A man who was once connected to a church fellowship group was sentenced to life in prison Monday for the 2023 shooting death of a New Jersey councilwoman and pastor outside her home.

According to The Christian Post, Rashid Ali Bynum was convicted in June of killing Eunice Dwumfour, a 30-year-old community leader and pastor, and was sentenced this week by a New Jersey judge to life in prison without a clear motive established.

Dwumfour was shot multiple times while sitting in her car on the evening of Feb. 1, 2023, near her townhome in Sayreville, New Jersey. Minutes earlier, she had just returned home. Her then 11-year-old daughter was inside the home and heard the gunfire echo outside.

Bynum, who had driven from Virginia just days earlier, was convicted of carrying out an ambush-style attack after lying in wait for hours in the dark. Authorities say he carefully planned the murder for nearly a week before executing it.

The sentencing was handed down on Aug. 18, 2025, in a courtroom in New Brunswick. New Jersey Superior Court Judge Joseph Paone presided over the proceedings, delivering the maximum penalty.

Victim Was a Mother, a Council Member, and a Pastor

At the time of her death, Dwumfour held multiple roles in society. She served as a councilwoman in Sayreville, was a devoted pastor, and had recently married a fellow pastor named King, based in Nigeria. She was also raising her young daughter.

Dwumfour worked with the Champions Royal Assembly megachurch, which operates internationally from Nigeria. She also held an officer position in a spiritual organization called Fire Congress Fellowship, which aims to spread Christian teachings.

Prosecutors revealed that Bynum had previously lived with Dwumfour in New Jersey, where she reportedly invited him to join her Bible study group. Their relationship soured after she asked him to leave the residence for not following household rules.

Calculated Killing Leads to Conviction

Officials said Bynum prepared his plan five days before carrying it out. He drove from Virginia to New Jersey and waited alone for Dwumfour outside her residence. Prosecutors described the act as deliberate and premeditated.

“He was in the dark all alone, waiting for the perfect moment,” said Deputy First Assistant Prosecutor Tzvi Dolinger during the trial. The phrase emphasized what prosecutors saw as clear intent, rejecting the claim that Bynum was not mentally aware.

Although Bynum’s defense attorney, Michael Ashley, argued his client was mentally incompetent when the crime happened, the court sided with prosecutors who pointed to the organized manner of the act as proof of calculated behavior.

Family Grieves and Speaks Out During Sentencing

During the sentencing hearing, heartbreaking statements were read on behalf of Dwumfour’s daughter, who directly addressed her mother’s killer. “Why did you kill my mom? I am struggling to know why,” she wrote in a letter read aloud by Assistant Prosecutor Kristen Pridgen.

Dwumfour's sister, Priscilla, also confronted Bynum in court, expressing deep anger and disbelief. “Your mother should be disgraced that she brought you into this world,” she said in one of the hearing’s most emotional moments. “She needs to take you out of it.”

Her husband, Eze King, remembered Eunice as someone who tried to help others spiritually. “Eunice tried to bring him into the church,” he said. “I don’t see that’s a bad thing for somebody to be led to Christ.”

Additional Charges and Lingering Questions

In addition to the life sentence for murder, Bynum received a concurrent 10-year sentence for two weapons charges. These sentences will run concurrently, meaning Bynum is expected to spend the rest of his life incarcerated.

One lingering question remains unsolved: the motive behind the killing. Prosecutors have not publicly offered a definitive explanation for why Bynum targeted Dwumfour, despite their previous acquaintance and shared involvement in religious activities.

Bynum had been listed as a contact in the victim’s phone under a term connected with the Fire Congress Fellowship organization. Authorities did not clarify whether the killing was related to this affiliation.

From Fellowship to Fatal Violence

What began as a spiritual outreach eventually turned violent, underscoring a tragic shift in Bynum’s connection to the faith-based group. Prosecutors painted a grim picture of a man who turned on the very person who had tried to help him find religious direction.

The murder shocked the Sayreville community, where Dwumfour had built a strong reputation not only as an elected official, but also as a spiritual guide and active mother. Her death left a deep void in the constituents she served and the global congregation she supported.

As of now, investigators have not indicated whether they will seek to uncover additional evidence regarding Bynum’s motive. His conviction and sentencing close one chapter, but questions about what led him to carry out the crime persist.