Rashid Ali Bynum looks in the direction of the family of Eunice Dwumfour, whom he allegedly shot and killed, shortly before he appears in court (screengrab via YouTube/NJ Spotlight News). Inset top: FILE – This undated photo provided by the Sayreville, N.J., Borough Council shows New Jersey pastor and Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour. (Sayreville Borough Council via AP, File). Inset bottom: FILE – This booking photo provided by the Middlesex County, N.J., Prosecutor’s Office shows Rashid Ali Bynum, of Portsmouth, Va. (Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office via AP, File)
Emotional family members of a councilwoman and pastor gunned down in her car apparently lashed out against the man accused of killing their loved one by throwing a water bottle at him during a court appearance.
Eunice Dwumfour, 30, was found shot to death inside her white SUV in Sayreville, New Jersey, in February. Her car was reportedly found crashed near the townhouse where she lived. Rashid Ali Bynum, 28, was indicted on Aug. 16 on murder and weapons charges in connection with Dwumfour’s death.
At a court hearing on Monday, Dwumfour’s mother, Mary Dwumfour, allegedly threw a water bottle at Bynum, who was sitting directly in front of the grieving family for his court appearance. According to local outlet NJ Spotlight News, the bottle never made contact with the defendant, who was escorted out of the courtroom. The grieving woman was reportedly charged with a disorderly person’s offense — a decision the family’s lawyer said simply wasn’t necessary.
“The entire family is very emotional,” attorney John Wisniewski said, according to the outlet. “This is the first time they were in close proximity to the individual accused of taking their daughter’s life. It was very traumatic and very upsetting for them.” Wisniewski added that Mary Dwumfour was handcuffed in the courtroom and processed at the courthouse.
Bynum pleaded not guilty at Monday’s hearing, held in Middlesex County Superior Court, NJ.com reported. At the hearing, Bynum’s lawyer said that the evidence against his client was circumstantial and argued that Bynum should be released on pretrial detention.
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Judge Joseph Paone disagreed, citing the “brutally horrific” nature of the alleged crime, and ordered him back behind bars, according to NJ.com.
According to reports, the victim and the alleged killer knew each other. Dwumfour, a leader at the Champions Royal Assembly in Newark, allegedly recruited Bynum to the church, an offshoot of a megachurch based in Nigeria, NJ.com reported. Dwumfour had created the Fire Congress Fellowship as a Bible study organization and brought Bynum in when the two were living in Virginia. Prosecutor Amber Gibbs reportedly said in court that Bynum lived with Dwumfour for a time, and the two of them went to New Jersey together. Bynum’s relationship with the church apparently had soured, however, and he returned to Virginia, Gibbs reportedly said.
It was not clear why Bynum allegedly returned to New Jersey and shot Dwumfour, NJ.com reported.
Bynum was arrested in Virginia on charges of first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose. He was extradited to New Jersey in July.
Dwumfour was elected to a three-year term on the Sayreville Borough Council in November 2021, beating an incumbent Democratic candidate for the seat.
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