Trooper Executed By Female Militant

On May 2, 1973, New Jersey State Police Troopers James Harper and Werner Foerster were patrolling the New Jersey Turnpike in the East Brunswick area. They stopped a car with three occupants and began to question them. The female passenger, JoAnne Chesimard, was a member of the Black Liberation Army. She suddenly pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and opened fire. Trooper Foerster was struck twice in the chest and Trooper Harper was hit in the shoulder. Chesimard then picked up Trooper Foerster's service weapon and shot him twice in the head, execution style, while he lay in the road.

Killer Escapes

Chesimard was quickly captured, convicted and sentenced to life plus 26 to 33 years in prison -- authorities wanted to make sure this dangerous woman would never roam the streets again. But despite their best efforts, Chesimard wasn't going to let the law stop her. On November 2, 1979, Chesimard escaped from prison with the help of a domestic terrorist group.  In the early 1980's, she resurfaced in Cuba under the protection of Cuban Premier Fidel Castro.

The Fight For Justice Continues

Two generations of New Jersey State Police detectives have been assigned to the fugitive investigation since Chesimard's escape. Authorities refuse to let Chesimard go without a fight -- Chesimard has now been placed on all of the terrorist watch lists and there is a $1 million reward for information leading to her arrest. Authorities hope the reward will destabilize Chesimard's sense of security inside Cuba and lead to her capture, and subsequently, her return to New Jersey.