Carolyn Byington had no idea obsessed co-worker Kenneth Saal had copied her door key and was visiting her home to set up secret cameras before her bludgeoning her to death
Carolyn Byington had a quiet nature but led an adventurous life, combining her love of learning and travel by studying international affairs, anthropology and sociology in Japan and Germany. And when she finally settled in Plainsboro, New Jersey, she stayed in touch with the friends she’d made around the world.
Carolyn was also an avid local charity volunteer who loved to plan holidays for her family and set annual self-improvement goals.
By 2019, she had been working as a market research project manager at a company called Engine US, in Princeton, for three years.
On June 10, the 26-year-old told colleagues she was heading back to her apartment during her lunch hour. She didn’t tend to go home on her break – but what was even more unlike her was that hardworking Carolyn did not return later that afternoon.
As the hours passed, concern grew. Co-workers then noticed another member of the team was late back from lunch, too – Kenneth Saal, who worked in accounts.
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The 30-year-old was married and had a newborn baby. He eventually texted his supervisor to ask if they could push back a scheduled meeting as he was running late while getting his car repaired.
Saal eventually turned up but Carolyn didn’t. At around 6pm, her co-workers called the police and asked them to do a welfare check at her home, to make sure she was safe.
When officers entered Carolyn’s apartment, they found her body. She had suffered blunt force trauma from beating and been stabbed. Someone had attacked and killed Carolyn in her home during her lunch hour. But there was no forced entry and nothing had been stolen.
Neighbours told police they’d heard faint screams coming from the apartment at around 1pm but no one had been concerned enough to call 911. They said they didn’t see Carolyn around much unless she was going to work.
Carolyn’s colleagues were in shocked disbelief for the next few days. But they also noticed that Saal was acting strangely. He was fidgety and had cuts on his hands. Then, he asked someone whether he could be arrested based on “circumstantial evidence”.
When interviewed by the police, Saal told a detective he’d seen Carolyn at work that day but didn’t remember whether he’d spoken to her. He confirmed he had left the office for lunch and said he went to a nearby park to work on his car, changing his shirt before he returned. But Saal had previously told his supervisor a mechanic was working on the car. When he was challenged on that detail, he said he had been embarrassed to admit he was fixing it himself.
Investigators discovered dashcam footage from police vehicles showing Saal’s car driving six miles from the office at around 2pm – not at the park, as he had claimed.
And they then found out he had visited Carolyn’s apartment several times before she was killed.
PLOT TO KILL
It emerged that Saal had copied Carolyn’s keys while she was at work, sneaked into her house and installed secret cameras.
Saal had been stalking her. But had he been lying in wait for her the day she vanished? Or had she happened to catch him in her home?
Two months after Carolyn’s murder, Saal was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and third-degree weapon offences.
But while he insisted he was innocent, his actions only further proved his guilt.
While behind bars, Saal tried to hire an inmate to carry out a “copycat murder” to make it look as though Carolyn’s killer was still on the loose. Then, he formulated a Plan B under which he was going to have one of the witnesses against him killed – framing them with a suicide note in which they “confessed” to Carolyn’s killing.
Before the murder-for-hire plot was discovered, Saal had turned down a 30-year prison sentence plea. Now, he was facing even longer behind bars.
In November 2022 Saal, now 33, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, second-degree burglary and fourth-degree stalking.
Saal admitted copying Carolyn’s house key in April 2019 and going into her home several times, planting cameras to spy on her. It was likely that the day she went home for lunch, she interrupted Saal and he attacked her.
He also admitted offering an inmate $15,000 to kill a “random woman” to cast doubt on his charges. He said the weapon should be a “screwdriver or scissors” and the victim’s neck would need to be “severely damaged”.
Prosecutors said Saal was infatuated with Carolyn. He left work at 12.47pm, drove to her home, killed her and returned to work at 2.52pm for a meeting.
In January 2023, he was sentenced. Judge Pedro Jimenez Jr said Saal was hiding behind a door when Carolyn came home and could have pushed her and run out – but he instead stabbed her repeatedly in a “cruel and depraved” struggle. He added, “It makes no sense.”
Addressing Carolyn’s friends and family, the judge said, “Move on from today. She made each one of your lives better because she was in it. Mourn her by celebrating who she was and everything she gave. She wants you to live your life.”
‘NO MORE HUGS ARE COMING’
Saal apologised in court, saying, “I’m sorry every day for my choices. If there was any way I could take back things that I have done, I would without question.”
Then he said sorry to his family, telling them, “I’m sorry for the way I am and that I’ve hidden it from you for so long, my entire life. The façade I put up kept you from seeing any warning signs.”
Carolyn’s loved ones wore purple as a symbol of justice. Her older sister, Caitlyn, talked about missing their long talks, her laugh and hugs. She told of how she wears her sister’s cross necklace to keep her close.
Carolyn’s mum, Jennifer, said the last time they’d been together was for a family birthday. She said as she’d hugged Carolyn, her daughter had wanted more hugs. “But no more hugs are coming,” Jennifer said. “I try to accept her death every day.”
As part of the plea deal, Saal was sentenced to 55 years in prison.
Carolyn’s family set up a memorial fund, raising cash for a children’s brain tumour project. Wanting to create a positive legacy and memory rather than focusing on the horror of her death, they encourage others to show the kindness and compassion that she had in life.
