NJ - Carolyn Byington, 26, killed inside her home, Plainsboro, 10 June 2019 *Arrest*

[LVatty10]

I don’t think any connection to Carolyn’s murder; yes, you are vulnerable in an apartment. BTW I was not creeped out with maintenance; however, after the closet repair, could not shake the uneasy feeling after the closet repair.

That might be one of the creepiest things I’ve read in a long time. Hair on my arms stood up. I am literally so scared right now! Have no idea how you stayed in the apartment! You’re braver than me.

IMO ... just speculating but if it was someone in proximity to the apartment who knows how thin the walls are, it would make sense to say I heard screams but saw nothing. Something about that story just doesn’t sit right with me.

Could a neighbor or person stalking CB have sent an email to her work from a fake address and disguising their IP address telling her maintenance needed access to the apartment at noon that day to lure her?

Or sent an email feigning a leak or other emergency requiring her to come home to deal with it? The perp could have pretended to be hunter glen management.

In that scenario, I could see LE not having many leads.

I thought of this watching forensic files. It was about the first case to use the science of handprints/fingerprints to convict. Woman was found to have been sexually assaulted and murdered in her apartment. It was in the middle of the day. Neighbor who lived below her said he didn’t hear or see anything. Turns out he was the perp. Matched him to a bloody handprint on her sheet.

Not saying that’s what happened here but it has made me think.

 

[Seattle1]

Federal authorities have joined in working to solve Hunters Glen murder

The body of Carolyn Byington was discovered inside her Hunters Glen apartment by police at 6 p.m. on June 10, according to a statement by Middlesex County Prosecutor Andrew Carey and Plainsboro Police Chief Fred Tavener.

Officers had been dispatched to Byington’s apartment following a request by her coworkers to conduct a wellness check. They became concerned after she left for her lunch break and never returned. She worked as a senior associate in project management at Engine, a marketing and advertising company in Carnegie Center in West Windsor.

Her death was ruled to be a homicide later that evening following an autopsy by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner’s Office. Authorities have not released further details of the crime, including the manner of Byington’s death.

[...]

“In this regard, we are also working directly with federal law enforcement agencies. We continue to offer our sincere condolences to the friends and family of Ms. Byington,” Carey said.

ETA: without a word on possible POI, something about her homicide and/or autopsy warranted the feds to get involved.

Silence about this murder investigation is deafening. I'd be beside myself if I was a resident. Big thanks to the locals here.

 

[Seattle1]

Carolyn Byington: New Jersey Woman Dead in Apparent Murder | Heavy.com

Byington’s death and the ongoing investigation was announced by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office and the Plainsboro Police Department in a press release on June 11. No suspects have been publicly identified and it is not clear if police are looking for someone in connection to the crime.

[...]

Byington had lived in the apartment on Hunters Glen Drive since 2016, according to public records. She appears to have been living alone.

“An autopsy by the Middlesex County Medical Examiner has ruled the manner of death a homicide,” the press release said. The cause of death has not been made public. Few other details about the case have been released.

Neighbors told WABC-TV they heard faint screams coming from the apartment Monday afternoon, about 1 p.m., along with what they thought was furniture moving, but did not see anyone leave.

According to News 12 New Jersey, Byington had been seen coming home from work for lunch Monday afternoon. Her co-workers called police when they became concerned that she had not returned to the office.

[...]

“The woman’s death is being investigated by Detective Tim McMahon of the Plainsboro Police Department and Detective David Abromaitis of the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office,” authorities said. “The investigation is active and is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call Detective McMahon at 609-799-2333 ext. 1627, or Detective Abromaitis at 732-745-4436.” bbm

[...]

Carolyn Byington grew up in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, and graduated from Ridge High School in 2011. She is survived by her parents, Robert Byington and Jennifer Byington, and her younger sister.

Byington graduated from Lafayette College in Pennsylvania in 2015 with degrees in international affairs and anthropology and sociology. She also spent a year studying abroad in Japan and was an English teaching assistant while studying there.

