A man has been arrested in connection to the February shooting death of Sayreville councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, officials said Tuesday.
Rashid Ali Bynum, 28, was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with first-degree murder, second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, and second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, according to the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office.
Bynum, who is from Virginia, was taken into custody without incident outside a residence in Chesapeake City, authorities said. He is awaiting extradition from Virginia to New Jersey.
Dwumfour, 30, was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside her vehicle outside her home in a townhouse complex in Sayreville on the evening of February 1, according to authorities.
Authorities linked Bynum to Dwumfour’s killing using surveillance video, witness reports, cellphone data, internet searches and E-ZPass records, among other pieces of evidence, officials said.
Bynum’s contact was stored in Dwumfour’s cellphone with the acronym “FCF,” which is believed to stand for Fire Congress Fellowship, a church Dwumfour had previously been affiliated with, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone.
The extent of their connection remains unclear. Prosecutors also didn’t provide a possible motive for the killing of Dwumfour.
“This was a very complex, extensive case with painstaking police work,” Ciccone said. “The murder has shaken the community. No arrest will bring back the late councilwoman. However, I do trust that justice will be found through the criminal justice process.”
Dwumfour had been elected to a three-year term to the Sayreville council in 2021. She was a mother and a soft-spoken devout Christian, according to those who knew her.
Dwumfour’s father, sister and pastor attended the press conference Tuesday, where the arrest and charges against Bynum were announced. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin addressed Dwumfour’s family at the press conference.
“There are no words that can be said to you that can make you whole. I know this,” Platkin said. “I know too often when we’re talking about victims of gun violence — senseless acts of gun violence — we feel the pain that you all feel today.”
Latest Stories
-
Diana Asamoah causes arrest of personal assistant over GH₵4k MoMo theft
10 mins -
Our mindset should breed excellence – Ace Ankomah
23 mins -
SML fully delivered on Transaction Audit Service Agreement with GRA
47 mins -
Government trying to hide something from SML/GRA contract – Arthur Kennedy
51 mins -
Don’t encourage lateness and foolishness – Ace Ankomah to UG Vice Chancellor’s award winners
54 mins -
‘Obroni wawu’ traders plan to protest over Kumasi Central Market Redevelopment delays
58 mins -
Gold Fields Ghana boosts cocoa production in Huni Valley District through Cocoa Farmers’ Support programme
59 mins -
Spanish government to oversee football federation after Luis Rubiales scandal
1 hour -
TikTok will not be sold, Chinese parent tells US
1 hour -
Bawumia is ready to announce his running mate – Miracles Aboagye
1 hour -
Works and Housing Ministry launches BENCHH 2024
2 hours -
You misunderstood Bawumia’s ‘driver’s mate’ analogy – Miracles Aboagye tells Naana Opoku-Agyemang
2 hours -
Bulk Oil Distributors object to government’s plan to designate BEST sole off-taker
2 hours -
NPP likely to retain Ejisu seat – Global InfoAnalytics
2 hours -
Government allocates $20m for Kpong Irrigation Scheme expansion
3 hours