Two young boys whose mother was found stabbed to death have been safely recovered in South Carolina and their father has been charged with murder, officials said.

State police said the boys, ages 7 and 8, were found with their father, John Jordan, early Saturday, and an Amber Alert issued several hours prior had been canceled.

Police in Lodi began searching for the boys Friday evening after police said they were taken from their elementary school by their father. Their mother, 39-year-old Tracy Jordan, had been found stabbed to death by police at around 5 p.m. in the Lodi apartment she shared with the boys.

John and Tracy Jordan had been estranged, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office. John Jordan allegedly picked the boys up from school under false pretenses and tried to flee.

John Jordan, 47, was arrested in Greenville, S.C., at a relative's home at 12:45 a.m., officials said. The home and others in the area were under FBI surveillance as authorities attempted to find the two children, according to authorities.

John Jordan was charged with murder and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose. Information on a lawyer for Jordan was not immediately available.

Family members of Tracy Jordan's new boyfriend were frantic with worry Friday night when the children were missing.

"He loved her very, very much," said the boyfriend's sister, Marie Dejulia, adding that her brother was devastated that she had been killed.

Dejulia said of John Jordan: "I don't think he's in the right state of mind."

-- Marc Santia contributed to this report.