The Timothy Wiltsey case is about a 5-year-old boy from New Jersey who disappeared on May 25, 1991, at a carnival in Sayreville. His mother, Michelle Lodzinski, said he was gone after she turned away to get a soda. Eleven months later, in April 1992, his bones were found in a marsh near where Michelle once worked. A blue blanket nearby became a big clue.
In 2014, Michelle was charged with his murder, and in 2016, she was found guilty and got 30 years in prison. But in 2021, the New Jersey Supreme Court let her go, saying there wasn’t enough proof. The case aired on Dateline NBC in an episode called The Blue Blanket Mystery on September 1, 2023, hosted by Andrea Canning. It was also shown on Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen on March 19, 2025, at 8 p.m. ET.
Who Was Timothy Wiltsey? The Story of a Young Boy
Timothy William “Timmy” Wiltsey was born on August 6, 1985, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His parents were Michelle Lodzinski from Laurence Harbor, New Jersey, and George Wiltsey from Walker, Iowa. They met in 1984 when Michelle, then 16, visited her brother in Iowa. The two started dating, and Michelle got pregnant. Six months after Timmy was born, Michelle took him back to New Jersey.
She left Iowa because she didn’t like the small-town life and said George was abusive. George didn’t stay in touch with Timothy Wiltsey after that and didn’t pay child support, as Michelle asked him not to contact them.
In New Jersey, Timmy and Michelle lived with her sister and brother-in-law in South Amboy for two years. Later, they moved into their own apartments in the same town. Michelle worked different jobs, like office work, retail, and being a bank teller, to support them. She was a single mom who had left high school early. Timothy Wiltsey grew up in South Amboy, a small city, and started kindergarten at St. Mary’s Elementary School. Not much else is known about his early years.
Unfolding the Timeline of Events of Timothy Wiltsey Case
In 1992, 11 bones belonging to 5-year-old Timothy Wiltsey were found in a shallow creek bed near an Edison, New Jersey business park. His mother Michelle Lodzinski was convicted in the case in 2016.
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– May 25, 1991: Timothy Goes Missing at Carnival
On May 25, 1991, 5-year-old Timothy Wiltsey disappeared from a carnival at John F. Kennedy Memorial Park in Sayreville, New Jersey. His mother, Michelle Lodzinski, 23, told police he vanished around 7:30 p.m. while she went to buy a soda.
The carnival shut down as police, firefighters, and volunteers searched until 2 a.m. Michelle said she last saw Timothy Wiltsey near a ride, but no one could confirm seeing him there. This started a big mystery that got attention across the country.
– May 26-27, 1991: Big Search Finds Nothing
The search for Timothy Wiltesy continued on May 26, 1991, at 5:30 a.m. Over 300 people looked through the park and nearby areas. State Police used a helicopter, and divers checked two ponds, but they found no sign of Timothy Wiltsey. By noon, police stopped the search, saying he wasn’t in the park.
On May 27, volunteers handed out 4,000 fliers, and police followed up on 30 tips about boys seen alone or with men. None led to Timmy. His dad, George Wiltsey, was ruled out as he was in Iowa.
– May 29-31, 1991: Questions About Michelle’s Story
On May 29, 1991, police said Michelle’s story had problems. No one at the carnival remembered seeing Timothy Wiltsey with her, and Prosecutor Alan Rockoff said her account didn’t add up. She claimed they visited Holmdel Park earlier, but that parking lot was closed.
On May 31, America’s Most Wanted aired a segment about Timmy, and his photo went on milk cartons. Michelle later said two men and a woman took him, changing her first story. This made police wonder what really happened that day.
– October 26, 1991: Sneaker Found in Marsh
On October 26, 1991, a teacher named Dan O’Malley found a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles sneaker in a marsh at Raritan Center in Edison, near where Michelle once worked. Timothy Wiltsey was last seen wearing those shoes.
O’Malley took it to the police, but Michelle said it wasn’t his. He told a newspaper, The Home News, about it, and then Michelle called police to say it might be Timmy’s after all. The FBI tested it, but this was just the first clue in the marsh.
