The tragic murder of Eunice Dwumfour, a 30-year-old Ghanaian-American councilwoman and pastor from Sayreville, New Jersey, shocked the nation in Feb. 2023. This week, justice was delivered when her killer, Rashid Ali Bynum, was sentenced to life in prison.
Dwumfour was ambushed and fatally shot inside her car outside her home on Feb. 1, 2023, after dropping someone off. Prosecutors said she was seatbelted in the driver’s seat when Bynum opened fire, discharging 15 rounds at point-blank range through her window.
Surveillance footage captured Bynum fleeing the scene. Investigators later discovered that his cellphone data placed him traveling from Virginia to New Jersey on the day of the murder, with online searches about ammunition tied to the handgun used.
Bynum, who was 28 at the time, was arrested four months later in Portsmouth, Virginia, after a nationwide manhunt. He was charged with first-degree murder, unlawful possession of a handgun, and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.
Prosecutors linked Bynum to Dwumfour through their shared connection to church ministries.
Dwumfour had previously counseled Bynum during her work with Fire Congress Fellowship, a church tied to her pastoral outreach. Fellow pastors and colleagues described her as deeply compassionate and selfless, giving her time and energy to those in need, including Bynum.
The murder left her family and community devastated. “Anyone who interacted with her, whether in church or public service, knew her as very passionate and sacrificial,” said Sayreville Councilman Christian Onuoha.
Sentencing Update
In June 2024, a New Jersey jury found Bynum guilty of Dwumfour’s murder, and on Monday, Aug.18, Judge Joseph Paone handed down a life sentence.
During the sentencing hearing, Dwumfour’s family delivered emotional impact statements.
“Your mother should be disgraced that she brought you into this world,” her sister, Priscilla Dwumfour, told Bynum. Her husband, Eze King, remembered her as his “angel” and “heartbeat.”
Her mother, Mary Dwumfour, expressed relief after the sentencing. “We got justice. I’m so happy and I know Eunice is happy,” she said.
As Bynum was escorted out of the courtroom, members of Dwumfour’s family clapped, marking a painful but significant moment of closure in their fight for justice.
Dwumfour’s death remains a devastating loss for Sayreville, where she served as a rising political leader and spiritual mentor.
