On the cold evening of February 1, 2023, Eunice K. Dwumfour, a 30-year-old Black woman, was ambushed in her white Nissan SUV just outside her townhouse in Parlin, New Jersey. The Sayreville councilwoman was struck by multiple gunshots and was pronounced dead at the scene. The attack was swift and brutal; after being shot, her vehicle rolled down the street and crashed into parked cars. Her 12-year-old daughter was inside their home at the time of the shooting.
The investigation into her death was described as complex and extensive, involving local law enforcement, the Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office, and the FBI. For months, the case remained unsolved, causing concern within the community and among Dwumfour's family. Investigators pieced together evidence that included surveillance footage of the suspect fleeing the scene, witness descriptions, and cell phone records.
A key piece of evidence was the discovery of the suspect's contact information saved in Dwumfour's phone under the acronym 'FCF,' which was believed to stand for Fire Congress Fellowship, a church she had been previously affiliated with.
This trail of evidence led authorities to Rashid Ali Bynum, a 28-year-old man from Portsmouth, Virginia. He was arrested in Chesapeake City, Virginia, on May 30, 2023, and charged with first-degree murder and weapons offenses. Investigators determined that Bynum knew Dwumfour through the church, and that she had once served as his pastor. On the day of the murder, Bynum had searched for information online about Dwumfour's church and for magazines compatible with a specific handgun. Cell phone and E-ZPass records tracked his journey from Virginia to New Jersey and his immediate return after the killing.
Bynum was extradited to New Jersey to face the charges. Although a motive for the murder was not publicly disclosed by prosecutors, the evidence presented during legal proceedings was substantial. In June 2025, a jury convicted Rashid Ali Bynum of the murder of Eunice Dwumfour. Subsequently, in August 2025, he was sentenced to life in prison for the targeted killing that cut short the life of the rising local politician.
