Chris Christie to Obama: Tell Cuba to give back fugitive cop killer

On the heels of President Obama’s recent trip to Cuba, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has renewed his call to have the island nation return convicted New Jersey fugitive Joanne Chesimard.

The president should use his influence to secure the return of Chesimard, who was convicted in 1977 of the murder of New Jersey state trooper Werner Foerster, Christie wrote on Wednesday in an opinion piece for the Record.

“By our own democratic principles, Chesimard should not be free and must be returned home,” Christie wrote.

Chesimard, sentenced to life in prison, managed to escape prison in New Jersey and flee to Cuba, where Fidel Castro gave her asylum, the Associated Press stated in an article reported by the Washington Times. She has been living there ever since under the name Assata Shakur.

Describing the Obama administration’s newly restored diplomatic ties with Cuba, Christie wrote in the Record, “I consider it an affront to every resident of our state, country, and in particular, the men and women of the New Jersey State Police, who have tirelessly tried to bring this killer back to justice.”

Obama’s recent trip to Cuba was the first by a sitting US president in 88 years, the AP reported in the Washington Times.