A mistrial was declared Monday, May 16, 2016, on the counts of first-degree murder against two brothers accused in the 2013 fatal shooting of Eric Andrews, Jr.

SOMERVILLE -- Somerset County Superior Court Judge Robert B. Reed declared a mistrial Monday on the counts of first-degree murder against two brothers accused in the 2013 fatal shooting of an aspiring rapper at a Franklin Township hair salon.

After six days of deliberations, read backs and video replays, the jury reached an impasse on the murder charge against Zaire Cromedy, 23, of New Brunswick, and Antwan Cromedy, 31, of Bound Brook, in the Dec. 29, 2013 killing of New Brunswick resident Eric Andrews, Jr., 28, a hip-hop artist who performed under the moniker "E-9."

The judge, however, accepted a partial verdict against Antwan Cromedy of not guilty on possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a handgun. In addition to first-degree murder, the jury couldn't reach a verdict on the charges of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a weapon - a knife.

The jury failed to reach a decision on any of the three charges against Zaire Cromedy, who allegedly fired the shot that killed Andrews. In addition to first-degree murder, the jury was deadlocked on the charges of possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and unlawful possession of a handgun.

Assistant Prosecutor Robert Hawkes indicated to the judge that he intents to retry the brothers on the remaining charges. The judge gave him until Friday to make it official.

"This is our system," said Eric Andrew Sr., the victim's father. "I think Mr. Hawkes and the prosecution team did a wonderful job. I just have to move on from here and wait to see what happens."

Aspiring rapper killed over dice game

Two key witnesses, Marshall Kelton and Robert Byrom, recanted on the stand what they told police the day after the shooting in 2013.

During questioning by a detective, the pair had said the Cromedy brothers committed the crime. But during the trial, both men denied making those comments.

The jury, however, saw both men's initial video testimony the day after the shooting in which they said the Cromedy brothers were responsible.

"After hearing the testimony of the state's key witnesses who recanted on the stand, it's obvious the state's case is significantly weakened and it dovetails my client's position that he didn't commit this crime," said Branchburg-based attorney Edward J. Hesketh, who represented Zaire Cromedy.

Hawkes told the jury during closing arguments that the pair changed their testimony "to save face in the neighborhood."

The state alleged that Antwan Cromedy gave his brother, Zaire, the gun and told him to shoot Andrews as he ran towards the back door of the hair salon following an argument in which Antwan pulled a knife.

"My client and I are hardened by the acquittal on the two charges on which the jury was able to reach a decision," said New Brunswick attorney Amber Forrester, who represented Antwan Cromedy. "We're grateful he remains innocence of the regrettable death of Eric Andrews Jr.

"We hope the state will reconsider prosecuting him again in light of the lack of convincing evidence in this case."

Hawkes alleged in his opening argument that at approximately 6 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2013, at the Nu Trendz Hair Salon on Somerset Street, the brothers, as well as Eric Andrews, Jr., Eric Andrews, Sr., Kelton, Byrom and several others gathered to watch NFL football games. The hair salon was a regular gathering spot to watch games on Sundays, he said.

On this Sunday, the group had gathered to watch the San Francisco 49ers play the Kansas City Chiefs, according to Hawkes.

While some were watching the game, Antwan Cromedy, Eric Andrews, Jr. and others were allegedly in the front of the salon playing a dice game. Eric Andrews, Jr. was the "bank;" the person who held the money, said Hawkes.

At one point, Antwan Cromedy demanded his money, testifying it was $50, from Eric Andrews, Jr., said Hawkes. An altercation ensued and Antwan Cromedy allegedly pulled a knife on Eric Andrews, Jr. and then handed a handgun to Zaire Cromedy, telling his brother to shoot Andrews.

Zaire Cromedy fired one shot at Eric Andrews, Jr., who was running towards the back door of the salon, according to Hawkes. The pair were friends, Hawkes said.

Eric Andrews, Jr. was part of a rap duo along with longtime friend George Opoku, also known as 6FO. The up-and-coming pair had been scheduled to perform at SOB's in New York and had previously performed alongside prominent artists, including hip-hop superstar Waka Flocka Fame, for the song "M.O.N.E.Y."

"It's back to square one and we'll retry the case," said Hesketh.

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Jurors in the Michelle Lodzinski murder trial will rehear the testimony of two witnesses when the trial resumes Tuesday.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A note from one of the jurors in the Michelle Lodzinski murder trial today was passed to Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves.

The judge threw the note down on his desk, and then, for the next two hours the courtroom remained closed as Nieves questioned each juror individually, along with Lodzinski's attorney, Gerald Krovatin and the two Middlesex County assistant prosecutors, Scott La Mountain and Christie Bevacqua.

Afterwards, he opened the courtroom and told each one of the jurors that what was said was a secret between him and them. "Shhhhh," he told them to say, and dutifully they repeated what he said.

Just as he released them Monday from their second full day of deliberations, he recommitted them to silence. 

"I need to hear it again louder," Nieves said from the bench.

"Shhhhhhh."

Nieves has given this shorthand for jurors to keep quiet about the case outside the jury room. None of the dozen jurors or four alternates were dismissed from the panel. 

Deliberations in the trial of Lodzinski, charged with the 1991 murder of her 5-year-old son, Timothy Wiltsey, began with jurors listening again to testimony from two witnesses, both police officers.

The jurors wanted to again hear Sayreville police Sgt. Ray Szkodny's explain how he showed a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sneaker to Lodzinski, and how she told him it wasn't her son's sneaker. The sneaker, found in October 1991 at Raritan Center in Edison by a Bound Brook High School science teacher, was similar to one worn by her son when he disappeared from a carnival in Sayreville the evening of May 25, 1991.

The jurors also asked to hear the testimony of the first witness in the trial, back on March 16, 2016. Gary Skolnick, an auxiliary Sayreville police officer assigned to work at the carnival, was alerted to Timmy's disappearance, by Danielle Gerding, a friend who accompanied Lodzinski's niece, Jennifer Blair, to the carnival. The two girls came upon Lodzinski shortly after 7 p.m. and asked her where Timmy was. She told them he was missing, and she couldn't find him.

Timothy disappeared on May 25, 1991. Over the weeks that followed, Lodzinski's version of events that night changed in statements to police with the last version having him abducted by a woman and two men.

Timmy's skeletal remains were found April 23, 1992 in a swampy area of Raritan Center in Edison, 11 months after his mother reported him missing.

Lodzinski was charged with her son's murder in August 2014 after the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office reopened the case in 2011.

She has always maintained that she had nothing to do with her son's disappearance or death.

The jurors have been out since Thursday and have asked to rehear the testimony of six witnesses before the additional two they asked for Monday afternoon.

They must decide among the charges of murder, aggravated manslaughter and manslaughter. Here's how the charges differ: 

-- Murder is punishable by up to life in prison, and the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Lodzinski purposely and or knowingly caused the death or serious bodily injury resulting in the death of her son.

