Mother of slain Sayreville councilwoman throws water bottle in court at accused murderer; suspect pleads not guilty
Family attorney John Wisniewski will represent Mary Dwumfour, the councilwoman’s mother, at a municipal hearing to try and get charges dropped.
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Rashid Ali Bynum, 28, the man accused of killing Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour earlier this year pleaded not guilty at his first court appearance in New Jersey on Monday.
Mary Dwumfour, the councilwoman’s mother, was handcuffed by officers and charged with disorderly conduct following an outburst toward Bynum in the courtroom. She threw a water bottle at the accused killer and was then released on a summons.
Family attorney John Wisniewski will represent Dwumfour at a municipal hearing to try and get charges dropped. He said the judge threatened to bar her from the courtroom if she had an outburst in the future.
“The entire family is very emotional. This is the first time they've been in close proximity to the person who's been accused of taking their daughters' life. Very traumatic very upsetting,” said Wisniewski.
RELATED: Grand jury indicts man accused of killing Sayreville Council Member Eunice Dwumfour
Defense attorney Thomas Ashley claimed there has been “no eyewitness identification” of Bynum as Dwumfour’s shooter and calls the murder cases against Bynum a “circumstantial evidence case."
“This is highly circumstantial and doesn't really prove that this defendant beyond a reasonable doubt shot anyone at any time,” said Ashley. “To suggest that the dark figure quote-unquote, was in fact Mr. Bynum, is a Lambeau Leap to say the least.”
The judge went on to rebuff Ashley's attempts to get the case delayed, saying that the prosecution's case was strong and compelling. Monday’s hearing was delayed partly because Bynum fought his extradition from Virginia for two months. His next court date is scheduled for October.
Bynum was indicted earlier this month by a Middlesex County grand jury on multiple charges, including first-degree murder, in the Feb. 1 killing of the Republican councilwoman.
Prosecutors said police ballistics tests matched the Glock handgun found in a fanny pack owned by Bynum to the 14 bullets fired at Dwumfour as she sat in her car.
