Where did Carol Ryan go before she was brutally attacked and left for dead?
On Sept. 1, 1996, Syracuse resident Carol Ryan was murdered in a horrific way. Someone detonated an explosive device inside of her and left her in the driveway of a county compost site in Jamesville.
Her killer was never found.
In the second episode of “Firecracker,” a syracuse.com podcast into Carol Ryan’s cold case, we share the official timeline of events for where Carol went the night before the attack.
It started as a fun night of bar-hopping in Syracuse, but ended as a horror story that haunts local memory as one of the most violent homicides in Central New York history.
In the episode, we outline Carol’s detailed timeline in the hours before her murder in 1996.
Carol was first seen at midnight at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, one of Syracuse’s most popular restaurants. Two witnesses later saw her at Pro’s Grill, a dive bar two blocks away. She was at Pro’s from about 12:30 a.m. to 1:15 a.m.
“She just had a drink or two and went on her way,” said witness Donna Booth.
The next time people see her, it’s 1:30 a.m. at The East Room, a neighborhood bar in the city village of Eastwood, close to Carol’s apartment. Without a license or car, it’s likely Carol caught a ride or hitchhiked back to Eastwood. (Today, the bar is closed. The location now houses Sinbad Restaurant at 2727 James St.).
Carol left The East Room when it closed at 2 a.m. The bartender said she didn’t leave with anyone, and she didn’t see anyone bothering Carol at the bar.
Without cell phones or security camera footage in 1996, police lost track of where Carol went after she left The East Room. Between 5:15 a.m. and 5:45 a.m., a security guard named Benjamin Waller heard an explosion at his post for the county transportation department, which is located near where Carol was discovered.
But it wasn’t until 6:30 a.m. that a local fisherman discovered Carol Ryan, beaten and dying, in the driveway to the OCCRA facility on Rt. 91. He called 911.
Carol Ryan, then Carol Paul, loved to sing. Carol sang in her school concerts and was active in her 7th and 8th grade chorus at Sandy Creek Elementary School. She’s pictured here standing in the center of the photograph, second row, to the left of the girl in stripes.Provided photo
The episode will also share new details about Carol’s life, family and previous relationships.
Carol Paul was born on the 4th of July in 1954. She had fiery red hair and a radiant personality. Her nickname was Firecracker.
She was raised in Boylston, N.Y., a small town in Oswego County, where the population hovers around 500 people.
Carol and her siblings attended Sandy Creek Central School District. And she loved to sing. Carol sang in her school concerts and was active in her 7th and 8th grade chorus.
In Episode 2 of “Firecracker,” we’ll explain why Carol disappeared from yearbooks after her first year of high school.
We also spoke to Joy Conklin, one of Carol’s friends, who saw her just one day before her murder.
“I try to think of her the way she was and not all the terrible stuff that happened to her,” Conklin told syracuse.com. “And I couldn’t believe what happened to her.”
Joy Conklin kept a leather fringe flask that once belonged to her friend Carol Ryan, who was murdered in Syracuse in 1996. Her case remains unsolved.Scott Trimble
The episode also features an exclusive interview with Carol’s only son, Shawn Hamilton, who was 25 years old when his mother was killed.
He has endured 27 years of grief and rage.
“I couldn’t shake any of this out of my head,” Hamilton told syracuse.com. “My mom was my best friend. She was stolen from me.”
We also share new disturbing details about Carol’s ex-husband Patrick Ryan.
“Pat Ryan was a pretty brutal man,” said Carol’s son Shawn Hamilton. “He liked to put his hands on people. He liked to smack my mom around and he liked to smack me around a lot.”
For a quarter century, the murder of Carol Ryan has eluded police.
For the last year, our journalists at syracuse.com have investigated Carol Ryan’s case. We interviewed Carol’s family, friends, witnesses, detectives, forensic experts, legal experts, and even persons of interest in the case.
You can listen to Episode 2: Last Night Alive and subscribe to “Firecracker” exclusively on Wondery+.
If you have any information about Carol Ryan’s case, contact the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office at 315-435-3051. To submit an anonymous tip, text TIPONON and your tip to 847411.
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Katrina Tulloch shoots videos and writes stories for Syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact her anytime: Email • Instagram • X • Facebook • 518-810-5022
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