Was Arrested Shooting Suspect Rashid Ali Bynum a Member of Eunice Dwumfour’s Church?

The authorities have announced the arrest of a 28-year-old Virginia man in connection with the murder of Eunice Dwumfour, a councilwoman from Sayreville, New Jersey. The suspect, Rashid Ali Bynum, was taken into custody on Tuesday morning and was charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.

Eunice Dwumfour was a 30-year-old Republican who was elected to the Sayreville Borough Council in 2021. She was the first Black person to hold office in the town. She was also a business analyst, a professional scrum master and a member of the Champions Royal Assembly Church in Newark.

Authorities Claim Rashid Ali Bynum Knew Eunice Dwumfour from Church

On February 1, 2021, Dwumfour was found with multiple gunshot wounds in her SUV near her townhome in Parlin, an unincorporated section of Sayreville. The car had rolled down a steep incline and crashed into two other vehicles. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The motive for the killing remains unclear, but the Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone said that there was evidence that Dwumfour knew Bynum from the church they both attended. Some reports allege that Bynum’s phone number was found in Dwumfour’s contacts.

Ciccone also said that surveillance footage captured Bynum running from the scene after the shooting and that his phone data showed that he had traveled from Virginia to New Jersey on the day of the murder and returned immediately afterwards. She said that Bynum matched the description given by a witness who saw a man fleeing from the area.

The arrest came after months of investigation by local and state authorities, who faced criticism from Dwumfour’s family and supporters for the lack of progress in the case. New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said that he hoped that the arrest would bring some closure and justice to Dwumfour’s loved ones.

Dwumfour is survived by her daughter, her parents and her siblings. She was described by her colleagues and friends as a passionate and dedicated leader who wanted to make a positive difference in her community.