-- Aggravated manslaughter is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and the state must prove that Lodzinski recklessly caused Timothy's death under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life.

-- Manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and the state must prove that Lodzinski recklessly, or in the heat of passion, caused Timothy's death as a result of reasonable provocation.

The jurors are expected to return at 10 Tuesday morning to continue deliberations.

Staff writer Stephen Stirling contributed to this post.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

It took a Middlesex Borough man three years to clean up the North Branch of the Raritan River.

RARITAN -- Andrew Still has been canoeing and fishing up and down the Raritan River for the past two decades, and he wanted to do his part to keep his cherished waterway clean.

Five years ago, Still, 54, of Middlesex Borough, volunteered with the Central Jersey Stream Team to help clean up the South Branch of the Raritan River. He garnered so much satisfaction from the endeavor that he decided to take it a step further.

In May 2012, Still embarked on a one-man cleanup of the North Branch of the Raritan River. He got in his canoe and went to work.

"That's my favorite river," said Still. "I had fun helping out. I was so motivated that I wanted to do something on my own. I saw all the great things being done and I wanted to do even more.

"When I first started, I figured the Central Jersey Stream Team would eventually catch up with me and help. I said let me work my way down towards the South Branch. But I kept going and going and going. I'm 54 years old, I wanted to speed things up. Finally, I told them that the North Branch was finished and they didn't have to worry about it."

I-78 wreck blamed for 'devastating' fish kill

Still said he cleaned up a 12-mile stretch from Far Hills to the confluence of the South Branch. He said he occasionally solicited the help of his friend. He said the river isn't that deep so he didn't need any special equipment. It was a labor of love, he said.

Among the items Still found in the river were:

* Two cars. Still said the Somerset County Parks Department helped him retrieve them. He said he didn't know the made or model of the cars "because they had been there so long."

* Approximately 125 old tires.

* A pool liner.

* A fiber glass truck cap.

* All sorts of debris.

Library book 72 years overdue returned

Joseph David, president of the Central Jersey Stream Team, applauded Still's efforts and passion for the cleanup of the Raritan River. He said Still discovered a dump site more than three years ago that has earned the moniker "Finderne Farms Tire Dump," that has yielded more than 3,000 tires.

It is located over a 30-mile stretch from Clinton to Parisippany in the main stem of the Raritan River near the confluence of the North and South Branch of the Raritan River.

"Andy is one of our most dedicated volunteers," said David. "He's incredible and so inspiring. We couldn't be happier. We haven't had anyone with Andy's enthusiasm and dedication. He's the perfect example of what we were hoping for when we started our cleanup efforts, finding people who would inspire others and provide sustainability thereafter.

"He deserves a lot of credit and thanks. New Jersey could use a lot more Andys. We joke that we woke a sleeping giant."

Still said he next plans to clean up the lower Lamington River, a tributary of the North Branch of the Raritan River. He has targeted a four-mile stretch in Somerset County. He plans to begin in June or July.

"I love the North Branch of the Raritan River but I think the Lamington River is just as pretty," said Still. "I want to help keep it that way."

Dave Hutchinson may be reached at dhutchinson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @DHutch_SL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

How a retired grandmother from the Jersey Shore helped Rutgers University land the first commencement address from a sitting president in its 250-year history. Watch video

PISCATAWAY -- How did a retired grandmother from the Jersey Shore help Rutgers University land the first commencement address from a sitting president in the school's 250-year history?  

It's simple, Dianne Totten said. The 70-year-old grandmother of the outgoing Rutgers student government president sent a kindly-worded message to the White House, not once, not twice, but three times, she said. 

"It was really very short, very direct," Totten said Monday from her home in Highlands. "I felt that it really can't hurt to try." 

She was right.

Many schools ask President Barack Obama to speak at their commencement ceremonies each year, but Rutgers was the first to launch a three-year campaign, including emails, tweets and YouTube videos, Obama said. 

7 N.J. references in Obama's speech

"I even got three notes from the grandmother of your student body president," Obama said during his commencement speech. "I have to say that really sealed the deal. That was smart because I have a soft spot for grandmas."

To top off the magnificent day for Totten, the president complimented her grandson, Matthew Panconi, on his own speech and hugged the graduating senior as he left the stage. 

"How much more sterling can it get?' Totten said Monday, admitting she hadn't stopped smiling for 24 hours. 

And her reaction to Obama's shout out to her in front of more than 50,000 people?

She just couldn't believe what she was hearing, she said.

"That was really weird," she added. 

Whether having sleepovers with her grandchildren or cheering on their sports teams at South Brunswick High School, Totten has always considered spending time with her four grandchildren to be the joy of her life, she said. 

"If there is something that I can do to make their life better, I will do it," she said. 

So when Panconi told his grandmother about Rutgers' campaign to convince Obama to speak, she decided she would write the president a letter, she said. 

Totten didn't keep copies of the messages she sent because she submitted them through a form on the White House's website, rather than sending them through email or mail, she said. 

But she said he remembers that she made a few key points:

• Obama should speak at Rutgers because it's one of the oldest colleges in America. 
• The letter writer is the grandmother of the university's student government president.
• It would be awesome for the graduates to hear the president tell them what America is all about. 

The second and third messages were similar to the first, Totten said. She sent them because she had not heard back from the White House and wanted to make sure the president had received her request, she said. 

"I wasn't keeping track, but she told me every time she sent him a letter," Panconi said. "She would call me and she would ask if I heard from him yet." 

Neither Totten nor Panconi heard from Obama, and Rutgers named journalist Bill Moyers as its commencent speaker in April, seemingly bringing an end to hopes that Obama would speak. 

But, a week later, the White House announced Obama was coming, the first in a series of surprises for Panconi. 

The next surprise came days before commencement, when Rutgers informed Panconi that his address as the student speaker was being moved up in the ceremony because Obama wanted to hear it before he left. 

Then, Obama mentioned both Panconi and his grandmother's letters in his own 40-minute address. 

"Matthew, good job," Obama said at the outset of his speech. '"If you are interested, we can talk after this." 

Panconi tried to shake Obama's hand as Obama left the stage, but the president pulled him in for hug and told Panconi he was proud of him, Panconi said. 

"It was really just a completely surreal experience," Panconi said. 

Totten was in tears after watching her grandson speak for the graduating class.

After the ceremony ended and the crowd filed out of High Point Solutions stadium, Panconi met his grandmother near the top of the bleachers and posed for a picture. 

"I love my grandmother," he said Monday. "I know that she will always be there for me."

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The Obama administration has issued a directive late last week directing the nation's schools to adhere to a similar policy

HIGHLAND PARK -- The school board says its new transgender policy isn't controversial -- it's just common sense.

It was a sparse turnout at Monday night's Board of Education meeting, but those who attended were in solidarity that the new proposed policy to address transgender equality in district schools was the right thing for the borough.

