Florida Woman Found Guilty Of Killing 5-Year-Old Son In New Jersey In 1991

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (CBSNewYork/AP) - A Florida woman has been found guilty of killing her 5-year-old son in New Jersey in 1991.

A jury found Michelle Lodzinski guilty on Wednesday. That came one day after the judge dismissed the jury foreman for undisclosed reasons and replaced him with an alternate.

The Port St. Lucie resident was charged with murder in 2014 after investigators reopened the case.

Lodzinski first said Timothy Wiltsey disappeared while they were at a carnival in Sayreville, then said he had been kidnapped from there.

Prosecutors say the boy was never at the carnival and Lodzinski killed him elsewhere. His remains were found in 1992 in a marshy area in Raritan Center.

The jury of seven men and five women convicted Lodzinski after eight weeks of testimony and four hours of deliberation, CBS2's Meg Baker reported.

Prosecutors based much of their case on a child's blanket that was found near Timothy's body and linked to Lodzinski's house, Baker reported.

Her attorney argued that eyewitness testimony and a lack of forensic evidence cast serious doubt on the case against her.

Lodzinski's brother told her, "I love you sis, very much," as she was taken from the court.

Sherly Francisco was one of hundreds of volunteers who helped look for little Timmy years ago.

"Way too calm. I think I was more emotional than she was. My mom and my sister had come, good friend of mine, we were all upset, making fliers, trying to help find him and she just seemed way too calm," she told CBS2 back in 2014 when the mother was arrested.

Throughout the trial, Lodzinksi's defense attorney argued she had nothing to do with the murder.

"She did not kill her child. Period," he said.

Walking out of court, he said they are disappointed in the verdict.

Murder is punishable by up to life in prison. Sentencing was set for Aug. 23. The verdict came 9,215 days after Lodzinksi first reported Timmy missing in May 1991.

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