Joanne Chesimard Added to Most Wanted Terrorists List

On the 40th anniversary of the cold-blooded murder of a New Jersey state trooper, the fugitive convicted of the killing, Joanne Chesimard, has been named a Most Wanted Terrorist by the FBI—the first woman ever to make the Bureau's list of top terrorists.

Video Transcript

Mollie Halpern: The FBI is offering a reward of up to $1 million for information directly leading to the arrest of a Most Wanted Terrorist.

I’m Mollie Halpern of the Bureau, and this is Wanted by the FBI.

Joanne Deborah Chesimard, also known as Assata Shakur, is the latest addition to the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorists List. This comes on the 40th anniversary of the murder of one of Chesimard’s victims, a New Jersey State Police Trooper. Werner Foerster and his partner pulled over Chesimard and her two accomplices for a motor vehicle violation. Lt. Michael Rinaldi of the FBI’s Newark Joint Terrorism Task Force…

Michael Rinaldi: He was executed after being shot with two bullets from his duty weapon, which was ripped from his holster.

Halpern: Chesimard was a prominent member of the Black Liberation Army. BLA was responsible for the killing and wounding of more than a dozen law enforcement officers.

Rinaldi: Chesimard continues to profess her radical anti-U.S. government ideology.

Halpern: Chesimard was convicted of murder, but escaped from prison in 1979.

Rinaldi: Her escape only increased our resolve to bring her back to finish her prison term.