Missing Since: 1998-03-02 Location: Albany, New York
Lyall was a computer science student at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany in 1998. She worked part time at Babbage’s Software in the Crossgates Mall in Guilderland, New York at the time. Lyall left work at approximately 9:20 p.m. on March 2, 1998 and boarded a Capital District Transit Authority (CDTA) bus near the mall. She exited the bus at approximately 9:40 to 9:45 p.m. at the Collins Circle stop on the SUNY campus. She would normally call her boyfriend of two years once she had arrived back at her dormitory room, but he never heard from her that night. He kept trying to call her, but she never answered the phone. She has never been seen again and there is no evidence that she ever arrived at her room. Her ATM card was used by an unidentified person on March 3, 1998, the day after her initial disappearance. The card was used at Stewart’s Store on the corner of Manning Boulevard and Central Avenue in Albany, about two and a half miles from the SUNY-Albany campus. At approximately 4:00 p.m.; someone used it to withdraw $20 from the cash machine. The person who used the card, whether Lyall or someone else, has never been identified, but they did type in the correct PIN number on the first try. Lyall’s work name tag was discovered in an area adjacent to the visitors’ parking lot at SUNY two months after her disappearance. The tag was located approximately 30 yards from the Collins Circle bus stop. It isn’t known if Lyall lost the tag the night she disappeared, but it did appear to have been exposed to the elements for awhile. One of Lyall’s co-workers told authorities that she mentioned she was being stalked by an unidentified man before March 1998. The co-worker stated that Lyall did not appear to be frightened of the person. It is not known if this incident is related to her case. Although Lyall’s boyfriend claims he was playing games online with a friend at the time she went missing, and his friend supported his story, Lyall’s parents feel he may have been involved in her case. They pointed out that, although he only lived about ten or twelve minutes away from the SUNY-Albany campus, he never came to check on her when she didn’t answer his calls the night she went missing. According to Lyall’s mother, her relationship with her boyfriend was unhealthy and she had repeatedly tried to break up with him, only to agree to continue their relationship when he became upset. He has not been named as a suspect in her case, however. Another SUNY-Albany student, Karen Wilson, disappeared in 1985, thirteen years prior to Lyall. Her disappearance remains unsolved. Authorities have not found anything to link the two cases, but they stated the circumstances of the women’s disappearances were similar. Lyall’s case remains unsolved. She was raised in Ballston Spa, New York. She is described as a quiet woman who enjoys expressing herself through poetry. She has been very interested in computers since she was a child, and is an avid Rush fan. Investigating Agency New York State Police 519-783-3211 899-940-4150 SUNY Albany Police Department 518-442-3131 Source Information New York State Police Child Protection Education of America Help Us Find Suzanne Million Dollar Mysteries NamUs The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children New York State Missing and Exploited Children Clearinghouse The New York Times Capital News 9 CBS News Unfound Podcast Updated 10 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 7, 2020; age-progression updated.