starting a fire that day — the Friday before Memorial Day weekend.

He said no.

According to weather reports, temperatures were in the high 60s to low 70s at about 7 p.m. that day.

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“I don’t know too many people having a fire on a day like this,” McGuinness said.

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool

Former Connecticut State Police Detective John Kimball returned to the stand Friday and first walked the jury through surveillance footage that showed a Jeep Cherokee and Chevrolet Suburban, which Troconis and her then-boyfriend, Fotis Dulos were allegedly driving on the day Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool)

Outside the courthouse Friday afternoon, Troconis’ defense attorney, Jon Schoenhorn, said that if the defense argues after the state rests its case, there “will be testimony that having fires is something she did regularly.”

Schoenhorn mentioned that Pawel Gumienny, an employee of Dulos’, testified earlier in the trial that he was helping Troconis bring up firewood to the house after Farber Dulos went missing and went on to say that the video of the fire was speculative.

Investigators did not search the home at 4 Jefferson Crossing until May 31.

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“Whatever it is, whatever they are trying to claim from a couple of puffs of white smoke at various times on a very windy day again it is pure speculation just like a darkened figure riding a bicycle on Memorial Day weekend in the town of New Canaan,” Schoenhorn said, referencing surveillance video of a person in dark clothing riding a bike the morning of May 24.

Investigators allege that Dulos rode a bike to Farber Dulos’ home at 69 Welles Ave. in New Canaan, where he attacked her.

Kimball testified that smoke was seen coming out of the chimney on the east end of the house between 6:44 p.m. and 7:02 p.m., just before city surveillance cameras captured the couple driving along Albany Avenue in Hartford, where investigators allege Dulos was dumping evidence related to Farber Dulos’ disappearance.

Investigators tracked Dulos’ cell phone data to Albany Avenue, where surveillance video from Hartford’s city cameras shows Dulos driving his Ford F-150 Raptor and making stops to dump items into trash bins and a storm drain while Troconis drove in the passenger seat between 7:30 p.m. and 7:50 p.m.

Investigators combed through those trash bins and suctioned out the contents of the storm drain, finding altered license plates and blood-soaked clothes they believe Farber Dulos was wearing when she died. They also found zip ties, a box cutter, garbage bags, and other items, all with stains from a blood-like substance.

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Troconis is charged with conspiring with Dulos to kill Farber Dulos, the mother of his five children with whom he was in the midst of a divorce and custody battle, and helping to cover up the crimes.

On June 2 and June 6, 2019, investigators interviewed Troconis about Farber Dulos’ disappearance. First at the New Canaan Police Department, then in her attorney’s office.

Lead detective testifies about discrepancies in Troconis’ timeline on day of Farber Dulos’ disappearance

The jury has seen video recordings of those two interviews, and on Friday saw part of her third interview, in which she admitted she hadn’t been entirely truthful during the first two.

“This is our third conversation and that’s two more conversations than most people have,” Kimball said at the start of the third and final interview on Aug. 13.

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“We need you to be 100 percent honest,” said Connecticut State Police Det. Corey Clabby.

The detectives said that they wanted to give Troconis the chance to tell the truth and clarify some things.

“This really is an opportunity,” Kimball said.

He then asked Troconis: “Are you ready to admit that you weren’t 100% honest in the first two interviews?”

Troconis paused briefly, then said “Yes.”

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In her earlier interviews, Troconis told investigators that on the morning Farber Dulos disappeared, she showered with Dulos. McGuinness asked Kimball about this while he was on the stand Friday. Kimball said that during the interview on June 2, 2019, Troconis indicated that “Fotis Dulos was there with her when she woke up, he entered the shower with her,” he said. And that she later saw him in his office.

But in August, she told investigators she did not see him until that afternoon.

“When you turned your alarm off in your bedroom, was Fotis there?” Clabby asked.

“No,” she replied.

“He was not there?” he clarified.

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“No,” she said

“You didn’t take a shower with him?”

“No,” Troconis answered.

Former Connecticut State Police Detective John Kimball watches video of his questioning of Michelle Troconis as he testifies on day 23 of her criminal trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Stamford, Conn. Feb. 16, 2024. Troconis is on trial for charges related to the disappearance and death of New Canaan resident Jennifer Dulos. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool)

Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool

Former Connecticut State Police Detective John Kimball watches video of his questioning of Michelle Troconis as he testifies on Friday at Stamford Superior Court. (Ned Gerard/Hearst Connecticut Media/Pool)

In the video, Troconis went on to say she did not see him at all that morning.

“I didn’t see him in the room, in the shower, or the room, I didn’t,” she said. “I did not see him in the morning in the house.”

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She said during the interview that maybe she had just assumed he was home.

“Back then I always thought he was in the house but thinking I never saw him, I never heard his voice. So obviously he wasn’t … probably he wasn’t in the house.”

