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Man accused of gunning down NJ councilmember set to stay in Virginia cell next month
By
Karen Yi
Published May 31, 2023
Modified May 31, 2023
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Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office
By
Karen Yi
Published May 31, 2023
Modified May 31, 2023
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The 29-year-old man arrested and accused of gunning down Sayreville councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour four months ago is being held in a Virginia jail until his extradition hearing nearly a month from now, according to court records.
Rashid Ali Bynum’s extradition hearing is set for June 29, court records show. He was arraigned Wednesday morning on a warrant of extradition for the New Jersey charges, and is held without bond pending extradition, according to the Commonwealth's Attorney Office in Chesapeake, Virginia. His public defender, Erik Mussoni, has not yet responded to a message left at his office on Wednesday.
Bynum, of Portsmouth, Virginia, was charged with first-degree murder as well as weapons offenses on Tuesday. The Middlesex County prosecutor's office said Bynum knew Dwumfour from a church they both attended, but has not detailed a motive in the killing.
Christian Onuoha, a Sayreville councilmember and fellow member of Dwumfour’s church, Champions Royal Assembly, said Bynum used to attend the associated Fire Congress Fellowship with his family, who introduced him to the congregation. Both Onuoha and Dwumfour were treasurers of Fire Congress Fellowship, according to tax records.
According to the prosecutor’s office, Bynum’s contact information was in Dwumfour’s phone as “FCF,” an apparent reference to the fellowship.
Onuoha said both he and Dwumfour knew Bynum from services and Bible study.
“He seemed very calm and quiet. He always expressed that he was blessed,” Onuoha said. “That he would drive six hours to do that, it’s hard to wrap my head around it right now.”
Prosecutors Tuesday said Bynum rented a white Hyundai Elantra and drove it from Virginia to New Jersey and back on Feb. 1, the day Dwumfour was shot several times inside her car outside her townhouse in the Parlin section of Sayreville.
Onuoha said Dwumfour had never mentioned feeling threatened by Bynum, and didn’t think she had seen him in more than five years.
“When he was consistently attending our services, [Bynum’s] parents liked seeing him associate with the younger people of the church. They always supported him spending more time with the church,” he said.
Chesapeake Police Officer Leo Kosinski said Bynum was arrested on Tuesday in a house in Chesapeake City without any injuries or property damages. He said it’s not clear if Bynum was living in the house.
Virginia and Maryland court records show Bynum has been arrested and charged several times since 2013 for incidents ranging from motor vehicle violations, speeding, disturbing the peace, credit card larceny and fleeing from law enforcement. Most cases were dismissed but Bynum was convicted in Virginia for a misdemeanor in 2013 for disturbing the peace, in 2014 on marijuana possession, and in 2015 for carrying a concealed weapon, a misdemeanor – and sentenced to three years probation.
Bynum was also convicted in 2019 in Maryland for carrying a handgun, court records show. Police said they discovered the handgun after a car he was riding in was pulled over for speeding, according to a report at the time from local CBS affiliate WBOC.
Tagged
public safety
new jersey
Politics
Karen Yi
Karen Yi covers homelessness and poverty. She joined the WNYC and Gothamist newsroom in 2020. Before that, Karen covered Newark for the Star-Ledger and spent almost a decade working for newspapers in New Jersey and Florida. She grew up in Miami and has a dog named Cashew. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-589-1460.
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