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Cuban authorities announced on Friday that Joanne Chesimard, known for being convicted of slaying a New Jersey state trooper, has died in Havana after many years on the run following her escape from prison to Cuba.
The Cuban government confirmed that Chesimard, also known as Assata Olugbala Shakur and born JoAnne Deborah Byron, passed away after receiving asylum in Cuba for an extended period.
“On September 25, 2025, American citizen Joanne Deborah Byron, ‘Assata Shakur,’ passed away in Havana, Cuba, due to health conditions and advanced age,” read the official statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
A photo captures New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster, who was slain by Joanne Chesimard, pictured in West Trenton, N.J. After escaping from prison in 1979, Chesimard fled to Cuba, adopting the name Assata Shakur. (The Associated Press)
Shakur was never apprehended following her 1979 prison escape.
On May 2, 2019, marking the 46th anniversary of the death of Trooper Werner Foerster, New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal described Shakur as “a domestic terrorist and nothing more.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to the FBI and State Department for comment.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has heavily criticized the Cuban regime for its refusal to hand over Chesimard to U.S. authorities.
Grewal emphasized in a statement to Fox News, “The Cuban regime continues to provide a safe haven for terrorists and criminals, including fugitives from the United States.”
During his first term, President Donald Trump called on Cuba to cough up Chesimard and other American fugitives living on the island.
Joanne Chesimard seen pictured in an FBI Wanted poster (FBI)
“Return the fugitives from American justice, including the return of the cop-killer Joanne Chesimard,” Trump declared in 2017. Now the Trump administration is taking tougher measures against Cuba that could eventually result in the fugitives being back on U.S. soil. In January, the administration slapped new sanctions on the Cuban regime, and it is considering tougher actions.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
