A man accused of fatally shooting a New Jersey councilman was pictured yawning as he pleaded not guilty to Monday’s brutal murder.
Rashid Ali Bynum, 29, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Eunice Dwumfour, 30, who was gunned down in her car outside her home in Sayreville in February.
Images obtained by DailyMail.com show a careless Bynum at the Middlesex County Courthouse making faces as the charges against him are read.
He seemed to grin as he peered behind his hair whenever the weapon used in the murder was mentioned.
Bynum was arrested in Virginia in May after police tracked him down with phone records showing he had ties to the Newark Chapter of the Nigeria-based Champions Royal Assembly Church, where Dwumfour worked.
Rashid Ali Bynum yawns Monday as he pleaded not guilty to the murder of New Jersey councilman Eunice Dwumfour
Dwumfour, 30, was shot in February in her car outside her home
He seemed to grin every time the weapon used in the murder was mentioned
Prosecutors say Dwumfour knew Bynum from her time as a minister at the church.
They say cell phone records show he was traveling from Virginia to New Jersey and then back to Virginia when the murder happened. Bynum’s rental car, which he paid for in cash, was also tracked through the E-ZPass.
In addition, investigators claim to have compared the weapon used in the murder to the one found in the suspect’s apartment.
It was revealed on Monday that Bynum was living with Dwumfour and her daughter at one point. However, he was sent back to Virginia after the church decided he was not following their beliefs.
Bynum will remain in prison until his next court appearance on October 30.
Judge Joseph Paone cited “overwhelming evidence” as the reason for holding him without bail.
He said: “Based on the aggregate of the circumstances, the heinous nature of the crime and the weight of the evidence, this court finds that the defendant has failed to rebut the presumption of detention with the evidence necessary to show that he is not guilty of detention. a danger to the community, a risk of obstructing the criminal justice process and a risk of not appearing in court.’
Bynum is said to have shot Dwumfour fourteen times.
Dwumfour, a Republican, ousted the incumbent Democrat in the Sayreville district in November 2021, with a shock election victory, and was not up for re-election until 2024.
Although Dwumfour was born in Newark and has relatives there, she lived as a single mother in Sayreville. She was recently married to a pastor who lives in Nigeria.
Prosecutors say Dwumfour knew Bynum from her days as a minister
Bynum was arrested in Virginia in May after police tracked him down using phone records
Eunice Dwumfour shares a special moment with her new husband Eze Kings at their wedding in Nigeria in November 2022
She was a Certified Business Analyst and Scrum Professional for Fire Congress Fellowship inc. and a part-time EMT.
Witnesses said they saw a white vehicle nearby at the time of the fatal shooting. Law enforcement officials said they located Bynum’s phone and car, a white Hyundai Elantra, using cell tower data.
In the early stages of the investigation, some neighbors told police they had seen Dwumfour on security footage talking to a man outside her car just before the shooting.
Dwumfour married Pastor Eze Kings, who lives in Nigeria, just before Thanksgiving and lived in the apartment with her 12-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
Photos from her wedding day show how happy the mother-of-one was, grinning next to her new husband.
Kings posted on Facebook about the loss of his bride after the shooting by wishing her a happy birthday beforehand.
“March 4th is your birthday, happy glorious birthday in Addy, my dear.”
‘Addy’ is Nigerian slang for the word ‘progress’.