NJ jury convicts man of murdering Republican councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour
A New Jersey jury has found Rashid Ali Bynum guilty of the murder of Republican councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour earlier this year. Dwumfour, who was the first Black member of the Sayreville city council, was tragically gunned down, and Bynum now faces a potential sentence of 30 years to life in prison. The sentencing date has been set for August 18 by Middlesex County Superior Court Judge Joseph Paone.
Bynum was known to Dwumfour as he was a member of her congregation in the past, according to Christian Onuoha, a colleague of Dwumfour’s on the borough council. Onuoha mentioned that Dwumfour had been Bynum’s pastor back in 2018, but they had not seen him since then.
Bynum’s criminal history includes charges of fraud, forgery, and theft dating back to 2013. He also faced firearms charges in Virginia in 2015 and Maryland in 2019. In the 2015 case, he pleaded guilty to illegally carrying a concealed weapon and received three years of probation.
Dwumfour’s husband, Peter Akwue, who is also a pastor based in Africa, stated that he did not know Bynum. The tragic incident took place in February, where Dwumfour was found with gunshot wounds in her white Nissan SUV at around 7:30 p.m.
Bynum was arrested in late May at his home in Chesapeake City, Virginia, and later transferred to New Jersey for trial. The case has shocked the community and raised concerns about the safety of public officials.
Dwumfour, a former EMT and IT consultant, was actively involved in her local church and nonprofit groups, as well as serving on the Sayreville Borough Council’s Human Relations Commission. She won an election in November 2021, defeating the incumbent Democrat in an upset victory.
This tragic event serves as a reminder of the importance of safety and security for elected officials and the need for justice to be served in cases of violent crimes. The community mourns the loss of Dwumfour and hopes for closure and healing in the aftermath of this senseless act of violence.
