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

[Steph8angels]

Been following this case and JMO only
Of unknown suspect pool.

Could Carolyn of went home due to having some evidence she had regarding fraudulent activity of someone. Could be a person at the company she worked for. Or one of her charities.

Another thought had she made any complaints to anyone regarding her Job or her apartment complex in the last month of her life.

Was this a murder to silence her?
Maybe suspect was in home looking for evidence she had. And their paths crossed.
It feels to me she was targeted for a personal reason. JMO

 

[ilovechili]

Though clearly possible, I think this scenario is less likely for the following reasons:

- The victim was apparently responsible, career oriented and upwardly mobile. Such people are less likely to schedule non work activities such as dates during work and also less likely to make impulsive decisions that they "need" to leave work to full fill.

- The victim is a young female. On average and by nature, females are less likely to attempt casual uhmm…."encounters" than males (despite what hook up sites promise- some even use 'fembots' to keep paying and hopeful males reeled in). Also, the victim was young and could well of been receiving male attention with out the need to use 'hook up' sites.

In short, the victims age and gender seem to statistically reduce the odds of this scenario. If the victim were male and upper middle aged, then I think the odds of a lured home by the promise of a steamy and sudden encounter scenario could well go up.

You know, I was thinking about this very thing early this morning. I realized I tended to think she was not in a relationship or dating a lot just because of the remark about her keeping to herself, etc.

I realized today that at 26, out of school, established career, solid employment, attractive, I was likely wrong that she was not dating, whether casually or seriously, or trying to meet someone, or even in a relationship or recently out of one. I have always thought she may have met or reconnected with someone that weekend but not necessarily that she dated regularly, I just pictured her by herself most of the time at least based on what we have heard.

I get your point about dating apps and yes, she could meet someone at work, etc. but I have come to realize in a few other cases that her age group's main way of meeting and dating seems to be the online world and dating apps.

I also think that the very fact she is busy and possibly career centered may lean towards her being even more likely to use such apps because her time is largely taken up and one can do that at home in the evening, etc., chat and so forth.

We also know so little that we do not even know that there may not have been a relationship or one that recently broke up. I mean why not? She is out of school, working, life is solid, perfect time to look for that next thing...

I still tend to favor my first thought--that she spent the weekend with someone or at least a day, the person stayed over, she went to work and she went home at noon to be sure the person left or because she wanted to see the person. It could be someone new or it could be someone she had dated a few times or even a current or prior relationship...

I can change that thought in a second though and lean towards someone at the complex obsessed with her or who had seen her elsewhere and was obsessed with her. Perhaps someone she dated once and wanted nothing to do with that then even stalked her to see where she lived, etc.? There is no shortage of that type out there sadly, even back in my youth. Time of day still seems odd though and the need to draw her home somehow midday, broad daylight, upstairs apartment, big complex.

Not really any new thoughts other then I tended to think she was not in a relationship or recent one but we truly do not know that I guess.

We all know statistically at least that current or recent relationships are often where one will find the perp... This still seems personal in some way...

Sorry so long--All jmo.

 

[ilovechili]

Been following this case and JMO only
Of unknown suspect pool.

Could Carolyn of went home due to having some evidence she had regarding fraudulent activity of someone. Could be a person at the company she worked for. Or one of her charities.

Another thought had she made any complaints to anyone regarding her Job or her apartment complex in the last month of her life.

Was this a murder to silence her?
Maybe suspect was in home looking for evidence she had. And their paths crossed.
It feels to me she was targeted for a personal reason. JMO

You know, this is interesting. At first I thought the fraudulent activity was unlikely when I read your post but then it popped into my head about what @MissyMom said about the vehicle she had seen appearing after the murder next to Carolyn's vehicle. If he did not find what he was looking for, or she I guess it could even be in that case, and had to run off, he/she may have come back to check the vehicle, glance inside, etc.

Your second thought I have wondered about, any complaints to management at the apartment, issues with thinking someone had been in her apartment and also any complaints to LE about a stalker, a problem, a theft, etc.?

Food for thought for sure.

Jmo.

