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.