Kimball on Friday also testified that on June 6, 2019, Troconis said she had not seen Dulos’ phone that morning. She thought Dulos had it with him, she’d said. But in the third interview, that changed.

“The defendant just indicated that she saw Mr. Dulos’ phone in the Fore Group office, correct?” Kimball asked after pausing the video of the interview.

“That’s correct,” Kimball said.

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Later in the interview, Clabby pressed Troconis about the phone being left at home.

He asked her if she thought it was odd that Dulos left his phone at home “the day his wife goes missing” and urged her to tell the truth.

“There’s no way you just didn’t know,” he said.

Detectives then told Troconis that she was facing multiple years in prison.

“Help yourself and tell us what you know, because we all believe you know a lot more.”

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During the part of the video the jury saw Friday, detectives also pointed out other inconsistencies in Troconis’ account of May 24.

In her June 2019 interviews, Kimball said Troconis never mentioned answering a call to Dulos’ phone that morning. But in the August 2019 interview, she described answering a call from Dulos’ friend in Greece — a call that investigators learned was prearranged at the urging of Kent Mawhinney, Dulos’ lawyer who is also charged as a co-conspirator in Farber Dulos’ death.

They also asked Troconis at length about whether she briefly had the keys to Gumienny’s Toyota Tacoma that afternoon. That truck has dominated a good portion of testimony in her trial, as investigators allege Dulos drove that truck to New Canaan and back on the day Farber Dulos went missing.

When Gumienny took the stand, he testified that he saw the keys to his Tacoma handing from the passenger door of his truck at 80 Mountain Spring Road that afternoon. He left for a few minutes, and when he came back with Dulos, the keys were gone. He said Dulos called Troconis and she brought the keys back. In the video shown Friday, Troconis admitted to having the keys but said they were in the Jeep she was driving.

Detectives told her they knew that was not true.

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She stumbled over an answer but ultimately said she didn’t know how she had ended up with the Tacoma keys.

They also highlighted other details that Troconis did not tell detectives about in the first interviews, like how she picked Dulos up from a car wash in the days after Farber Dulos went missing.

Outside the presence of the jury Friday afternoon, attorneys went back and forth in a heated exchange regarding witnesses the defense is expected to call to the stand next week to testify about memory.

McGuinness raised concerns that the defense had not provided reports about the witnesses’ expected testimony.

The defense countered that the court would be denying Troconis her constitutional right to present a defense if they were prevented from calling those witnesses, as memory is “the sole basis of the defense.”

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McGuinness said that because the defense had provided them with the witnesses’ lengthy resumes but not reports regarding their testimony, the state would not have enough time to prepare to cross-examine those witnesses.

“We’re going to get a report dumped on our lap on Monday night and we’re going to be expected to cross next week and it’s not fair,” McGuiness said.

Judge Kevin A. Randolph ruled that the defense will be required to send the court reports from the witnesses by midnight Friday.

Troconis’ trial is set to resume at 10 a.m. Tuesday after Monday’s Presidents’ Day holiday.



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Connecticut

Inside Bethenny Frankel’s $7.8M Sale of Applejack Farm in Connecticut

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Inside Bethenny Frankel’s .8M Sale of Applejack Farm in Connecticut


Bethenny Frankel has sold her Connecticut home, also known as Applejack Farm, for more than $7.8 million.

The estate, which is located in Greenwich, Connecticut, closed for $7,825,000. The sale was represented by Jeff Jackson, a broker and owner of Corcoran Centric Realty. Martha Z. Jeffrey and Anne Z. Ogilvy of Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.

Applejack Farm is located in a gated area of the Golden Triangle neighborhood, just minutes outside of Greenwich. Frankel, 54, originally purchased Applejack Farm for $4,250,000 in 2021.

The home was first built in 1743 and is considered to be one of the oldest homes in Greenwich. Over the years, the Real Housewives of New York City alum renovated and added on to the property, ultimately increasing its value.

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Bethenny Frankel began seriously considering a move to Florida at daughter Bryn’s insistence. “We were down in Florida and something very personal transpired, and I went to school in Florida,” Frankel, 54, said on the Tuesday, May 6, episode of her “Just B” podcast. “I don’t want to get into all the details of this […]

The property boasts five bedrooms, six bathrooms, two half bathrooms, grand historic rooms, a La Cornue-equipped kitchen, a primary suite with dual spa-grade bathrooms, a lower level with a media room, entertainer’s bar, gym and more. The estate also features a guest cottage that includes two bedrooms, two and half bathrooms, a three-bay garage, a standalone studio and a party barn.

Across its buildings, Applejack Farm has numerous architectural details, including beamed ceilings, brick fireplaces, paneled walls, ornate moldings, an antique bar and more.