ETA: CB was educated, word traveled, and seemingly on a upward career path with her firm.

Did she have any enemies, knowledge she wasn't suppose to hear/see?

Who saw her arrive home for lunch? What was her demeanor?

 

[Seattle1]

Carolyn Byington Murder Case: 26-Year-Old New Jersey Woman Found Dead In Her Apartment Hours After Going On Lunch Break

According to the police, several neighbors called 911 after hearing screams and furniture being moved around in Byington’s apartment in Plainsboro.

Some of the woman’s coworkers had also called the authorities and ask them to do a wellness check after she left for lunch and never returned to her job.

When the police officers arrived at the unit, they discovered Byington’s lifeless body. The remains of the 26-year-old were found around 6 p.m.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office did not disclose the cause of death. Police officers investigating the matter have ruled the death of the New Jersey woman as a homicide.

Several people living in the Hunters Glen apartment complex told ABC that they heard sounds coming from the unit at around 1 p.m.

They said that while they saw the woman entering the apartment around lunchtime, they do not recall ever seeing her exiting.

Other residents, who spoke to local media, said the woman was quiet and kept to herself. She was rarely seen except heading to work. It has been confirmed that she worked at Engine, a marketing firm located in Princeton.

ETA: It doesn't follow if several persons phoned 911 when they heard screams around 1pm, why did police not arrive until 6pm?

 

[Seattle1]

N.J. murder victim’s family sending memorial donations to childhood brain tumor research by her former neurosurgeon

Basking Ridge native Carolyn Byington had a Chiari malformation about 11 years ago, a medical condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal.

A New York neurosurgeon successfully treated Byington, and following the 26-year-old’s murder last week in Plainsboro, her family is asking that people remember her with donations to the physician’s medical research.

Byington was found dead in her apartment on June 10, the victim of homicide. Authorities have not announced any arrests or charges in the case, and said very little overall about the crime after announcing her death Tuesday. Her coworkers called police to check on her wellbeing, and officers found her dead.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday they had no updates.

In a statement on the website of the Children’s Brain Tumor Project, at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, Byington’s family said her doctor, Dr. Mark Souweidane, the project’s co-founder, remembers her and her family fondly to this day.

"We want the last chapter of Carolyn’s life to be one where her friends and loved ones can help others in her memory. Carolyn was a true philanthropist who was active in many charitable organizations, and we know she would have wanted to help other children under Dr. Souweidane’s care by supporting his research,” Carolyn’s mother, Jennifer Byington, said in a statement on the site.

 

[Seattle1]

Killer was waiting at apartment for 26-year-old woman murdered on her lunch break, sources say

The woman found dead in her Plainsboro apartment Monday evening did not regularly go home for lunch.

But Carolyn Byington did midday Monday, drawn there for some reason, and was apparently attacked once she entered her apartment in the Hunters Glen complex, two sources familiar with the investigation told NJ Advance Media.

Police officers later found the lifeless 26-year-old with her personal belongings, and her apartment with no forced entry, the sources said.

Her lunch break and failure to return to work is why her coworkers at Engine US’s Princeton office in nearby West Windsor called police to check on her, the sources said.

The reason Byington went home is one theory being pursued by investigators from the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, who on Friday said there would be no public statements.

The office has not reported any arrests or charges in the investigation, and no suspected motive.

 

[Seattle1]

Kevin Shea‏Verified account @kevintshea
Police officers later found the lifeless 26-year-old with her personal belongings, and her apartment with no forced entry. http://s.nj.com/UMVBlwD

2:46 PM - 17 Jun 2019 pst

 

[Mermaid76]

Nothing was missing. Another weird piece to this was that after I left Hunters Glen, I moved into a neighboring complex. One day shortly after I moved in, I was leaving for work and saw a key on the hood of my car. It looked like an apartment key. I know it sounds crazy but I always thought that it was weird. Maybe someone was leaving my old apartment key? This was 10 years ago....but I still think someone was letting me know they had my key. I don’t know?

That is creepy!

