Kriti Mehrotra
When 5-year-old Timothy “Timmy” Wiltsey suddenly disappeared from a carnival back in May 1991, only to be found dead miles away nearly 11 months later, it shook the entire nation to its very core. The most baffling aspect, though, as examined on ‘Dateline: The Blue Blanket Mystery,’ is that Timothy’s mother, Michelle Lodzinski, has been at the front and center of the related proceedings owing to her actions. Now, if you wish to only know about the individual who has arguably been the loudest in demanding justice for Timothy — Michelle’s brother Michael, we’ve got you covered.
Who is Michael Lodzinski?
Coming from a relatively big and close-knit family with some roots in Laurence Harbor, New Jersey, Michael Lodzinski is just one year younger than his now-infamous sister, Michelle. That means he was 16 or 17 when she chose to become a single, working mother after welcoming his nephew Timothy into this world, evolving all their bonds into something much more. In fact, despite focusing on school before pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Surveying from Ohio State University, Michael always managed to take out time for Timothy, which is why he was even a pallbearer at his funeral.
There was undeniable grief within the Lodzinski family over losing Timothy, yet they mostly believed Michelle’s varying accounts, that is, until she faked her kidnapping in 1994. “That’s when I knew something was wrong. I started to look into it,” Michael candidly said. “Why do that? Why go through all that instead of seeking justice for Timmy? She gave the family a lot of reasons to doubt because she never talked about it. But the case went cold, and there came a point where I had to decide whether I was going to have a relationship with my sister and [her two other sons]. So I supported her.”
However, upon Michelle’s arrest in 2014, her brother knew he had to confront her and sent her a letter in prison pressing for the entire truth, to which she never responded. Michael still attended her lengthy 2016 trial, though, going as far as to shout, “I love you, Sis. I love you very much,” while she was led away after being found guilty of first-degree murder. His reasoning: “Just to stand for [Timothy], that’s what I came for… [But] I didn’t want her to be alone either when this happened. There had to be some family here, not just for Timmy but for her, too… Justice was done for Timmy.”
Where is Michael Lodzinski Now?
Michael Lodzinski has maintained the belief that his sister is guilty, so when the New Jersey Supreme Court vacated her conviction in December 2021, he publicly criticized the decision. “We all know the jury got it right…” he said in a statement. “Give me a break. Justice Albin and his group believe they have righted some great wrong today but all they did was rob justice from a little boy, shame on them.”
Coming to his whereabouts, from what we can tell, Michael is currently residing in Cement City, Michigan, where he not only serves as a state surveyor but is also running his own surveying company, Lodzinski & Associates. As of writing, Michael is in his early 50s and is seemingly doing his best to move on from the past even though he knows there is no real closure in the matter — Timothy’s death is still a mystery.
Read More: Who Killed Timothy Wiltsey?