 

[Seattle1]

I have been in touch with the Plainsboro Police. I was told they were working day & night on this. I also communicated that there is a need to share whatever information they can with the community at live meetings. I also suggested they put up signs in Hunters Glen providing a picture & information on the crime & requesting help, etc. I will reach out to the mayor if there’s no reply.

Reaching out to a local, investigative reporter might also be helpful in putting pressure on investigators to share info with your community at live meetings.

You may also find that same reporter your go to source during any future criminal trial.

MOO

 

[DAB]

Reaching out to a local, investigative reporter might also be helpful in putting pressure on investigators to share info with your community at live meetings.

You may also find that same reporter your go to source during any future criminal trial.

MOO

Thanks for the suggestion. I will see if I can identify someone. Would it be acceptable for a concerned citizen to print flyers & put on the buildings throughout Hunters Glen telling residents to reach out to the detectives noted in the various communications? I am willing to put something together, print & distribute but I am not a resident & don’t want to get cited for soliciting or trespassing. Also don’t want to irritate LE.

I was in downtown Princeton today & saw 5 different black Land Rovers. 2 with NY plates, 3 NJ. I got all license plates but 1.

 

[MissyMom]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will see if I can identify someone. Would it be acceptable for a concerned citizen to print flyers & put on the buildings throughout Hunters Glen telling residents to reach out to the detectives noted in the various communications? I am willing to put something together, print & distribute but I am not a resident & don’t want to get cited for soliciting or trespassing. Also don’t want to irritate LE.

I was in downtown Princeton today & saw 5 different black Land Rovers. 2 with NY plates, 3 NJ. I got all license plates but 1.

If you don’t mind, send me a message with the plate numbers. It may trigger my memory if I should see it.

 

[zecats]

If you don’t mind, send me a message with the plate numbers. It may trigger my memory if I should see it.

Do you at least recall if it was Jersey tags?

I'd bet NY license plates in Princeton are not a rare occurrence. Her place of employment (Engine) has global branches and besides Princeton, the closest (and possibly main branch) is in Manhattan. Don't know if that's important enough to be relevant, or maybe just to keep in mind. Curious if employees would work out of more than one branche.

Also, is the leasing office near her apartment? Possible any strange car seen in the area could have gone there to inquire about renting.

 

[MissyMom]

Been following this case and JMO only
Of unknown suspect pool.

Could Carolyn of went home due to having some evidence she had regarding fraudulent activity of someone. Could be a person at the company she worked for. Or one of her charities.

Another thought had she made any complaints to anyone regarding her Job or her apartment complex in the last month of her life.

Was this a murder to silence her?
Maybe suspect was in home looking for evidence she had. And their paths crossed.
It feels to me she was targeted for a personal reason. JMO

I also thought about this motive. Did she know something about someone, did she see something, did she complain about someone, all questions I’ve asked myself.

 

[Seattle1]

Thanks for the suggestion. I will see if I can identify someone. Would it be acceptable for a concerned citizen to print flyers & put on the buildings throughout Hunters Glen telling residents to reach out to the detectives noted in the various communications? I am willing to put something together, print & distribute but I am not a resident & don’t want to get cited for soliciting or trespassing. Also don’t want to irritate LE.

I was in downtown Princeton today & saw 5 different black Land Rovers. 2 with NY plates, 3 NJ. I got all license plates but 1.

Not a problem distributing flyers on public streets but I believe Hunters Glen considered private property, and would require permission from management.

When I resided in apartment community, we could only post in laundry room (after management affixed their approval with date stamp, and post removed in 30 days).

MOO

 

[MissyMom]

Do you at least recall if it was Jersey tags?

I'd bet NY license plates in Princeton are not a rare occurrence. Her place of employment (Engine) has global branches and besides Princeton, the closest (and possibly main branch) is in Manhattan. Don't know if that's important enough to be relevant, or maybe just to keep in mind. Curious if employees would work out of more than one branche.

Also, is the leasing office near her apartment? Possible any strange car seen in the area could have gone there to inquire about renting.

NJ plates. The leasing office isn’t far from her building.

 

[MissyMom]

Not a problem distributing flyers on public streets but I believe Hunters Glen considered private property, and would require permission from management.

When I resided in apartment community, we could only post in laundry room (after management affixed their approval with date stamp, and post removed in 30 days).