The board, which will vote on the measure next week, discussed details of the policy, and the steps to implement it. A public comment period was held toward the end of the meeting.

If approved next week, the policy will be official.

Superintendent Scott Taylor said after the policy is approved, the district would hold a retreat to educate teachers and other school staff.

"To make sure everybody is on the same page, to fully understand the policy ... and a general plan for the students," he said. "We want teachers to be sure what their responsibilities will be."

The meeting came just days after the Obama administration issued a directive saying schools must allow transgender students to use bathrooms and locker rooms matching their gender identity.

The policy would give transgender students access to any school bathroom, locker room, sports team or organization based on their affirmed gender. It would install a support plan for transgender students, prohibit discrimination, protect transgender students' privacy, and direct school staff to address transgender students by their preferred pronoun.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, Anya Martin, an eighth-grader at the middle school, declared her full support for the measure.

"I think it should be passed," Martin said.

She showed the board signatures from a petition that she and her classmates conducted in support of the policy.

BOE President Darcie Cimarusti said though the vote is coming amid a torrent of debate on the issue nationwide, the board's true motivation had nothing to do with the national stage. Rather, the board, she said, felt the previous guidelines were too broad, and gave school staff too much power to question a student's gender identity.

"And that just struck me as so wrong," Cimarusti said. "What gives them the right to question a student. They should not be questioned by those who do not understand them."

As for the Highland Park community, residents largely seem to support the policy.

Borough resident Lynn Fryer said she has never heard any other resident voice opposition against it.

"I'm proud to live in such an inclusive town," she said before the meeting.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The jury in the Michelle Lodzinski murder trial will rehearing 2 witnesses' testimony. Watch video

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Jurors will rehear the testimony of two witnesses as they try to determine if Michelle Lodzinski murdered her 5-year-old son Timothy Wiltsey in May 1991.

They will hear the part of retired Sayreville police Sgt. Raymond Szkodny's testimony in which he showed her a sneaker found by a Bound Brook High School science teacher in a remote section of Raritan Center in Edison in October 1991 and she denied that it was Timmy's.

They will also hear the testimony of the trial's first witness, who testified back on March 16, 2016. Gary Skolnick, an auxilliary police officer assigned to the carnival at Kennedy Park in Sayreville, said he first learned from a friend of Lodzinski's niece that her son was missing.

Jurors are scheduled to return to Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves's courtroom about 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Lodzinski reported her son missing on May 25, 1991 at the carnival.

During the first weeks after Timothy disappeared, Lodzinski gave police several different statements of what happened including one in which he was abducted by a woman and two men.

Timmy's skeletal remains were found in a swampy area of Raritan Center in April 1992, 11 months after he disappeared.

Although investigators testified during the nearly three-month trial that she was the prime suspect in the disappearance of her son nearly from the beginning, Lodzinski was not charged with her son's murder until August 2014 after the cold case was reopened by the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

The jury began its deliberations Thursday and has asked to rehear six other witnesses not including the ones they will rehear Tuesday.

They must decide among the charges of murder, aggravated manslaughter and manslaughter. Here's how the charges differ: 

-- Murder is punishable by up to life in prison, and the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Lodzinski purposely and or knowingly caused the death or serious bodily injury resulting in the death of her son.

-- Aggravated manslaughter is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and the state must prove that Lodzinski recklessly caused Timothy's death under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life.

-- Manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and the state must prove that Lodzinski recklessly, or in the heat of passion, caused Timothy's death as a result of reasonable provocation.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The judge ordered jurors to restart their deliberations after he excused a juror for "personal reasons."

NEW BRUNSWICK -- A juror was excused Tuesday morning "for reasons personal and related only to him" in the trial of Michelle Lodzinski, who is charged with the murder of her 5-year-old son, Timothy Wiltsey in 1991.

Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves made the announcement to the other jury members, who are deliberating Lodzinski's fate, after spending the morning in discussions with Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutors Scott LaMountain and Christie Bevacqua and Gerald Krovatin, Lodzinski's attorney in a locked courtroom.

Nieves told the jurors they would have to start their deliberations all over again and disregard whatever the dismissed juror, identified only as Mr. Woodcock, who was the foreman, had said.

The discussions began Monday afternoon when the judge received a note from one of the jurors, spoke to the attorneys, ordered everyone out of the courtroom and locked it. For the next two hours, he and the attorneys could be seen through the doors interviewing each juror individually.

Nieves denied a motion by Krovatin for a mistrial based on the juror issues.

In announcing to the jurors, who were in their fourth day of deliberations,  Tuesday morning that one of the jurors was dismissed, the judge said, "It was personal and related only to him and has nothing to do with the other members of the jury."

"You are a new jury and must start deliberations all over again," Nieves said. "You must give no weight to anything Mr. Woodcock said in deliberations."

Then his staff put the numbers of the four alternates into a cylinder and chose a replacement.

The jurors had requested playback of two witnesses before the issue with the juror arose yesterday and after the alternate was chosen, the judge ordered his staff to begin playing back the testimony of the trial's first witness, Gary Skolnick, an auxilliary Sayreville police officer who was assigned to the carnival at Kennedy Park the night of May 25, 1991--the night Lodzinski reported her son missing.

It was to Skolnick that Lodzinski's niece's friend went to to report Timmy was missing.

The jurors will also hear this afternoon testimony from retired Sayreville police Sgt. Ray Szkodny who showed Lodzinski a child's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle sneaker found at Raritan Center in Edison by a Bound Brook High School science teacher. The sneaker fit the description of the shoes worn by Timothy when he disappeared. Lodzinski told Szkodny that the shoe wasn't Timothy's.

Lodzniski told police originally that she went to a concession to buy soda and Timmy was standing as few feet away from her. She turned to pay for the soda, but when she turned back, Timmy was gone.

But, over the next few weeks, Lodzinski gave police several different versions of her son's disappearance, ending with a woman named Ellen she knew from when she worked at a bank and two men abducted him.

Timmy's skeletal remains weren't found until April 23,1992, in a swampy area of Raritan Center in Edison, 11 months after he was reported missing by his mother.

Lodzinski was charged with Timmy's murder in August 2014 after the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office reopened the case in 2011.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Edison promote officers on Thursday for the first time since implementing stricter testing procedures.

File Photo 

EDISON -- Since implementing stricter testing procedures, the township will promote five new police lieutenants and 10 police sergeants on Thursday, according to a statement from the township.

The promotions -- the first since the new system was put into place in 2014 -- will take place during a ceremony at the township municipal complex, the statement said.

In 2014, the town council passed extensive changes to the way the township hires and promotes police officers, according to a previous article.

The changes came after years of dysfunction of infighting and misconduct, the report said.

The system is based on a point scale measured largely through "stricter testing procedures," the statement said.

The motivation for implementing the new system was to rid the process of politics.

The department has 184 officers.

The last promotions were made in 2013.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Two men have pleaded guilty in a 2013 homicide of a Maryland man in Carteret.

