Murdered Lodi mom laid to rest Thursday

LODI, N.J. (WABC) -- Family and friends gathered Thursday to say a final farewell to a New Jersey mother who was stabbed to death, allegedly by her estranged husband, who then abducted the couple's children.

A wake for Tracey Jordan was held Wednesday night in Saddle Brook.

Her body was discovered inside her Lodi apartment last Friday.

Several hours later, her two young sons were found in South Carolina with their father, John Jordan.

Jordan is expected to be extradited back to New Jersey early next week to face murder charges.

Jordan was arrested at his father's home on Saturday, more than seven hours after Tracey's body was found.

At the funeral home in Saddle Brook, those who loved Tracey were still reeling at the tragedy that consumed the family, leaving 8-year old Nicholas and 7-year old Anthony without their mom, or their dad.

"The boys are home they're safe with us we're going to be taking care of them," said the victim's sister, Debra Laurentino. "We'll always remember our sister, we'll keep her memory going in them and we'll just make sure that they're well taken care of."

Debra has been awarded custody and her uncle Robert Kugler, the Saddle Brook police chief, is trying to hold the family together.

But it isn't easy. The Jordans had been in the midst of a divorce. But if Tracy ever feared her ex, she kept it to herself and never requested a restraining order.

A secret she never shared with people who could have helped, like her uncle, the veteran cop who's seen it all, but doesn't understand this.

"Most of the times it ends where they go their separate ways but in this instance one violently lost her life and the other one basically threw his life away. It's hard to figure it out. I don't think we are going to figure it out," said Kugler.

A fund has been started for the boys. For more information, go to:

http://www.gofundme.com/92a6zw