By: Tracie Carter
Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone reported that Bruce A. Cymanski, 52, of Barnegat, has been found guilty of the 1999 murder of 17-year-old Nancy Noga of Sayreville.
A Middlesex County jury delivered the verdict after a three-week trial, concluding a case that had remained unsolved for more than 20 years.
Noga, a high school senior at the time, was reported missing on January 7, 1999, after she failed to return home from work.
Five days later, on January 12, 1999, her body was discovered in a wooded area behind a strip mall on Ernston Road.
An autopsy revealed that Noga had died from blunt force trauma after being struck with a blunt object. Despite ongoing efforts by investigators, the case remained unsolved for over two decades.
During the trial, which began on October 1, 2024, the prosecution team led by Assistant Prosecutor Katie Magee, head of the Major Crimes Unit, and assisted by Assistant Prosecutors Alexander Battey and Nicolette Spallanzani, presented compelling evidence and witness testimony.
Cymanski was found guilty of several charges, including first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree aggravated sexual assault, first-degree kidnapping, and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
The long-awaited verdict provides closure to the family of Nancy Noga and the community of Sayreville, where the unsolved murder had cast a shadow for over 20 years.