JoAnne Chesimard leaves Riker's prison in New York to await trail in the murder of state trooper Werner Foerster, Jan. 29, 1976. (Photo: ABC News)
September 26, 2025
Assata Shakur, a member of the Black Liberation Army (BLA) who was convicted in the 1973 killing of a New Jersey state trooper, has died in Cuba at age 78.
Shakur, also known as Joanne Chesimard, was convicted of first-degree murder in the death of Trooper Werner Foerster during a 1973 shootout on the New Jersey Turnpike.
In 1979, two years into a life sentence, Shakur was broken out of a New Jersey prison with the help of other BLA members and fled to Cuba, where she was granted asylum by then-President Fidel Castro, according to ABC News.
Her presence there became a longstanding point of contention between Havana and Washington.
She garnered a permanent spot on the New Jersey state police’s most wanted list and later as the first woman on the FBI’s most wanted terrorists.
According to the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she died in Havana from health complications and advanced age.
Shakur’s life story, which included activism against sexism and racism prior to her conviction, made her a controversial figure. She was condemned by law enforcement but celebrated by some activist groups.