Steps From Home: The Chilling Disappearance of Suzanne Lyall
On March 2, 1998, after a long day of classes and work, 19-year-old Suzanne Lyall stepped off a bus just minutes from her campus dorm at SUNY Albany. She has not been seen or heard from since
Background
On the night of March 2, 1998, 19-year-old Suzanne Lyall finished her shift at work, boarded the bus back to her campus, and stepped off just minutes from her dorm room. It was a short walk she had taken many times before. But that night, Suzanne never made it home.
There were no screams, no signs of a struggle, and no witnesses. Nearly 30 years later, Suzanne Lyall's disappearance remains a mystery.
Suzanne Lyall
Suzanne “Suzy” Gloria Lyall was born on April 6, 1978, in Saratoga Springs, New York. She was the youngest of three children in the Lyall family and grew up in the nearby town of Ballston Spa. Her parents, Doug and Mary Lyall, raised their children in a close, supportive home where education, communication, and responsibility were taken seriously.
Suzanne’s parents described her as the quiet heart of their family, someone who listened more than she spoke and chose her words carefully. She enjoyed reading and demonstrated an interest in computers, sometimes assembling parts and building her own, while chatting with people online long before social media was a thing.
Outside of computers, Suzy also had a creative side. Family members said she enjoyed writing poetry whenever inspiration struck, once even running out of the shower with wet hair just to jot a line down. Though it made her family laugh, it also showed how deeply connected she was to her thoughts and feelings.
Academically, Suzanne was a strong student. After graduating with honors from Ballston Spa High School in 1996, Suzy began her college journey studying computer science. She initially enrolled in the State University of New York at Oneonta, but after a year, she decided the computer courses there weren’t challenging enough.
So, in the fall of 1997, she transferred to the State University of New York at Albany (SUNY Albany) to continue her studies, believing it would offer better academic opportunities in her field and also place her closer to home and closer to her high school boyfriend, Richard Condon, with whom she shared a deep connection.
Richard and Suzy had met in high school through their shared love of computers, and their relationship grew deeper over time. They stayed connected through college, often chatting online and helping each other with projects.
Life as a college student was a balancing act for Suzy. Alongside her studies, she worked two part-time jobs to support herself. One was at a computer company in Troy, New York. The other was at Babbage’s, a computer software store in Crossgates Mall just west of the Albany campus.
During her time at SUNY Albany, Suzanne stayed in frequent contact with her parents, often calling home to check in. Her parents later stressed that Suzanne was not the type to disappear without telling someone. She kept a strict routine and, despite the stress of classes and exams, she took comfort in regular phone calls and emails with her parents and with Richard.
March 2, 1998
On Monday, March 2, 1998, Suzy Lyall woke up early to prepare for the day ahead. That day, she had a mid-term test, followed by several more classes, with the last one ending around 4 p.m. After her classes were finished, she returned to her dormitory to pick up a few things before heading to work, which was about seven miles away in the nearby town of Guilderland.
When she arrived at Babbage’s that afternoon, the mall was still buzzing with shoppers. Suzy clocked in and stepped behind the register, ready for her evening shift. That evening, her shift was uneventful, and as 9:00 p.m. approached, the staff began preparing to close. At about 9:20 p.m., Suzy finished her shift and said goodnight to her coworkers. She punched out, gathered her things, and stepped out into the cool air.
As she walked out of the mall, she headed to the bus stop nearby to catch the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) bus that would take her back to the university campus. The driver on duty later told investigators that he remembered seeing her board his bus that night.
The bus ride took about 20 to 25 minutes. A classmate waiting at the Collins Circle stop on the SUNY Albany Uptown Campus later reported seeing Suzy step off the bus around 9:45 p.m. From Collins Circle, Suzy only had a short walk to her dorm room at the Colonial Quad. It was a path she had taken many times before, but that night, she never made it back to her room.
Disappearance
The following morning, Suzanne’s roommates were surprised to see that she had not returned. By the morning of Tuesday, March 3, 1998, when Richard still hadn’t heard from her, he began to worry. He called Suzy repeatedly, but each time the call went unanswered. When he still couldn’t reach her hours later, he contacted Suzanne’s parents to ask if they had heard from her. They had not.
Normally, Suzy was reliable to a fault. She checked in often, especially with her boyfriend and with her parents. Even when she was tired or busy, she usually sent a short message or made a quick call to let them know she was home.
Soon, Doug and Mary were in the car, driving straight to Albany.