 

[ilovechili]

Carolyn Byington Murder Case: 26-Year-Old New Jersey Woman Found Dead In Her Apartment Hours After Going On Lunch Break

According to the police, several neighbors called 911 after hearing screams and furniture being moved around in Byington’s apartment in Plainsboro.

Some of the woman’s coworkers had also called the authorities and ask them to do a wellness check after she left for lunch and never returned to her job.

When the police officers arrived at the unit, they discovered Byington’s lifeless body. The remains of the 26-year-old were found around 6 p.m.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office did not disclose the cause of death. Police officers investigating the matter have ruled the death of the New Jersey woman as a homicide.

Several people living in the Hunters Glen apartment complex told ABC that they heard sounds coming from the unit at around 1 p.m.

They said that while they saw the woman entering the apartment around lunchtime, they do not recall ever seeing her exiting.

Other residents, who spoke to local media, said the woman was quiet and kept to herself. She was rarely seen except heading to work. It has been confirmed that she worked at Engine, a marketing firm located in Princeton.

ETA: It doesn't follow if several persons phoned 911 when they heard screams around 1pm, why did police not arrive until 6pm?

Some articles make it sound like coworkers and others called LE that day but I was under the impression from an article early on they were called after work. I believe coworkers were concerned and so one actually swung by her complex and called at the end of the day was the first notice LE had, to the best of my recollection.

Why no one at the complex called when it is said screams, arguing and what sounded like furniture moving was heard is hard to understand.

It is for sure a frustrating case because so little is known or shared. We do not know if she was seeing anyone for instance nor her demeanor on arriving home--was she panicked, calm, etc.?

I truly leaned towards it being someone she knew but I have started to give the thought of someone at the complex almost as much weight. Yet unless she had left someone in her apartment that morning which was and still is I guess my theory, why would anyone draw her to her own apartment in broad daylight to attack her? That is pretty unusual isn't it? I can't think of a case quite like it where someone draws someone home midday to a large people filled complex. I guess it is possible it was not planned and they were to see each other or meet and something went wrong and the perp became angry. That again would seem personal. There seems to be no other motive, no apparent robbery and of course as in many cases, we have no idea if there was SA, and even then why draw her home in broad daylight...?

Very quiet case as far as information. There is more to discuss that the locals and residents provide here than LE has provided or so it seems.

Another interesting thing is the locals have said murder is almost unheard of in this area so it is not something the local LE deals with much if I recall correctly.

Jmo.

 

[Seattle1]

Some articles make it sound like coworkers and others called LE that day but I was under the impression from an article early on they were called after work. I believe coworkers were concerned and so one actually swung by her complex and called at the end of the day was the first notice LE had, to the best of my recollection.

Why no one at the complex called when it is said screams, arguing and what sounded like furniture moving was heard is hard to understand.

It is for sure a frustrating case because so little is known or shared. We do not know if she was seeing anyone for instance nor her demeanor on arriving home--was she panicked, calm, etc.?

I truly leaned towards it being someone she knew but I have started to give the thought of someone at the complex almost as much weight. Yet unless she had left someone in her apartment that morning which was and still is I guess my theory, why would anyone draw her to her own apartment in broad daylight to attack her? That is pretty unusual isn't it? I can't think of a case quite like it where someone draws someone home midday to a large people filled complex. I guess it is possible it was not planned and they were to see each other or meet and something went wrong and the perp became angry. That again would seem personal. There seems to be no other motive, no apparent robbery and of course as in many cases, we have no idea if there was SA, and even then why draw her home in broad daylight...?

Very quiet case as far as information. There is more to discuss that the locals and residents provide here than LE has provided or so it seems.

Another interesting thing is the locals have said murder is almost unheard of in this area so it is not something the local LE deals with much if I recall correctly.

Jmo.

I saw this murder announced on the evening news almost a month ago, and I too was under the impression that co-workers requested the welfare check when CB did not return to work after lunch.

However, I'd also heard chatter that CB's downstairs neighbor called 911 when she heard noise from her apartment, which I think would have been around 1pm.

