N.J. councilwoman found slain in SUV near home
SAYREVILLE, N.J. — A New Jersey borough councilwoman was found shot to death in an SUV outside of her home in a quiet townhouse complex, where police Thursday searched the area without making an arrest.
Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour, 30, was found around 7:20 p.m. Wednesday, according to the Middlesex County prosecutor’s office. She had been shot multiple times and died at the scene.
Dwumfour, a Republican, was elected to her first three-year term in 2021, when she ousted a Democratic incumbent. Colleagues recalled her as a soft-spoken, devout Christian who could maintain her composure in contentious situations.
“She was a 30-yearold woman. To have this happen in such a tragic way, I mean, our hearts are just broken and everybody wants an answer,” said Karen Bailey Bebert, the local GOP chairwoman who served as her campaign manager. “So we’re waiting with bated breath.”
Authorities have not made any arrests or said whether they believe the motive for the killing might be personal, political or a random act.
In a 2021 interview, Dwumfour described herself as a proud graduate of Newark public schools who earned a degree in women’s studies at William Patterson University while working part-time as an EMT.
She said she moved to Parlin, a section of Sayreville, after graduating “because of the tremendous public safety work the community does.” That interest fueled her run for council, where she served as a liaison to the police department now helping to investigate her death.
“She just wanted to make a better community for all our children,” Bebert said.
Dwumfour, who had a school-age child, announced at a fall council meeting that she had gotten married, Bebert said. She was active in her church in Newark, she said.