A Haitian man who unlawfully entered the United States is now facing the death penalty for the murder of a store clerk in Fort Myers, prosecutors have confirmed.
On Thursday, State Attorney Amira Fox disclosed that a grand jury in Lee County indicted 40-year-old Rolbert Joachin. The indictment relates to the murder of Nilufa Easmin, a 51-year-old Bangladeshi immigrant, which occurred at a gas station in Fort Myers, Florida, on April 2.
Prosecutors allege that Joachin assaulted the victim outside the gas station, repeatedly hitting her in the head with a hammer, ultimately resulting in her death.
The brutal attack was caught on surveillance cameras, showing the victim being struck multiple times in the head after she confronted Joachin about vandalizing her car window. Authorities have described the footage as “extremely brutal and incredibly violent.”
Following the attack, Joachin fled, triggering an extensive search throughout the city. Fort Myers police eventually located and apprehended him.
State Attorney Fox commented on the case, saying, “This crime was so violent and extreme that it leaves a lasting impression. I extend my gratitude to the Lee County Grand Jury for their attention to the harrowing evidence presented. This defendant entered the U.S. illegally and tragically took the life of a mother who was simply working to support her family.”
“He will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We will seek the death penalty in this case,” Fox said.
President Donald Trump condemned the violent video, and blasted the Biden administration for releasing the suspect in 2022.
“An Illegal Alien Criminal from Haiti, who was released into our Country by the WORST President in History, Crooked Joe Biden, and the Radical Democrats in Congress, just beat an innocent woman to death with a hammer at a gas station in Florida,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post. “The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see.
“This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies, and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL,” he added.
Joachim first entered the US in August 2022, and was released into the country under former President Joe Biden, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A federal judge later issued a final order of removal against Joachim, but he was granted Temporary Protected Status, which Trump has described as “a massively abused and fraudulent program.”
He has also blamed what he called “radical liberal district court judges” for blocking efforts by his administration to end it.
While a federal judge issued a final order of removal against him, Joachim was reportedly granted Temporary Protected Status, a program Trump called “massively abused and fraudulent” and difficult to eliminate due to Democratic support.
The suspect then remained in the country after his status expired in 2024.
Fox News’ Alexandra Koch and Bill Melugin contributed to this report.
