Lawanda Strickland's family said the mother of two was an "angel" who did whatever she could to help others.
CAMDEN -- Keith Strickland didn't think this day would come.
It's been nearly six years since his little sister, Lawanda Strickland, was strangled to death inside her Camden home, and he never believed the man he thought was responsible, Strickland's then-boyfriend Timothy Simon, would be held responsible for her death.
All that changed Thursday when Simon was arraigned on first-degree murder charges in Camden County Superior Court after detectives from the county's Cold Case Squad tracked him to Houston, Texas and arranged for his extradition back to Camden.
"They brought him to justice today," Keith Strickland said after 47-year-old Simon's first court appearance, in which Judge Edward J. McBride Jr. approved Assistant Prosecutor Peter Gallagher's request to set bail at $1 million payable only in full cash.
Gallagher argued Simon's criminal history -- which includes being found not guilty by reason of insanity on charges of attempted murder and aggravated assault after he choked and stabbed an ex-girlfriend when he lived in Salem City in 2002 -- and history of evading court orders necessitated the high bail.
In presenting probable cause for the murder charge, Gallagher told McBride that Simon's relationship with Strickland, 31, was fraught with violence and controlling behavior prior to her death on July 10, 2010, when Simon reported finding his girlfriend dead on the couch of the home they shared on Jackson Street in Camden at about 9 a.m.
At the time, Simon's story to police was that the two had fought the previous night at about 9 p.m. over Simon's drinking and Strickland threatened to kick Simon out if he drank again.
Simon said he then lied to Strickland about where he was going and headed to a liquor store to buy a bottle of gin, which he later brought back to their home and hid on top of a cabinet to secretly drink.
When Strickland caught Simon drinking, he said they fought but later reconciled. He said another fight broke out later and he left the home between 2 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. to head to a friend's in Gibbstown. Instead of going into the friend's house, however, he laid in his car and called Strickland but she didn't answer.
Simon told police he then went to another friend's house in Camden, where he slept until morning, and called Strickland again at 7:42 a.m., and again she did not answer, so he went to the Off Broadway Bar and drank four or five beers before he went home and found Strickland dead under a blanket wearing just a tank top and underwear.
She was cold to the touch when first responders arrived, and pronounced dead by the county medical examiner at 11:30 a.m. An autopsy later showed she was killed by manual strangulation. The empty gin bottle was found on top of the kitchen cabinets.
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Keith Strickland holds the program from his sister's funeral after the arraignment of her accused killer Timothy Simon on Jan. 28, 2016. (Michelle Caffrey | For NJ.com)Gallagher said phone records show that Simon -- who was also known for incessantly calling Strickland throughout her work day -- did in fact call Strickland three times between 3:45 and 4 a.m. on July 10, but they also show he called her 11 times between 8:30 p.m. and 12:23 a.m. the previous night.
The investigation into Strickland's death also revealed Simon's history of abuse. At the time of Strickland's death, Simon was facing aggravated assault charges for choking Strickland in March, and Strickland had previously told a friend Simon often choked her during and outside of sex.
Two separate DNA tests, one from the sexual assault kit taken during Strickland's autopsy and another from Strickland's fingernail clippings, matched Simon's. The vaginal swab DNA match came back in April of 2011, but the fingernail sample was matched just three months ago in October of 2015.
Simon's history of violence dates back to at least 2002, when he was charged with crashing into an ex-girlfriend's house in Penns Grove, where he choked and stabbed her with a large knife, according to an AP report. Records show he also pleaded guilty to charges of making terroristic threats and burglary in the past.
On Thursday, Simon showed no emotion in court as Gallagher laid out the details of Strickland's killing, and only spoke to say he understood his rights and that he would be hiring a private attorney.
Carmen Strickland, Lawanda Strickland's sister-in-law, shook her head as Gallagher spoke, and said later that while difficult, it was "a relief" to see Simon finally charged and they praised authorities for making it happen.
"It's been so long I didn't think they would ever catch him," added Strickland's aunt, Tanya Reed.
Despite the time that's passed, they said the loss still stings. Strickland had been "an angel," a mother of two school-aged children -- now being raised by her sister -- who would drop whatever she was doing to help anyone in need.
Without her, Reed said, their family will never be whole again.
"We're missing a piece of the puzzle."
Michelle Caffrey may be reached at mcaffrey@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @ShellyCaffrey. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.