Kenneth Saal, 33, of Lindenwold, was sentenced by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Pedro Jimenez Jr. to 45 years in state prison on murder and burglary charges plus a consecutive 10-year sentence on conspiracy to commit murder and witness tampering charges for a crime the judge characterized as “senseless.”
Saal pleaded guilty on November 2, 2022, to first-degree murder, second-degree burglary, and fourth-degree stalking in connection with the murder of Carolyn Byington, 26, of Plainsboro, the 26-year-old woman he stabbed to death when she arrived at her home during a lunch break from work.
During the plea, Saal stated that in April 2019 he copied the victim’s house key while she was at work and used the key to enter her apartment on multiple days in the following months.
Saal recounted how he planted hidden surveillance cameras to record her in her home without her knowledge.
Saal then described how he brutally murdered the victim on June 10, 2019, when she came home unexpectedly and discovered him in her home.
Saal also pled guilty to first-degree Conspiracy to Commit Murder and second-degree Conspiracy to Commit Witness Tampering in connection with a plot that was discovered by the Prosecutor’s office.
Saal admitted that in an effort to derail his trial which was originally scheduled to commence on December 5, 2022, he conspired to hire someone to commit a copycat murder to make it look like the true killer of Byington had not yet been apprehended.
He also acknowledged that as an alternative, he conspired to have one of two witnesses who were going to testify at his upcoming trial killed, and have their murder staged as a suicide with a note claiming responsibility for Byington’s murder.
“We are grateful for the hard work and dedication from Lieutenant David Abromaitis and Sergeant Paul Kelley of the Prosecutor’s Office, Sergeant Timothy McMahon of the Plainsboro Police Department, and the work of other members of the various law enforcement agencies who assisted throughout the investigation of these crimes.” said Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. “Securing justice for the victim in this case would not have been possible if not for their collective efforts.”
Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Tzvi Dolinger and Assistant Prosecutor Lynne Seborowski entered into the plea agreement with Saal and his attorneys, which calls for a 55-year State Prison sentence.