Michelle Troconis trial: Nanny testifies about Jennifer and Fotis Dulos' bitter divorce and custody battle
STAMFORD, Conn. -- There was dramatic testimony on Wednesday in the trial of Michelle Troconis, who is accused of helping Fotis Dulos cover up the death of his estranged wife.
The nanny for the Dulos family testified about the couple's bitter divorce and custody battle.
"She was afraid of what Fotis would do to her or the kids if she filed for divorce," Lauren Almeida said.
Almeida first met Troconis in early 2017 at a water ski club in Miami. It was clear the five children already knew her.
"They were calling her 'Michi' and they hugged her, so they already knew her. Fotis introduced her as a friend. She was nice. She was with Fotis a lot. They'd go on the boat to ski," Almeida said.
READ MORE: Nanny for Jennifer Dulos' children testifies Michelle Troconis trial
Almeida told the jury Jennifer Dulos eventually confronted Fotis Dulos about his affair with Troconis.
"Her anxiety was really bad. She lost weight. She was just afraid," Almeida said.
In 2017, Almeida and one of the kids witnessed a frightening scene.
"Fotis was yelling. I'm not sure what he was yelling. She closed the door behind her and pushed her body up against the door, and he was trying to get in, and her face, she was terrified," Almeida said.
The nanny said Jennifer Dulos secretly moved the children to New Canaan and filed for divorce.
Almeida testified about the day Jennifer Dulos disappeared in 2019, her growing dread as the mom failed to return text messages and phone calls.
"Really just bad. The second I called Jennifer, my stomach just sank because she never not answered her phone," Almeida said.
Almeida also testified she noticed 10 rolls of paper towels were missing from the pantry. The prosecution believes Fotis Dulos killed Jennifer Dulos in the garage, and used the towels to clean up the crime scene.
Almeida still lives with the five children, helping Jennifer Dulos' mom care for them.
Late Wednesday, Judge Kevin Randolph dismissed one of the alternate jurors after the juror was heard making a friendly comment to a member of the prosecution team. The judge said that raised concerns about the juror's impartiality.
