Sayreville, NJ, Mayor Invokes Slain Councilwoman to Create Calm

SAYREVILLE – The Borough Council met for the first time Monday night since the shooting that took the life of member Eunice Dwumfour with her memory looming large.

A red rose was placed at her position at the dais and a moment of silence was held to open the meeting.

"Here in Sayreville we were truly blessed for only a short amount of time to have gotten to know Councilwoman Dwumfour," Mayor Victoria Kilpatrick said. "Let's try and take the best from these council meetings as Eunice served and she continues to serve because I believe that even though she is not here we have learned so much from her."

Kilpatrick said as long as she is alive she will make sure that Dwumfour's legacy and message lives on.

As the meeting continued and a dispute led to raised voices, interruptions and a banged gavel, Kilpatrick paused and invoked Dwumfour's memory.

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"I was really hoping this was not what was going to befall our first meeting as continue to mourn the loss of a councilwoman who sat to serve the best interest of our town," Kilpatrick said.

During the public comment, a resident brought up his frustrations at a lack of information from Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccione, who has not held a press briefing about Dwumfour's case.

"I am trying to hold the faith there's a reason why there's silence. I hope that it means they don't want to compromise the investigation. I'm hoping it means that they're working on something behind the scenes that will bring her murderer to justice," Kilpatrick said. "Maybe I'm just too eager to find out what happened to my friend."

911 calls confirm details reported so far

The Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Monday released nine 911 calls from the night Dwumfour was shot while sitting inside her SUV parked in front of her Sayreville home.

The calls confirm much about what has already been reported about her vehicle rolling into a parked car after shots were fired and a person dressed in all black running away.

One caller reported hearing eight gunshots and another reported seeing a white SUV leave the scene.

Even with the release of the calls Ciccione remained silent about the investigation.