Joanne Chesimard’s death reminds New Jersey that a Phil Murphy appointed judge let her accomplice out of jail

TRENTON, NJ – The death of fugitive Joanne Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, is stirring renewed focus on one of New Jersey’s darkest chapters — the 1973 murder of State Trooper Werner Foerster — and the lingering sense that justice was never fully delivered.

Chesimard, a convicted killer and member of the Black Liberation Army, was serving a life sentence when she escaped from a New Jersey prison in 1979 and fled to Cuba, where she lived in exile for decades. Her death, confirmed this week, closes the chapter on her life but leaves open wounds for law enforcement and Foerster’s family.

Political leaders respond

Former gubernatorial candidate Jack Ciattarelli said Chesimard’s death was “a reminder of the lasting tragedy that justice was never served,” while Gov. Phil Murphy issued