Middlesex County Courthouse, in New BrunswickFile Photo 

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Two men have pleaded guilty to charges connected to a fatal shooting of a Maryland man three years ago, according to a statement from the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office.

The incident allegedly occurred while the Maryland man was visiting relatives in Carteret in April 2013, the statement said.

Daniel Gillens, 24, pleaded guilty to a count of aggravated manslaughter, "admitting he fatally shot 26-year-old Deonte J. Shackleford, of Baltimore, according to the statement. He will be sentenced to up to 25 years in state prison.

Hakeem Mercer, 30, of Carteret, pleaded guilty to a count of conspiring to commit an aggravated assault upon the victim. He will serve 10 years, the statement said.

Officials said in a previous report shortly after the incident in 2013 that detectives determined Shackleford's death was targeted and not a random shooting.

On April 5, 2013, police on patrol heard gunshots in the Chrome Section of Carteret and discovered Shackleford lying on a sidewalk, according to a previous article.

Police then saw another man, who was later identified as Gillens, running and chased him until he surrendered outside an apartment complex, previous reports said.

Shackleford was taken to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in Rahway, where he was later pronounced dead.

The men were indicted in November 2013.

In accordance with the No Early Release Act, both men must serve 85 percent of their sentences before becoming eligible for parole.

The guilty pleas were entered last week during a hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Toto at the Middlesex County Courthouse.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Amazon says the two new fulfillment centers coming to New Jereey will open in the fall.

Following Amazon's announcement in late April that it planned to build two new fulfillment centers in New Jersey -- one in Middlesex County and the other in Burlington County -- many have been wondering when the facilities would actually open.

A spokesman for the company on Tuesday announced that the facilities are expected to open this fall.

One facility will be located in Carteret, in Middlesex County, with the other in Florence, in Burlington County.

Many have also been wondering about job opportunities once the facilities open.

Amazon spokesman Aaron Toso said Tuesday that the company plans to promote the start of hiring once the jobs have been posted. But, he said, people can keep an eye on job updates by visiting amazon.jobs.

They are expected to bring "more than 2,000 full-time jobs to the Garden State," according to a statement that was posted on the company's website.

The purpose of the facilities is to provide customers with "the fastest possible delivery times," the company said during the April announcement.

The company has more than 5,500 full-time jobs in New Jersey.

Earlier this month, the company announced that Amazon Prime members in Central Jersey and other metro areas in the country would be able to receive free same-day delivery, previous reports said.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The jurors had to restart their deliberations today after a juror was dismissed in the Michelle Lodzinski murder trial.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- The newly constituted jury in the trial of Michelle Lodzinski, charged with the murder of her 5-year-old son Timothy Wiltsey in 1991, deliberated for about two hours Tuesday afternoon before going home for the day.

The jurors had to restart their talks Tuesday after a juror, who was the foreman of the jury, was dismissed in the morning due to what Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves called "personal reasons" he said "had nothing to do with other members of the jury."

After one of the alternates was chosen to replace the juror, Nieves instructed them to start their deliberations over and disregard whatever the former juror, identified only as Mr. Woodcock, had contributed since deliberations began Thursday.

The jurors spent most of their time over the past four days listening to the playing back of eight different witnesses who testified during the nearly two and a half month-long trial. The four alternates also sat in for the playback of the witnesses' testimony.

The complication with the juror arose Monday afternoon as Nieves and the attorneys, the two Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutors, Scott LaMountain, and Lodzinski's attorney, Gerald Krovatin, were waiting for the jury to clarify what playback from one of the witnesses they wanted.

The judge received a note, shared it with the attorneys and then ordered the courtroom cleared. The courtroom doors were locked and the jury foreman was brought in for questioning. Through the locked doors, one could see him and then the other jurors were questioned individually. The attorneys and judge held discussions that lasted the rest of Monday afternoon and into Tuesday morning.

The jury foreman was dismissed mid-morning by the judge in a locked courtroom. After his dismissal and the, the jury was brought in, the courtroom was opened, and the judge addressed the jury, telling them to "give no weight to anything Mr. Woodcock said in deliberations."

Before the jurors left Tuesday afternoon, the judge reminded them of what he told therm months ago when the trial started--why it was important that they "shhh"--not talk about the case with anyone outside of the jury room.

"I'm grateful for the time and attention you're giving this case," he said. "I told you all not to blow this. You're doing a great job."

Lodzinski was charged in August 2014 with the murder of her son after the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office reopened the case in 2011.

She originally told police her son disappeared when she went to buy soda at a concession stand at a carnival in Kennedy Park in Sayreville the evening of May 25, 1991, but that version changed several times over the next few weeks. She later told police he was abducted by a woman named Ellen she knew when she worked at a bank and two men who were were her at the carnival.

Timmy's skeletal remains were found on April 23, 1992 in a swampy areas of Raritan Center in Edison, 11 months after his mother reported him missing.

Lodzinski has always maintained she had nothing to do with his disappearance or death.

Jurors must decide among the charges of murder, aggravated manslaughter and manslaughter. Here's how the charges differ: 

-- Murder is punishable by up to life in prison, and the state has to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Lodzinski purposely and or knowingly caused the death or serious bodily injury resulting in the death of her son.

-- Aggravated manslaughter is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and the state must prove that Lodzinski recklessly caused Timothy's death under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to human life.

-- Manslaughter is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and the state must prove that Lodzinski recklessly, or in the heat of passion, caused Timothy's death as a result of reasonable provocation.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Nearly 1,600 degrees were awarded to students.

EDISON -- Middlesex County College awarded 1,596 degrees and certificates to 1,558 students during commencement ceremonies held at the Expo Center.

Several thousand came to cheer on the graduates.

Valedictorian Sridivya Raghavan delivered the class welcome.

Students who completed their studies in Aug 2015, January 2016, and May 2016 participated in the commencement.

Several of the students fulfilled requirements for more than one degree or certificate during the calendar year.

Ed Murray may be reached at emurray@njadvancemedia.com. Follow Ed on Twitter at @EdMurrayphoto. Find NJ.COM on Facebook.

One man's story about his experience using Access Link, the van system for people with disabilities and how he thinks it could be fixed. Watch video

MAPLEWOOD --Civil rights attorney Daniel Florio of Maplewood graduated last fall with a master's degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University - an achievement he hoped would open many doors leading to a promising career.

Turns out, his hard work was far from over.

Born with spinal muscular atrophy, Florio is a quadriplegic who operates a motorized wheelchair by remote control using his thumb - the only part of his body he can control. Florio said his disability wasn't an issue when he was living in handicapped-accessible Cambridge, Mass. He never missed a class or a social gathering because he couldn't get there.

But returning to New Jersey, Florio knew he could not even begin looking for work until he figured out how to cope with the grueling commute on Access Link, a paratransit network of vans that runs parallel to the bus services offered by NJ Transit.  