– April 23, 1992: Timmy’s Remains Discovered
It was a moment that devastated everyone in this quiet corner of suburbia.
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And just a few months ago, it all came to a dramatic and controversial end.
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On April 23, 1992, almost 11 months later, Timmy’s skull and bones were found in a creek at Raritan Center, close to the sneaker spot. A blue blanket was nearby too. Dental records confirmed it was Timothy Wiltsey. Dr. Geetha Natarajan, the medical examiner, said it was a homicide, likely from head injuries, but the body was too decayed to know exactly how he died. This discovery turned the missing person case into a murder investigation, but no one was charged yet.
– January 21-22, 1994: Michelle Goes Missing
On January 21, 1994, Michelle’s family reported her missing after finding her car running outside her brother’s apartment in Woodbridge, New Jersey. The next day, January 22, she was found safe in Detroit. She told police two men posing as FBI agents took her, but the FBI didn’t believe it. Police thought she left because she knew about a subpoena linked to a friend, Robert Javick, who checked license plates for her. This added more questions about her actions.
– March 10, 1995: Michelle Sentenced for Fake Kidnapping
On March 10, 1995, Michelle was sentenced to three years of probation and house arrest for faking her kidnapping in 1994. She admitted she took a bus to Detroit and made up the story about FBI agents. A Union County grand jury had already cleared her friend Robert Javick of any wrongdoing in 1994 for helping her. This event made people look at her past, including Timmy’s case, but no new charges came then. She moved on with her life after this.
– August 6, 2014: Michelle Arrested for Murder
On August 6, 2014—Timothy Wiltsey’s 29th birthday—Michelle was arrested in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where she lived with her two other sons. Middlesex County prosecutors charged her with Timmy’s murder after a cold case review.
They showed a blue blanket found near Timmy’s remains to his old babysitters in 2011. The sitters said it was his favorite blanket from home. This was the big clue that led to her arrest after 23 years of no charges in the case.
– March 16-May 18, 2016: Michelle’s Trial and Guilty Verdict
Michelle’s trial started on March 16, 2016, in New Jersey. Prosecutors said she killed Timothy Wiltsey and hid his body, using the blanket as proof. Her niece, a former babysitter, testified she knew the blanket from Timmy’s house.
The defense said the investigation was messy and had no hard evidence. On May 18, 2016, after over two months, the jury found Michelle guilty of first-degree murder. It was a big moment in a case that had been cold for decades.
– January 5, 2017: Michelle Sentenced to 30 Years
On January 5, 2017, Michelle was sentenced to 30 years in prison with no parole for Timothy Wiltsey’s murder. The judge in Middlesex County gave her the punishment after her 2016 conviction. Prosecutor Andrew Carey said people still remembered the case like it was yesterday.
Michelle’s lawyers argued there wasn’t enough proof, but the sentence stood. She went to Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in New Jersey, marking the end of a long legal fight—at least for a while.
– August 7, 2019: Appeals Court Upholds Conviction
On August 7, 2019, a New Jersey appeals court kept Michelle’s murder conviction in place. They said there was enough evidence for the jury to decide Timmy’s death was a homicide and Michelle did it. The court pointed to the blanket and her actions after he went missing. Her lawyers had asked for the conviction to be thrown out, saying there was no solid proof, but the three-judge panel disagreed. This kept her in prison for the time being.
– December 28, 2021: Supreme Court Overturns Conviction
On December 28, 2021, the New Jersey Supreme Court overturned Michelle’s conviction in a 4-3 vote. They said there wasn’t enough evidence to prove she killed Timothy Wiltsey on purpose. Justice Barry Albin wrote that no reasonable jury could be sure without guessing. The blanket and other clues weren’t enough, and the cause of death was unclear. This freed Michelle after seven years in prison, ending the case since she can’t be tried again due to double jeopardy laws.
Watch Dateline: Secrets Uncovered streaming on Oxygen
Source: Oxygen True Crime
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Hilfa, Senior Writer at Hilvaro, excels in pop culture journalism. She crafts engaging content on movies, TV, & trends, fueled by her love for storytelling & entertainment.
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