The grounds of Applejack Farm included a wide array of trees and rolling green lawns. The plush landscape is accentuated with intricate lighting, a luxe stone patio, a storage shed and a covered porch overlooking the stunning view.

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Back in April, Frankel announced that she was migrating south to the Sunshine State.

“I am moving to Florida for personal and professional reasons,” she explained in an Instagram video. “Something has arisen that made this the best and healthiest for myself and my daughter.”

That same month, she quietly placed her Connecticut home up for sale for $8 million.

Before making her relocation official, Frankel reportedly purchased a condo in Miami, which serves as her secondary Florida home. She bought the property for about $1.7 million in June 2024.

After settling in, Frankel gave fans an inside look to her home and new life in the Sunshine State.

“The transition and journey has been rough but in a few weeks we will be settled into our Florida home before we head to the Hamptons for an endless summer,” she wrote via Instagram in May alongside moments of her time in Miami so far. “Let the adventure era continue.”





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Rare ‘Mushroom House’ hits CT real estate market for $1.5M. See Zillow Gone Wild tour

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Rare ‘Mushroom House’ hits CT real estate market for .5M. See Zillow Gone Wild tour


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  • The home, called “Starcastle” but known to locals as “The Mushroom House,” has a bumpy, white outside with mushroom-like domes on several parts of the house.
  • It is on sale for $1,500,000.
  • Instagram users loved the view, but not the mushroomy look.

A Connecticut home for sale was featured on the social media account Zillow Gone Wild in June for its unique, mushroom-like appearance.

The home, called “Starcastle” but known to locals as “The Mushroom House,” has a bumpy, white outside with mushroom-like domes covering several sections of the house.

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Now, you can buy this ‘trippy’ home for $1,500,000.

Why is it called the Mushroom House?

The home was designed by architect Roy Mason in 1985 for Ed Roman, the owner of Las Vegas’ Ed Roman Guitars and Danbury’s Eastcoast Music Mall, according to Zillow Gone Wild.

Rather than being a square or rectangle shape like many houses, the Mushroom House is rounded and lumpy, as if covered by bubbling white cement. 

One particularly prominent column looks especially like a mushroom, but mushroom-cap-like domes cover several different sections of the house.

The listing, held by Lisa Weisenberger of Luks Reality, says that this is a “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own one of Connecticut’s most iconic homes.”

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“A home this rare doesn’t just make memories—it builds them,” it adds.

How many bedrooms and bathrooms does it have? Other features?

The 5,036 square foot Mushroom House has four bedrooms and five bathrooms.

Zillow Gone Wild points out special features like a sunken conversation pit, an open concept living room with a “landing/DJ area/chill zone” above and wide windows in many of the rooms that allow those inside to take in the panoramic vistas.

Outside, there’s a pool, a gazebo and a large smiley face.

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In addition to a private home, the listing says the property has potential to be an Airbnb, a wedding venue or an “unforgettable weekend escape.”

Where is the Zillow Gone Wild CT mushroom house?

The Mushroom House can be found at 155 Shortwoods Rd. in New Fairfield, Connecticut.

It is located between two state parks, Squantz Pond State Park and Pootatuck State Forest, giving it expansive views. It overlooks Squantz Pond and Candlewood Lake in addition to the protected parklands.

It has 23.5 acres of private land, with woods, sculpted gardens and a pool.

The home is 71 miles from New York City.

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“This property feels like its own private kingdom—yet remains just a short, scenic drive from NYC,” says the listing.

Instagram users ask, is the view worth the house’s ugliness?

Instagram users loved the view, but not the mushroom-y look. Some compared it to ant hill, while others referred to it as “Tatooine.”

“I’m trying to decide if the view is worth living in that monstrosity,” said Ashley Govea, or user @mrsgovea10. “The fact that I’m confused speaks volumes to how good that view is.”

“The best thing about this house is the view,” said Judy, @btwimjudy.

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“I really love weird houses but I couldn’t live in that,” said Judy Kepes, @judykepes.





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Vehicle crashes into police car in Wethersfield during investigation: police

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Vehicle crashes into police car in Wethersfield during investigation: police


A vehicle crashed into a police car in Wethersfield during an investigation over the weekend, according to police.

Officers responded to Cumberland Farms on the Berlin Turnpike around 1:30 a.m. to help investigate a vehicle that was wanted by Hartford Police Department for not being returned to its owner.

Police said the Nissan Kicks was seen by Newington police officers parked in the Cumberland Farms parking lot and was called into Wethersfield police.

As officers approached the vehicle, investigators said the driver put the vehicle in drive and drove out of the parking spot.

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According to police, the Nissan Kicks hit the front of a Wethersfield police cruiser while leaving.

At the time of the collision, the police cruiser was not occupied. No injuries were reported.

The investigation is ongoing.



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