On paper, Access Link appears to be a comprehensive statewide service providing 1.25 million rides last year, according to NJ Transit. But Florio said he knows better, having relied on it for nine years when he was an attorney for Legal Services of New Jersey.

The 19-mile trip from Maplewood to Edison typically took 90 minutes - and sometimes more than two hours - because his office was located in two separate bus regions requiring that he change vans, he said. Waiting in the rain, snow or heat was not unusual, nor was unexpectedly sharing the van with other riders, prolonging the trip. After a year, Florio cut back to working four days a week because he needed a day to recover from each 11-hour to 12-hour work day.

"Every time you use it, it is a new source of anxiety," Florio said. "I knew I couldn't do it again. I don't have the stamina I used to."

Florio's friends at Harvard helped him find another way.

They started a "Go Fund Me" account that helped him buy a modified van equipped to accommodate his 350-pound electronic wheelchair. The generosity of 355 donors from all over the country raised $30,325. The state Division of Vocational Rehabilitation issued him a $20,575 voucher toward the purchase. He's also saved $3,000 of his own money.

With a price tag of $56,352, Florio said he is still about $8,000 short - not including the $7,200 a year to insure the vehicle and gofundme's 8 percent fee. Whatever the gofundme campaign doesn't cover, Florio said he'll pay with a bank loan.

The silver Dodge Grand Caravan arrived on April 26 - removing Florio's biggest barrier to finding his dream job: developing national employment and transportation policies to improve the lives of people with disabilities. The "humbling and overwhelming generosity" of his friends and donors doesn't solve the larger issues for those who will have to keep using Access Link, Florio said.

"Even in the best of times, it is not usable for someone who is trying to have a full active life," said Florio, 46, who smiles often and speaks in a soft but authoritative voice. "It's important people know what the problems are."

The ADA expects paratransit trips to be "comparable" in length to regular bus service, a term that allows an Access Link trip to be 1-1/2 times longer. Florio said the service routinely is three times as long under a rule that also allows drivers to arrive 20 minutes sooner or later than the requested pick-up time.

Riders may not pay by credit card or in advance; they must have exact change when they board the van. Once a reservation is made, Access Link will not allow any changes. Drivers are permitted to strap the rider's chair down to the floor but they are not permitted to otherwise assist the customer. 

On a recent trip Access Link trip to one of his favorite cafe's, Van Gogh's Ear in Union, Florio's chair got stuck several times on the ramp from his front door leading to the sidewalk. The driver is not permitted to help the rider until he or she is at the curb and ready to use the ramp to board the van. Florio's aide was there to help, as was Florio's dad who arrived at home just as the van pulled up.

"They will blow the horn and that's it. No text, no call - you have to be at attention and be able to look out the window. They will only wait five minutes," added Florio, who said he has been left behind a few times.

Access Link does not go into New York City, closing off a major job source to people with disabilities, he said.

Florio said he has submitted several complaints to NJ Transit over the years, including the latest last fall.

"I received no letter back that specifically addressed any of my concerns," Florio said. "They did send a form letter with a voucher good for a free round-trip on the service, but it did not even list the substance of my complaints."

Access Link provided people with disabilities 1.25 million rides in fiscal year 2015, and based on the latest customer satisfaction survey, users appeared to like the service, said NJ Transit spokeswoman Jennifer M. Nelson. Access Link scored an 8 out of a possible 10 in the latest survey from the fall, she noted.

"In serving the masses, there will always be situations and policies in place that don't fit someone's individual travel needs," she said.

Users gave high marks driver performance, mechanical reliability, cleanliness, security, safety and "overall value for you money," according to the survey.

 Riders gave the lowest scores for scheduling services, onboard comfort; trip time; on-time performance and customer service. Payment options received the lowest grade of all 6.7, although the score has improved since 2011 when riders gave it a 6.

"There are some initiatives in place awaiting further resources," such as switching to an electronic fare system and a text or call alert for pick up time information, Nelson said. "We hope to implement these as soon as possible."

The base fare for Access Link riders is $1.60 but the average trip costs the agency $44.26, "which means the federally mandated AD paratransit service is subsidized in the millions of dollars by the taxpayers of New Jersey," Nelson said.

NJ Transit commuters pay highest fares in country: analysis 

NJ Transit pays Easton Coach and First Transit, Inc. a combined $382 million to provide Access Link's services, Nelson said. Hunterdon, Warren and Sussex counties don't have Access Link services at all because the law does not require paratransit services in counties that do not have bus or light rail service.

New Jersey's system feels like it's run a shoestring, Florio said, having lived in California and Massachusetts and used their city and regional paratransit systems.

"There is a disconnect here between seeing the shareholders not as the people who use it, but the taxpayers," Florio said. "They are not seeing it as a service and how they could make it more helpful."

Daniel Florio of Maplewood enters the van bought through donations, government grants and his own savings that will allow him to look for a job as policy maker for people with disabilities. The van will be driven by a member of his family, a friend, or one of his aides that accompany him. (Photo courtesy of Daniel Florio)
 

Nora Locke of Maplewood, Florio's friend of nearly 20 years, said NJ Transit officials should visit Cambridge's paratransit system if they want to see how the service should run.

"He was really able to have a level of independence (in Cambridge) using public transportation options that just don't exist in New Jersey," said Locke, who has traveled with Florio on both systems. "After being picked up you had the ability to easily change your destination.  So if you planned to do something at an outdoor venue and the weather was bad, you could ask to be taken somewhere else."

"In New Jersey you can take the trip as planned and take your chances that you will be stuck in the rain or you can cancel the trip," she said. "When this is your only transportation option - it really changes your reality.  It prevents you from being a full member of society." 

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

The former New Jersey resident, who had long denied she had anything to do with her son's disappearance and death, was found guilty Wednesday, after the jury deliberated just four hours.

NEW BRUNSWICK--Almost a quarter century after five-year-old Timothy Wiltsey disappeared, his mother was found guilty of his murder today in a dramatic end to one of New Jersey's most notorious cold cases.

A jury of seven men and five women convicted Michelle Lodzinski, 48, after eight weeks of testimony before Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves in New Brunswick. They deliberated just four hours after the foreman was replaced Tuesday with an alternate because of an undisclosed "personal matter."

As the verdict was announced, Lodzinski dropped her head forward and there was an audible gasp from the large crowd in the courtroom. Her entire body began to shake noticeably, including her head, with her hands clenched tightly in front of her. She did not say anything.

Most of the jurors looked straight ahead into the courtroom as the verdict was read, showing little emotion.

As his sister was handcuffed, a visibly distraught Michael Lodzinski shouted out "I love you sis! I love you very much."

She was immediately led out of the courtroom by Middlesex County Sheriff's Officers and returned to the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center in North Brunswick to await sentencing in August. Lodzinski has been in custody since her arrest in August 2014.

