Kent Mawhinney, former lawyer and friend of the late Fotis Dulos, has pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in connection with the disappearance and death of Jennifer Farber Dulos, taking a plea deal that allowed him to avoid any more time behind bars.
Mawhinney, 59, took the plea deal during a hearing Friday in Stamford Superior Court, according to the clerk’s office. He pleaded guilty under the Alford doctrine to one count of interfering with police.w
An Alford plea allows defendants to take a plea bargain while maintaining that they dispute the allegations but acknowledge that there is likely enough evidence to convict them. Mawhinney had been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder, but prosecutors did not believe they had enough evidence to pursue that charge.
During previous court hearings, Mawhinney’s attorney, Jeffrey Kestenband, indicated that his client would be taking the case to trial.
“We express our condolences to Jennifer Dulos’ family,” Kestenband said in a statement on Friday. “We were very pleased with the result today. Kent was not part of a conspiracy to kill Jennifer Dulos. The state acknowledged in court that there is a lack of evidence to prove that charge. The state’s acknowledgment is not surprising because Kent was not involved. He has been through a lot since his arrest, and he can now move on with his life.”
Lead detective in CT Farber Dulos case speaks out. Why he thinks Troconis holds key to what happened
Mawhinney was sentenced to 11 months in prison, according to the clerk’s office. The sentence equated to time already served, as he spent nearly a year locked up on bond after he was arrested in January 2020 and charged in connection with the death of Farber Dulos.
Following the plea deal, Carrie Luft, who was friends with Farber Dulos, issued a statement on behalf of her family and friends, saying “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 statement said. “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.”
Six years after her death, family and friends of Farber Dulos said “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,” the statement said. “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,” the statement said.
Family and friends also thanked the investigators who have worked tirelessly on the case.
“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,” the statement said. “We also express deep gratitude to the investigators and other law enforcement personnel for their dedication.”
Michelle Troconis found guilty on all charges in disappearance of Jennifer Farber Dulos
Farber Dulos, a mother of five, disappeared on May 24, 2019, after police believe Dulos was lying in wait at her New Canaan home. At the time, the two were involved in a contentious divorce proceedings and a custody battle.
Farber Dulos was declared legally dead in 2023 after never being seen or heard from again. Her body has never been found.
According to court documents, Mawhinney denied being in contact with Dulos leading up to Farber Dulos’ disappearance. Detectives believe Dulos called him while Dulos and Michelle Troconis were discarding garbage bags in the north end of Hartford the day Farber Dulos disappeared, court documents said. The bags were later found to have items with Farber Dulos’ blood on them.
Police also tried to tie Mawhinney to what was believed to be a shallow grave at a gun club in East Granby that he helped establish, court documents said. The pair that made the discovery reported seeing a blue tarp and bags of lime — which can be used to dispose of remains — inside. State police later went to the property and could not find any human remains.
State police also believe Mawhinney was at Dulos’ office the day Farber Dulos went missing, court documents said. Investigators also found his name in what would commonly be referred to as the “Alibi Scripts” that investigators believe Dulos and Troconis — who were dating at the time — put together to help align their stories, according to court documents.
Like Dulos, Mawhinney was in the midst of divorce proceedings. Police believe Dulos communicated with Mawhinney’s estranged wife despite a restraining order against Mawhinney, court documents said.
Dulos died at a New York hospital in January 2020 following what police said was a suicide attempt using carbon monoxide in the garage of his Farmington home.
Troconis in May 2024 was sentenced 14 ½ years in prison following a trial that ended with a jury finding her guilty on charges of conspiracy to commit murder, tampering with evidence, hindering prosecution and additional conspiracy charges. Her appeal in the conviction and a contempt of court case remain pending.