The US Daily linked above was the first time I saw media news corroborating neighbors contacted LE. I think I'll email the reporter and ask if she can offer more details on her report.

I believe LE has a POI, but must not want to alert that person they are on to him. I also think CB knew her killer.

MOO

 

[DAB]

Carolyn Byington Murder Case: 26-Year-Old New Jersey Woman Found Dead In Her Apartment Hours After Going On Lunch Break

According to the police, several neighbors called 911 after hearing screams and furniture being moved around in Byington’s apartment in Plainsboro.

Some of the woman’s coworkers had also called the authorities and ask them to do a wellness check after she left for lunch and never returned to her job.

When the police officers arrived at the unit, they discovered Byington’s lifeless body. The remains of the 26-year-old were found around 6 p.m.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office did not disclose the cause of death. Police officers investigating the matter have ruled the death of the New Jersey woman as a homicide.

Several people living in the Hunters Glen apartment complex told ABC that they heard sounds coming from the unit at around 1 p.m.

They said that while they saw the woman entering the apartment around lunchtime, they do not recall ever seeing her exiting.

Other residents, who spoke to local media, said the woman was quiet and kept to herself. She was rarely seen except heading to work. It has been confirmed that she worked at Engine, a marketing firm located in Princeton.

ETA: It doesn't follow if several persons phoned 911 when they heard screams around 1pm, why did police not arrive until 6pm?

No one called 911 when they heard screams & furniture moving.

 

[ilovechili]

I saw this murder announced on the evening news almost a month ago, and I too was under the impression that co-workers requested the welfare check when CB did not return to work after lunch.

However, I'd also heard chatter that CB's downstairs neighbor called 911 when she heard noise from her apartment, which I think would have been around 1pm.

The US Daily linked above was the first time I saw media news corroborating neighbors contacted LE. I think I'll email the reporter and ask if she can offer more details on her report.

I believe LE has a POI, but must not want to alert that person they are on to him. I also think CB knew her killer.

MOO

Wow, that is different than anything we have heard here. I read what you posted but did not go into the links and never saw that it said neighbors contacted LE nor called 911? I will have to go back and read the links. We heard what you cited from the links that coworkers were concerned when she did not return and that neighbors heard things but no one called 911 until that evening from what I understand.

I hope you are right about them having a POI and your thought she knew her killer lines up with what I think. I would very much welcome hearing any more information than we have heard here.

 

[zecats]

I saw this murder announced on the evening news almost a month ago, and I too was under the impression that co-workers requested the welfare check when CB did not return to work after lunch.

However, I'd also heard chatter that CB's downstairs neighbor called 911 when she heard noise from her apartment, which I think would have been around 1pm.

The US Daily linked above was the first time I saw media news corroborating neighbors contacted LE. I think I'll email the reporter and ask if she can offer more details on her report.

I believe LE has a POI, but must not want to alert that person they are on to him. I also think CB knew her killer.

MOO

I have never seen it reported that neighbors called, and that is part of the problem perhaps, since it has been stated that police department is close by and maybe help could have arrived in time to save her or at least catch someone. Only articles referring to neighbors mentioned they (the neighbors) weren't sure if anyone called 911. Her coworkers called, I assume after trying to reach her by phone and text, and then police went and discovered her deceased.

 

[MissyMom]

Carolyn Byington Murder Case: 26-Year-Old New Jersey Woman Found Dead In Her Apartment Hours After Going On Lunch Break

According to the police, several neighbors called 911 after hearing screams and furniture being moved around in Byington’s apartment in Plainsboro.

Some of the woman’s coworkers had also called the authorities and ask them to do a wellness check after she left for lunch and never returned to her job.

When the police officers arrived at the unit, they discovered Byington’s lifeless body. The remains of the 26-year-old were found around 6 p.m.

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office did not disclose the cause of death. Police officers investigating the matter have ruled the death of the New Jersey woman as a homicide.

Several people living in the Hunters Glen apartment complex told ABC that they heard sounds coming from the unit at around 1 p.m.