Her attorney, Gerald Krovatin--who had sought a mistrial after the foreman was replaced--indicated he will appeal. "Michelle was extremely disappointed with the verdict, and we'll meet in a few days. We're exploring all alternatives," he said.

Lodzinski did not testify during the trial.

Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey had no immediate comment.

The verdict came 9,125 days after Lodzinski first reported Timmy missing. The former South Amboy resident had long denied she had anything to do with her son's death. She said Timothy disappeared on May 25, 1991, as she went to get a soda while the pair were attending a traveling carnival in nearby Sayreville.

The case made national headlines as volunteers combed the area for signs of the small boy, whose smiling face was later one of the first to appear on a milk carton to raise awareness about missing children.

Timothy's skeletal remains were found nearly a year later in a marsh in Raritan Center in Edison, near where Lodzinski had once worked. A cause of death was never established because of the body's deterioration.

"I'm glad Timmy got justice..."

Though some investigators had long suspected Lodzinski had something to do with her son's disappearance, it took prosecutors more than two decades to charge her. She was arrested in 2014 in Florida, where she lived with her two teenage boys, both born after Timmy's death.

At the core of the case was a child's blanket, found near where the remains of Timothy were discovered, that prosecutors said came out of the Lodzinski home.

"She dumped his body in a creek like a piece of trash, but she left behind a telling clue: this blanket, " declared Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Christie Bevacqua in her opening statement to the jury. "No other killer could get this."

Eight weeks and dozens of witnesses later, a jury agreed.

None of the jurors would comment on their verdict as they left the courthouse, or discuss their deliberations. Several hugged each other on the street corner outside the courtroom, before heading into the parking garage to their cars.

Among those in the courtroom was Sgt. Jeffrey Sprague of the Sayreville police department, who was one of principal investigators in 1991 and testified at trial. He said he wanted to be there to hear the verdict.

"It took some time to get this to trial, and a lot of hard work was done by everyone involved, but the verdict was a correct one," he said.

Murder is punishable by up to life in prison. Sentencing was set for August 23.

Staff writers Adam Clark and Kelly Heyboer contributed to this report.

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Social media was abuzz Tuesday after Michelle Lodzinski was convicted of murdering her 5-year-old son, Timothy Wiltsey, 25 years ago.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- Social media Tuesday was abuzz over the guilty verdict returned in the murder trial of Michelle Lodzinski.

Lodzinski, 48, was convicted of the murder of her 5-year-old son, Timothy Wiltsey, whose body was discovered more than 24 years ago after his mother told police he had disappeared at a carnival.

A jury deliberated just four hours after the foreman was replaced Tuesday with an alternate because of an undisclosed "personal matter."

Many commenters on NJ.com and on social media said they expected the guilty verdict due to the shifting stories Lodzinski provided to investigators over the years:

splishkid: so abundantly clear. how could anyone who followed think otherwise..  The changing stories sunk her. not just a murderer but also pretty dumb.

xavierwawa: So she finally pays for her crime after all those years. No one wins but at the least her son finally gets the justice that was denied for twenty five years.

lauken1956:Hard to imagine it could be not guilty.  Only heard prosecution read backs.

everydayisnew: as predicted guilty verdict will be returned this time, as I said all along.  To return this quick, I don't see how not guilty is an option

Sam Sung: I am hoping she is found guilty but I don't think they had enough evidence to prove their case. Adorable little boy.

I think she def killed her son (I say having no knowledge of what went on in that courtroom) #LodzinskiTrial

-- Jonathan E. Kohut (@TheRealKohut) May 18, 2016

25 years later justice has been found. Good for you lady. #lodzinskitrial #NJ https://t.co/FaIBnsL7CH

-- Jon Sidote (@JSidote) May 18, 2016

Guilty! Thank you to the prosecutors and jury for getting justice for Timmy. #lodzinskitrial

-- Ann Argila (@annargila) May 18, 2016

Some readers, however, were less convinced of Lodzinski's guilt:

CensoredTruth: I was hoping for not guilty but then we have the reality of humans looking to punish anyone and she is sitting right in the middle of the target., back to work here.

Total misjustice in #Lodzinski verdict. No evidence, not even circumstantial. Yet Casey Anthony walks free when all evidence pointed to her!

-- Cheeky Chops NJ (@BitCheekyNJ) May 18, 2016

And others empathized with what her family has had to go through over the past quarter century:

Frank: I do have to say that I feel very bad for her family who has defended her for years. I especially feel bad for her sons who now have to live the rest of their lives with this. So sad.

Alnitak replied to Frank: Agreed, I cannot imagine what her sons are going through now. 

lauken1956 also replied to Frank: Absolutely, hard to come to terms with the fact that your mother is a murderer.  I hope her sons will make it through this ok. 

Justin Zaremba may be reached at jzaremba@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinZarembaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Michael Lodzinski said the question of who killed Timmy Wiltsey, the 5-year-old reported missing from a carnival in N.J., has divided his family.

NEW BRUNSWICK -- He has been there for his older sister throughout the trial, offering his support and love.

But Michael Lodzinski had privately come to believe in a terrible truth -- that his sister, Michelle Lodzinski, had killed her 5-year-old son, Timmy Wiltsey, all those years ago.

On Wednesday morning, after a jury convicted his sister of murder in Timmy's 1991 death, Michael Lodzinski finally said it aloud.

"I'm glad Timmy got justice," he said.

There was a sense of resignation to the statement.

The question of who killed Timmy left a rift in the family for years, Michael Lodzinski said. Some found her shifting stories too incredible. It could only have been her, they thought.

Other family members refused to believe Michelle Lodzinski was capable of killing her own child. After all, she had created a new life for herself in Florida, raising two other sons, Daniel and Benjamin, now 18 and 14.

"The family is divided, and if people don't embrace this verdict, they will remain divided," he said.

Michelle Lodzinski guilty of murdering son

Lodzinski, 48, was found guilty of murder after eight weeks of testimony in Middlesex County Superior Court in New Brunswick. It was a circumstantial case, with no witnesses to what happened on May 25, 1991, the day Timmy disappeared.

His body would be discovered nearly a year later in a marsh, not far from where Michelle Lodzinski once worked in the Raritan Center.

"Michelle's the only one who knows what happened," Michael Lodzinski said. "At least now, this part has been done, but there's never going to be closure. There's just what's right, and justice has been done for Timmy. We loved Timmy dearly."

He said his sister's surviving children, now living in Florida with another sibling, will be devastated by the verdict.

"My nephews have lost their mom," he said.

Michael Lodzinski, also a Florida resident, said his parents, too, face the horror of losing both a grandchild and a daughter.

"Their daughter is convicted of murdering their grandchild," he said. "They lose no matter what."

The brother has faced his own inner turmoil. Despite his belief that Michelle Lodzinski committed the crime, she is still his big sister.

"I still wanted to be there for her also," Michael Lodzinski said. "There had to be some family for her."

