I have been gripped by this trial because I grew up here in Jersey and was living in Union County as a young 20-something when Timothy Wiltsey went "missing." Sayreville was a stone's throw from me. Like so many others, Timmy's mother's story just didn't add up. The body was eventually found and my heart broke for that kid. Sadly it became the unsolved crime it seemed destined to remain.

A quarter century later, the cold case was solved. Today a jury found Michelle Lodzinski guilty of murdering her own son. They say her head sank and her body began to shake upon hearing the verdict. Good. She deserves it. We took calls on this case the day it went to the jury. An overwhelming number of callers felt as we did; that she was indeed guilty but that the jury would probably have a problem finding her so since so much of the case was circumstantial. In the end, it would appear they could not get past the best piece of evidence the prosecution had.

The blanket.

Multiple witnesses testified they recognized the blanket found next to the body as Timmy's favorite blanket from his mother's home. They were certain. Michelle, of course, claimed she had never seen it before. Once a jury accepted this was his blanket, they had to accept her guilt. As the prosecution pointed out, "No other killer could get this."

The trial was not without controversy. The foreman of the jury was removed and sent home for reasons that were said to be "personal" and concerning "only" that juror. An alternate juror was brought in, deliberations began all over again and it took only 4 hours for the new jury to bring about a guilty verdict. The defense has already said an appeal is being planned.

So are you surprised the jury had the guts to do the right thing? Did they do the right thing? Does a guilty verdict based on so much circumstantial evidence sit well with you?

It does with me. No mother changes her story four times if she's desperately trying to find her missing child. No mother withholds information from the police in the early hours and days of a missing child case. She knew he wasn't really missing. She knew he was dead.

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