They said that while they saw the woman entering the apartment around lunchtime, they do not recall ever seeing her exiting.

Other residents, who spoke to local media, said the woman was quiet and kept to herself. She was rarely seen except heading to work. It has been confirmed that she worked at Engine, a marketing firm located in Princeton.

ETA: It doesn't follow if several persons phoned 911 when they heard screams around 1pm, why did police not arrive until 6pm?

Her neighbors did not call. If her neighbors did call, it wouldn’t take LE five hours to get to her apartment. We live 1/4 mile from the police station. She went home @1:00 PM and her body wasn’t discovered until 6:00PM.

 

[Kittybunny]

Unfortunately, I don't believe her neighbors called 911, they only told LE afterwards. Just like AJs neighbors did not call 911 even though they smelled something horrible while he burned poor Kenzie Lueck's body right in his backyard.

What's wrong with people?!?!

 

[DMA19]

That is also the first time I heard that neighbors, The downstairs neighbor specifically called the police. As a current resident who lives in a first floor apartment I can tell you that you can clearly hear what's going on above you so having the downstairs neighbor calling in addition to co workers makes a lot of sense. The part that is strange is that people are reporting hearing noise at 1pm and the reports I've seen stated police arrived at the home at either 5 or 6pm where she was pronounced deceased. Plainsboro is an extremely small town and the police department is within walking distance from the complex a 5 minute drive at most. So that doesn't add up.

And to respond to something @MissyMom said earlier, if the correspondence was held on an app the perp could have deleted the conversation on that app and it wouldn't show up with a typical pull of text messages and phone calls which can be recovered if deleted. Admittedly it is a far fetch to assume this person either A) had the composure in that moment to do that. or B) Ability to get into her phone to do delete or tamper with anything not to mention running the risk of leaving behind more DNA or evidence that could be tracked while doing so.

Another aspect of this that baffles me is the fact that no one was seen leaving the apartment. Again being in a floor apartment the steps run over your front door so you can clearly hear someone walking down the steps and if they decided to leave via the balcony they would A) have to leave the balcony door unlocked which would tip off LE and B) You would also very clearly know what was happening because your own sliding door would be directly underneath theirs and you would be able to hear someone climbing down essentially your house. Those are the only two exit points especially from a second floor apartment. A first floor apartment would be a lot easier to slip out from unseen or unheard.

I'm starting to heavily suspect someone local. No forced entry means that person was either voluntarily let in or already had the means to legitimately enter the apartment on their own. This would leave Maintenance/leasing crew as having access to apartment on their own or someone she knew who she had given her spare key (I was given two copies of keys when I moved into the apartment). It's hard to narrow things down when there is so little information out there. I feel like this needs more media attention to put pressure on whoever did this.

 

[roguelady]

I wish we could get a definitive answer re: if anyone called 911 when they heard disturbing sounds coming from Carolyn's apartment. Because if it is true that a neighbor or neighbors called 911 around 1 p.m. that means the police completely dropped the ball and failed that poor woman.

 

[MissyMom]

I wish we could get a definitive answer re: if anyone called 911 when they heard disturbing sounds coming from Carolyn's apartment. Because if it is true that a neighbor or neighbors called 911 around 1 p.m. that means the police completely dropped the ball and failed that poor woman.[/QUOTE

 

[MissyMom]

The police in Plainsboro are very good and if a call was made they would have been here in a matter of minutes. A few years ago I accidentally dialed 911 on my fax. I realized what I did and told the operator it was a mistake. Within five minutes two police officers were at my door to make sure everything was okay.

 

[DAB]

I wish we could get a definitive answer re: if anyone called 911 when they heard disturbing sounds coming from Carolyn's apartment. Because if it is true that a neighbor or neighbors called 911 around 1 p.m. that means the police completely dropped the ball and failed that poor woman.

In other articles it states that neighbors did not call 911. I believe I posted an article earlier confirming that. It was not until coworkers requested a wellness check@ 5:57p that the police arrived at her apartment several minutes later.