After the verdict was read, eliciting a gasp in the courtroom, Michelle Lodzinski bowed her head and began to tremble.  

Seated behind her, in the courtroom's first row, Michael Lodzinski called out to her.

"I love you sis," he said. "I love you very much."

Sue Epstein may be reached at sepstein@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @susan_epstein. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Mark Mueller may be reached at mmueller@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MarkJMueller. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

The arrest of Michelle Lodzinski for the alleged murder of her son,Timothy Wiltsey, is the latest chapter in a complex and often-bizarre case that made national news in 1991 and continued to unfold over two decades.

Police announced yesterday that Michelle Lodzinski was arrested and charged with killing her son, Timothy Wiltsey, 23 years after she reported him missing at a Sayreville carnival.

The arrest is the latest chapter in a complex and often-bizarre case that made national news in 1991 and continued to unfold over two decades:

May 25, 1991: Michelle Lodzinski, 23, tells police her 5-year-old son, Timothy Wiltsey, disappeared around 7:30 p.m. when she turned her back to buy a soda at a carnival in John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in Sayreville. The carnival is suspended as police, firefighters, first aid squads and volunteers search the area for the boy until 2 a.m.

May 26, 1991: The search resumes at 5:30 a.m. with more than 300 people searching the park and surrounding neighborhoods. State Police fly over the 10-acre park in a helicopter and a diving unit searches two ponds. “We did a search of the whole park. We are satisfied that he’s not in the park and there is nothing further we can get there at this time,” Sayreville Police Sgt. Timothy Brennan says after the search was called off at noon.

May 27, 1991: Volunteers hand out 4,000 fliers about the missing boy as police check out more than 30 phone calls about small boys seen walking alone or accompanied by men. But none of the tips lead to Timmy. Police eliminate George Wiltsey, the boy’s father, whom he had not seen since he was a baby, as a suspect after they determined he was at home in Iowa at the time of the disappearance.

The 1991 missing person poster of Timothy Wiltsey after he disappeared.File photo 

May 29, 1991: Investigators give their first public hint that there are inconsistencies in Lodzinski’s story of her son’s disappearance. Middlesex County Prosecutor Alan Rockoff says no one had come forward to back up Lodzinski’s account of taking the boy to the carnival. “Thus far, nobody has seen that child to substantiate the one story that we have,” Rockoff said. Lodzinski says she has nothing to hide. “I want him back,” Lodzinski says of her son. “He’s graduating (from kindergarten) next week at school.”

May 31, 1991: The Fox television show “America’s Most Wanted” airs a segment about Timmy’s disappearance as police begin distributing fliers nationwide.

June 5, 1991: Lodzinski tells the press she will not give up hope that her son will be found. She has moved out of her house to avoid the press gathered on her street. ‘’Everyone is waiting to see a grieving mother on TV break down, crying, hysterical because the public they thrive on that stuff. But I’m not going to do it,’’ she says.

June 12, 1991: Farmland Dairies, which distributes milk to more than 1,000 stores throughout New Jersey and New York, announces it will print a picture and description of Timmy on its half-gallon containers.

Oct. 26, 1991: A passerby finds a muddy sneaker behind the Raritan Center office complex in Edison that police later reveal may belong to Timmy. The children’s size 13 sneaker decorated with Teen-Age Mutant Ninja Turtle prints matches the description of the shoes Lodzinski said her son was wearing when he disappeared.

Nov. 25, 1991: Lodzinski faces a room full of reporters and television cameras to ask for prayers for her son and answer criticism that she has showed little public emotion since his disappearance. “I don’t show emotion in the public, and I don’t think I should have to because someone wants me to,” she says.

Michelle Lodzinski at a press conference on November 25, 1991.File photo 

May 12, 1992: Timmy’s family holds a funeral Mass for him after the state and county medical examiners release his remains. Police say the remains do not show how the boy died or give any clues about his killer.

May 18, 1992: Police publicly reveal for the first time that Lodzinski’s account of her son’s disappearance changed at least four times in the days and months after she reported him missing. Investigators say Lodzinski initially said a woman named “Ellen,” whom she knew casually, offered to watch Timmy while she bought a soda at the carnival. Later, Lodzinski said Ellen and an unidentified man kidnapped the boy at knifepoint, police said.

Jan. 21, 1994: Lodzinski’s family reports her missing after her car is found outside her brother’s Woodbridge apartment with one door open and the engine running.

Jan. 22, 1994: Lodzinski is found unharmed in downtown Detroit. She tells investigators she was abducted by two men claiming to be FBI agents, though FBI officials say they are skeptical of her story. Police later reveal they believe Lodzinski knew she was about to be served with a subpoena in a case involving her long-time friend, Union County Police officer Robert Javick. He is accused of improperly using a police computer to run license plate numbers of cars Lodzinski said were following her.

May 4, 1994: Authorities announce a Union County grand jury decided to take no action against Javick for running computer traces of license plates for Lodzinski.

March 10, 1995: Lodzinski is sentenced to three years probation and given a form of modified house arrest for faking her kidnapping. She admitted she took a bus to Detroit and made up a tale of being abducted by FBI agents.

Feb. 6, 1998: Lodzinski, who is pregnant, receives three years probation for stealing a laptop computer from a former employer. Police says she took the $3,100 Dell computer from the office of the heating and air conditioning company where she was working as a receptionist, then gave it to Javick as a Christmas gift.

Mar. 6, 1998: Lodzinski is ordered to spend 24 hours in jail followed by four months of house arrest for violating her probation when she stole the laptop.

May 27, 2011: Middlesex County Prosecutor Bruce J. Kaplan said Crime Stoppers of Middlesex County offer a new reward of an undisclosed amount for information leading to an arrest in the 20-year-old case. “We are always hopeful that, one day, charges will be filed and justice will be served,” Kaplan says.

Aug. 6, 2014: Police announce Lodzinski, now 46 and living in Florida, has been arrested and charged with Timmy’s murder. Lodzinski, who lives with her two young sons, was indicted by a Middlesex County grand jury the previous week. She is being held in a Florida jail on $2 million bail.

Aug. 7, 2014: A judge in Martin County, Fla., orders Lodzinski to be held without bond on a fugitive from justice charge. Lodzinski says nothing in her brief court appearance via a video link from the county jail.

Sept. 23, 2015: Superior Court Judge Dennis Nieves in New Brunswick said the state had provided enough evidence to warrant proceeding to trial. He wrote he was reluctant to dismiss any indictment "except in the most egregious circumstances," and that was not the case here.

March 16, 2016: The trial begins.

May 18, 2016: The jury finds Lodzinski guilty of murder.

Community members who helped search for missing boy in May 1991 say justice has been served, now that Michelle Lodzinski has been convicted.

Ann Snee says it was a long 25 years.

Snee was the principal of St. Mary's Elementary School in South Amboy, where 5-year-old Timmy Wiltsey attended before his mother, Michelle Lodzinski, claimed he disappeared from a carnival in Sayreville on Memorial Day weekend in 1991.

