Havana, Cuba — On September 25, 2025, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Joanne Deborah Byron — better known by her aliases Joanne Chesimard and Assata Shakur — died in Havana at the age of 78 due to health complications and the rigors of old age.

This news brings to a close a decades-long saga in which a convicted murderer escaped justice, was shielded by a hostile foreign regime, and became a symbol for radical causes.

A Fugitive’s Origin: From Violent Crime to Escape to Cuba

In 1977, Chesimard was convicted on multiple serious charges including first-degree murder, armed robbery, and other felonies after a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike that left State Trooper Werner Foerster dead.

She escaped prison in 1979, spent years underground, and resurfaced in 1984 under asylum in Cuba — a regime that refused U.S. extradition requests.

For decades, the United States and New Jersey authorities pushed Cuba to hand her over. She carried the dubious distinction of being the first woman ever placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists list, with a $1 million reward for her capture.

A Death Without Accountability

Her passing in Havana presents a bitter irony: after decades of immunity facilitated by a foreign government, she dies free — far from the prison cell where she was supposed to serve life in the U.S.

New Jersey officials immediately expressed outrage. They reiterated that justice was never fully served for Trooper Foerster’s family.

Cuba’s complicity in harboring Chesimard has long been roundly condemned by American leaders. Senator Marco Rubio recently denounced Havana for providing “a safe haven for terrorists and criminals, including fugitives from the United States.”

What She Represented — and What the U.S. Must Learn

For defenders of law and order, her story is a cautionary tale of diplomatic failure and ideological double standards.

• Rule of Law Must Be Absolute: A convicted cop killer escaping and living with impunity is a stain on the integrity of the justice system.
• Foreign Regimes Should Not Shield Criminals: Cuba’s refusal to extradite Chesimard fashioned her into a political symbol, rather than merely a criminal. That sets a dangerous precedent.
• Consistency in Foreign Policy Matters: If the U.S. does not forcefully demand accountability from regimes that shelter fugitives, it weakens its moral and strategic footing.

Now that she has died abroad, the question of bringing her remains home may arise. But more importantly, the memory of Trooper Foerster — his sacrifice and service — must remain central. And the mission remains: to hold foreign governments accountable when they interfere with American justice.