A man who once lived under the same roof as his victim will now spend the rest of his life behind bars for her cold-blooded execution.
Rashid Ali Bynum, 31, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was sentenced Monday to life in prison for the 2023 murder of Eunice Dwumfour, a New Jersey pastor and councilwoman, according to the Associated Press.
The sentencing took place in a New Brunswick courtroom packed with grieving family and friends of Dwumfour, who was just 30 years old when she was ambushed and shot to death.
Bynum’s attorney, Michael Ashley, told reporters that an appeal is in the works, saying they plan to challenge both the murder and weapons convictions.
Dwumfour was sitting in her car on February 1, 2023, when she was attacked outside her home in Sayreville, New Jersey. Prosecutors said Bynum shot her 14 times, execution-style, as she returned to the apartment complex where she lived and served her community as a town council member.
Dwumfour was not only an elected official — she was a prominent figure in her church, Champions Royal Assembly, with deep ties to Nigeria. Just weeks before her murder, she had married a fellow pastor in Abuja.
Authorities painted a complex and chilling backstory during trial. Bynum had reportedly been recruited into the church by Dwumfour when they lived in Virginia, where she also brought him into her Bible study group, Fire Congress Fellowship.
According to prosecutors, Bynum later moved to Sayreville and lived with Dwumfour and her child for a period of time.
Eventually, that relationship unraveled. “Bynum returned to Virginia after his relationship with the church soured,” prosecutors revealed. Then, in a stunning twist, he returned — and committed the murder.
Despite the month-long trial and conviction, a clear motive remains elusive. Prosecutors have not yet explained why Bynum targeted the woman who once welcomed him into her life, her home, and her faith.
The jury found Bynum guilty in June, and now, with the sentencing complete, his fate is sealed — life in prison. But the trauma lingers for a family and community left devastated by a shocking act of betrayal and violence.