Standing outside her Matawan home after news of the mother's guilty verdict had broken, Snee expressed relief there was finally closure to the notorious cold case that had haunted parents, teachers and residents in the tiny close-knit community of South Amboy for more than two decades.

"Justice for Timmy," she said, standing with her dog, Boston. "It's 25 years too late. It's just a very sad situation for so many people."

For community members involved in the search for Timmy 25 years ago, to neighbors and former friends of Lodzinski, the verdict provided a sense of justice tinged with sadness. 

For Denise Hogan, a former teacher at Timmy's elementary school, the guilty verdict was "very bittersweet."

"It took twenty-five years, and we knew back then that she was guilty," Hogan said.

Lodzinski's brother: 'Glad Timmy got justice'

Hogan was active in a volunteer group that distributed fliers and held fundraisers to help in the search for Timmy in the aftermath of his disappearance.

"I think justice has finally been served for him," Hogan said. "He can finally rest in peace."

Hogan was working at her current teaching job in South Plainfield when the verdict was announced. She said she received a succinct text from the former principal at Timmy's old school. The text said "Guilty."

That was quickly followed by about 15 additional text messages from other friends and colleagues. The overwhelming reaction, she said, was a sense of justice for Timmy.

"Everyone is saying at least he can rest," the teacher said.

Longtime suspicions 

Hogan said suspicions that Lodzinski was involved in Timmy's disappearance ran deep in the community from early on.

"There were so many variables there," the teacher said. "She kept changing her story. The way she was acting at the charity events. This was not a woman that was depressed or despondent."

One particular event that stood out, she said, was a basketball fundraiser organized by the Friends of Timmy volunteer group, for which she served as treasurer. Teachers and other community members packed a school gymnasium to watch volunteers play a friendly game of hoops against a team of Chippendale's dancers.

Hogan said Lodzinski was not behaving like a mother whose child was missing.

"She was giddy," the teacher recalled. "She was having the time of her life."

Now, 25 years later, Lodzinski has been convicted of killing her son.

"I don't want to believe that she did it intentionally," Hogan said, "but there's no doubt in my mind that she was the reason that he died."

Snee retired as principal of St. Mary's shortly after Timmy's disappearance. She eventually returned to the classroom, but just retired again in January.

This case, however, has always been on her mind. She said whenever the story returned to the news -- as it did when Lodzinski was arrested in 2014 and charged with Timmy's death -- so did the phone calls and knocks on the door from reporters. 

When Lodzinski first said that Timmy disappeared at a carnival in Sayreville on May 25, 1991, Snee said she truly believed he was lost. But as time went on and as Snee spoke frequently with police, she began to have doubts.

"I just feel for her other boys," Snee said of Lodzinski's two sons in Florida. "It's tragic. It's just really tragic."

Sympathy for Lodzinski's surviving children was a common response among those interviewed.

Daniel O'Malley, a retired Bound Brook High School teacher, found Timmy's sneaker in a Raritan Center marsh while looking for wildlife in October 1991, five months after the boy's disappearance. On Wednesday evening, hours after the verdict, he called it an emotional day on many levels.

"I take no joy from the separation of a mother from her other children," O'Malley said.

O'Malley didn't know Timmy, but he said he developed an affinity for him as the years passed and questions lingered. It was because of O'Malley's discovery that police eventually returned to the marsh, where they found the child's remains.

"I see no happy ending," O'Malley said. "Timmy's story will always be a tragic one to me all around."

Childhood friend feels sense of closure

Since the trial began, Tara Packard said she had been preparing herself for a letdown, in case the jury reached some other decision. Timmy Wiltsey was her kindergarten classmate and childhood friend, and Packard said she has lived her life with reminders of his death.

"I guess I was trying to prepare just in case it came out different," Packard said on Wednesday. "I had the feeling that Michelle was guilty all along. .... Anybody who was questioning this, now a jury came back with this verdict."

Her mother, Theresa Packard, testified in the trial. It was the only time that Tara Packard went to the courthouse for the case. "It brings back a lot of bad memories," she said in an interview. "I couldn't stand to be in there with Michelle," she said, her voice cracking with tears.

In 1991, the then 6-year-old Packard and her mother lived in a duplex the mother owned in South Amboy. Lodzinski rented half of the duplex, where she lived with Timmy.

Tara Packard, said she still feels sorry for Lodzinski's family, but that the outcome brought closure. "You don't get to walk away from murder," she said. "I think she (Michelle) is where she needs to be."

Prayers at Timmy's grave site

Even those who were not part of the search or who didn't know Timmy continue to have a deep emotional connection to the case of the missing boy whose life was cut short. 

At St. Joseph's Cemetery in Keyport, where the boy is buried, a borough resident who identified herself only by her first name, Rosemary, said she has visited the gravesite as often as three times a week for years.

In front of the grave, someone had placed toy cars, a Spiderman figure, a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles figure and other items a 5-year-old might hold precious. Rosemary said they had been there for years.

At the time of Timmy's disappearance, Rosemary said, her own children were about the boy's age. The news of his disappearance -- and later his death -- resonated with the woman, she said.

She said she always suspected Lodzinski in Timmy's killing. The guilty verdict brought Rosemary satisfaction, she said, but it was a reaction tinged with melancholy.

"It is a very emotional day," she said.

Earlier Wednesday, before the verdict, she stood by Timmy's grave and said a prayer for the boy. She said she also spoke directly to him.

"I hope if it was your mother," she said she told him, "she goes away for a long time to put you to rest."

Staff writers Adam Clark, Tom Haydon and Mark Mueller contributed to this report. Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com. Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

A judge on Wednesday ruled there would be no restitution in the case involving a custodian accused of starting a fire at an Edison elementary school in 2014, a report says.

EDISON -- A judge on Wednesday ruled that the custodian who had been accused of starting a fire that burned down the James Monroe Elementary School in 2014 would not have to pay any restitution in the case, according to a report by MyCentralJersey.com.

Jerome Higgins, the former James Monroe Elementary School facilities manager, appeared at a hearing before before Judge Gary Price, who ruled the matter was now concluded, the report said.

Price, according to MyCentralJersey.com, said fines and penalties had already been paid, and that he would honor the Edison Board of Education's request not to pursue restitution.

Jonathan Busch, the attorney for the school board, said Wednesday evening that the school board was prohibited from commenting on personnel decisions.

Higgins had been charged shortly after the March 22, 2014 fire for improperly discarding a cigarette into a waste paper can that ignited the blaze and ultimately destroyed the school, previous reports said.

In October 2015, the Edison school district's former insurance company agreed to pay the district a total of $23.6 million to rebuild the school, according to a previous report.

Higgins retired from his custodian job in the summer of 2014.

The investigation into the fire, previous reports said had also found that the school did not have sprinklers when it was constructed in 1963 -- when sprinklers weren't required under fire codes.

Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.