STAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — The former lawyer and friend of the late, estranged husband of Jennifer Dulos, a Connecticut mother of five who went missing in 2019 and is now presumed dead, pleaded guilty Friday to interfering with police in the case.
Kent Mawhinney had originally been charged with the more serious crime of conspiracy to commit murder.
A court clerk in Stamford confirmed Mawhinney was sentenced to serve 11 months. That equates to the time Mawhinney has already served behind bars since his arrest.
Outside court on Friday, Mawhinney denied knowing the whereabouts of the missing woman and said he would tell authorities if he did.
Dulos, who was last seen dropping off her children at school in New Canaan on May 24, 2019, was declared legally dead in 2023.
Prosecutors allege the late Fotis Dulos killed his wife at her New Canaan home and drove away with her body. He died by suicide in 2020, soon after being charged with murder. He had denied killing his wife. The couple were going through a contentious divorce at the time of her disappearance.
Last year, his girlfriend, Michelle Troconis, was convicted of helping Fotis Dulos plot and cover up the murder of Jennifer Dulos. Troconis was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison.
Mawhinney’s attorney, Jeffrey Kestenband, said in a statement his client was not part of a conspiracy to kill Jennifer Dulos, noting the state acknowledged there was not enough evidence to prove the original charge.
“The state’s acknowledgment is not surprising because Kent was not involved,” Kestenband said. "He has been through a lot since his arrest, and he can now move on with his life.”
Friends and family of Jennifer Dulos said in a statement they do not believe Mawhinney has been absolved of conspiracy to murder, saying the charge was dropped for multiple reasons and they supported the decision to do so.
FILE - Attorney Kent Mawhinney is arraigned on conspiracy to commit murder charges in the case of missing mother of five, Jennifer Dulos, in Stamford Superior Court Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2020, in Stamford, Conn. (Erik Trautmann/Hearst Connecticut Media via AP, Pool)