MOO

You are correct. You can’t hang flyers here. A few people have tried it on the mailboxes, but they were always taken down. Also, I doubt the management would want her murdered publicized.

 

[DAB]

Do you at least recall if it was Jersey tags?

I'd bet NY license plates in Princeton are not a rare occurrence. Her place of employment (Engine) has global branches and besides Princeton, the closest (and possibly main branch) is in Manhattan. Don't know if that's important enough to be relevant, or maybe just to keep in mind. Curious if employees would work out of more than one branche.

Also, is the leasing office near her apartment? Possible any strange car seen in the area could have gone there to inquire about renting.

2 plates were NY & 3 NJ but I only have 1 of the NJ licenses. Thought I had 2.

 

[Cryptic]

I also think that the very fact she is busy and possibly career centered may lean towards her being even more likely to use such apps because her time is largely taken up and one can do that at home in the evening, etc., chat and so forth.

I still tend to favor my first thought--that she spent the weekend with someone or at least a day, the person stayed over, she went to work and she went home at noon to be sure the person left or because she wanted to see the person. It could be someone new or it could be someone she had dated a few times or even a current or prior relationship...

I am in agreement with you in that can see a dating relationship and also see the use of formal dating sites. I just statistically cant see her engaging in internet arranged 'hook ups'. In regards to the dating possibility or use of dating sites, most such contact would be made electronically.

Electronic contacts can be traced unless elaborate precautions were taken. Likewise, the more formal dating sites probably have more comprehensive profiles, try to weed out fake profiles, and use software features that record which registered member contacted another registered member. The totality should make it her social contacts easier to identify and to review.

 

[ilovechili]

I am in agreement with you in that can see a dating relationship and also see the use of formal dating sites. I just statistically cant see her engaging in internet arranged 'hook ups'. In regards to the dating possibility or use of dating sites, most such contact would be made electronically.

Electronic contacts can be traced unless elaborate precautions were taken. Likewise, the more formal dating sites probably have more comprehensive profiles, try to weed out fake profiles, and use software features that record which registered member contacted another registered member. The totality should make it her social contacts easier to identify and to review.

ITA and did not mean casual hook-ups either. I can believe she may have casually dated, like had lunch in a public place, found the person did not click and each go on their way or a few dates and decide that (although that does not mean the other person might be happy about it). I also can believe she may have found a relationship or someone she liked and dated for awhile although we have had no hint of that, but then we have been told little. And of course, she could have met someone through work or clubs, etc.

The ability to look into the records is a good point if it was someone met that way or communicated with online.

Jmo.

 

[bears10]

Now that’s an idea. I’ve never received a call from package delivery. And I shop online ALOT.

Has anyone ever had a package delivery service call or email to summon you home?

Wayfair. I knew a day in advance they were coming between 8-12 and they called me when they were 15 min away per my request.

 

[LVatty10]

Wayfair. I knew a day in advance they were coming between 8-12 and they called me when they were 15 min away per my request.

Would they have done so if you didn’t request? She wasn’t expecting a furniture delivery, at least we haven’t heard that she was.

But yes. A delivery could have been the draw home.

 

[zecats]

Would they have done so if you didn’t request? She wasn’t expecting a furniture delivery, at least we haven’t heard that she was.

But yes. A delivery could have been the draw home.

I get emails and more often text message updates for deliveries from places like Wayfair, Houzz, even Macys & Amazon. They aren't requests for me to be home, just notifications that my package was just delivered. These companies deal with many doorstep packages being pilfered away, so they take precautions now to make the receiver aware of delivery.

I remember rain on that Monday in my part of NJ, at least in the morning. Can't remember if it rained all day though. My point on this is if it's raining and a package notification comes and I'm out, I try to get back home asap. Delivery folks aren't always the best about NOT leaving stuff out in the rain.

Also, some items require a signature. New phones that come via mail would, for example.

In any case, I would think a connection like that would be easily discovered on her phone. And I don't find an obvious motive for a delivery person to kill a the person he was making a delivery to. All My Own O

 

[bears10]

Would they have done so if you didn’t request? She wasn’t expecting a furniture delivery, at least we haven’t heard that she was.

But yes. A delivery could have been the draw home.

