A former nanny to Jennifer Dulos’ five children testified in court in a Connecticut court Tuesday that the missing, presumed dead mother was in fear of her life.
Former nanny Lauren Almeida testified during Michelle Troconis’ trial that Jennifer was “terrified” of her husband, Fotis Dulos, in the months leading up to her presumed death.
Almeida, who cared for the couple’s five children for eight years until Jennifer’s disappearance on May 24, 2019, also provided additional details about Fotis’ affair with defendant Michelle Troconis.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Troconis, who was dating Fotis at the time Jennifer vanished, is charged with murder conspiracy and evidence tampering.
Prosecutors allege she helped Fotis Dulos concoct a timeline of his whereabouts on the day Jennifer vanished, and that she watched him put garbage bags with crime evidence into different trash bins.
Before her disappearance, Jennifer had become entangled in a contentious divorce and child custody battle with Fotis, who was allegedly dating Michelle Troconis in secret at the time.
Fotis was later charged with murdering Jennifer at her New Canaan, Connecticut, home, but he took his own life in January 2020, leaving Troconis to face the legal consequences alone.
Troconis has denied all charges against her.
Almeida recounted her first meeting with Troconis at a private ski club during a Dulos family holiday in Aspen in March 2017. She described how Jennifer and Fotis’ relationship unraveled shortly after.
“The big dynamic change was in March of 2017, which is when Jennifer found out about his affair,” Almeida testified, according to FOX 61.
Over the next several months, the couple’s relationship became increasingly worse, Almeida said.
Almeida also recalled an incident in which Jennifer returned to the Farmington property to retrieve some belongings. She was confronted by Dulos, who allegedly yelled at her and scared her to the point of hiding.
“Fotis was yelling and she closed the door behind her and she pushed her body up against the door and he was trying to get in,’ Almeida told the court. “He pushed the door more and he saw that his daughter and myself were in the room and his demeanor totally changed”
“Eventually, he walked away and she told me she needed to get out of the house.”
Almeida added that as the tension grew, Jennifer began losing weight while her mental health declined.
“She noticeably lost a lot of weight. She was just afraid, and she expressed that a lot,” Almeida testified.
Watch the full testimony below.
The trial is expected to last around six weeks. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Jennifer Dulos/Handout]