My delivery was initially scheduled for a different day, but I didn’t see the email so I wasn’t home to accept the delivery so they called when they were at my house and no one was answering the door. Otherwise, i don’t think they would have called. It wasn’t a furniture delivery, it was just a larger box with a somewhat expensive item so it required a signature.

We haven’t really heard anything in regards to what drew her home.

 

[Elephant Shrew]

My own unfounded suspicion is that the perpetrator was a stalker, someone attracted to or even obsessed with Carolyn. Not a boyfriend or ex, but someone on the periphery of her social circle. Part of her circle would have come from her volunteering in the community.

She was very engaged in charitable activities according to her family. Her mother said as much in requesting donations to the Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell Medicine:

“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,” said Carolyn’s mother, Jennifer Byington.

Donate in memory of Carolyn Byington - Children's Brain Tumor Project

Her obituary states: "As an avid volunteer, Carolyn was active in the Junior League of Greater Princeton." The Junior League is a woman's philanthropic organization. They promote academic enrichment, health, and wellness for children and support underprivileged women in Trenton.

This annual report from 2018 from the Junior League of Greater Princeton has Carolyn listed as one of their donors that year (see page 10 on the following link):

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS! Gifts and in-kind donations made between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018
https://www.jlgp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-Annual-Report-FINAL2.pdf

A few years previous, presumably before she moved to Plainsboro and around the time she graduated from Lafayette College, Carolyn joined her mother Jennifer in support of a similar woman-led philanthropic group called Impact 100 Garden State. If you scroll down to page 3 in the following page, you'll see a photo of Carolyn and her mother:

https://impact100gardenstate.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Newsletter.Summer-Edition.pdf

So, Carolyn was quite involved in charitable activities, particularly organizations for women, and was following in her family's footsteps in being engaged in the community. She graduated from Lafayette having double-majored in international affairs/anthropology and sociology. She studied abroad in Germany and Japan. You get the picture of a very idealistic and ambitious young woman dedicated to improving her community and the world.

But what if it was through these charitable activities that she came to the attention of her assailant?

 

[nyc2015]

My own unfounded suspicion is that the perpetrator was a stalker, someone attracted to or even obsessed with Carolyn. Not a boyfriend or ex, but someone on the periphery of her social circle. Part of her circle would have come from her volunteering in the community.

She was very engaged in charitable activities according to her family. Her mother said as much in requesting donations to the Children's Brain Tumor Project at Weill Cornell Medicine:

“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,” said Carolyn’s mother, Jennifer Byington.

Donate in memory of Carolyn Byington - Children's Brain Tumor Project

Her obituary states: "As an avid volunteer, Carolyn was active in the Junior League of Greater Princeton." The Junior League is a woman's philanthropic organization. They promote academic enrichment, health, and wellness for children and support underprivileged women in Trenton.

This annual report from 2018 from the Junior League of Greater Princeton has Carolyn listed as one of their donors that year (see page 10 on the following link):

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS DONORS! Gifts and in-kind donations made between June 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018
https://www.jlgp.org/wp-content/uploads/2018-Annual-Report-FINAL2.pdf

A few years previous, presumably before she moved to Plainsboro and around the time she graduated from Lafayette College, Carolyn joined her mother Jennifer in support of a similar woman-led philanthropic group called Impact 100 Garden State. If you scroll down to page 3 in the following page, you'll see a photo of Carolyn and her mother:

https://impact100gardenstate.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Newsletter.Summer-Edition.pdf

So, Carolyn was quite involved in charitable activities, particularly organizations for women, and was following in her family's footsteps in being engaged in the community. She graduated from Lafayette having double-majored in international affairs/anthropology and sociology. She studied abroad in Germany and Japan. You get the picture of a very idealistic and ambitious young woman dedicated to improving her community and the world.

But what if it was through these charitable activities that she came to the attention of her assailant?

This is a very good theory. Could have been someone stalking her from one of her many social circles. I have to say she was an absolutely amazing young lady- all she accomplished in her life that was cut way too short, clearly dedicated to helping people and improving other's lives. What an amazing, amazing human being. I hope LE is working their --- off to find justice for Carolyn and her family. This cannot become a cold case!