On Friday, May 2nd in 1973, New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster approached a car that had been pulled over by police for a broken taillight on the New Jersey Turnpike.

Inside were three armed members of the radical Black Liberation Army.

Gunfire erupted, and in the shoot-out, Officer Foerster was hit four times and killed. Now, decades later, the officer’s cold-blooded execution is spurring new calls for justice.

One of the militants in the car, Joanne Chesimard, has lived a life on the lam. In 1979, she escaped from a New Jersey prison and, in the decades since, she has been living freely in Cuba.

«She should be serving a life sentence,» says the current head of the state police, New Jersey State Police Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan

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«I want her yesterday, and I have Trooper Foerster’s handcuffs ready to go on her when she lands on that tarmac, wherever she is.»

There are new calls to extradite her and the estimated 70 fugitives from U.S. justice, including convicted murderers, airline hijackers and others who continue to enjoy safe haven in Cuba.

President Donald Trump has called on the Cuban regime to cough up Chesimard and the others.

«Return the fugitives from American justice, including the return of the cop-killer Joanne Chesimard,» he declared in 2017.  Now the Trump administration is taking tougher measures against Cuba that could eventually result in the fugitives being back on U.S. soil. In January, the administration slapped new sanctions on the Cuban regime, and it is considering tougher actions.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is denouncing the Communist government’s protection of American criminals.

«The Cuban regime continues to provide safe haven for terrorists and criminals, including fugitives from the United States,» he said in a statement to Fox News.

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FBI wanted poster for Joanne Chesimard. (FBI)

«The brutal killing of New Jersey State Trooper Werner Foerster will never be forgotten, and we will never stop fighting for justice.»

President Obama normalized relations with the Cuban government in 2015, and while a few fugitives have been returned, terrorists were not among them. In 2018, James R. Ray, a lawyer wanted for murder in Montclair, New Jersey, was extradited by Cuba back to the state. He was convicted and died in jail while awaiting sentencing in 2023.

In his first term, President Trump scrapped the Obama agreements, and he has since put Cuba back on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism, which President Biden had removed.

«I understand it’s a sovereign nation and that there’s no extradition policy, but here’s somebody who has murdered a New Jersey State Trooper who lives free, and that just is painful for law enforcement, not only in New Jersey, but across the country,» says Colonel Callahan. «Anything that I can do to bring her back to serve out the rest of her sentence is what I’m going to do.»

Joanne Deborah Chesimard is pictured here in an undated photo. Chesimard was convicted of killing a New Jersey state trooper 40 years ago. She has been on the run since 1979, when she escaped from a prison, where she was serving a life term. (AP)

«It’s disgusting that some killer like this would be just roaming the streets in Cuba,» says Senator Rick Scott, R-Fla. «It makes you mad. It makes you mad that Cuba harbors these terrorists and these fugitives.»

Scott is sponsoring a Senate bill, «The Frank Connor and Trooper Werner Foerster Justice Act,» demanding the fugitives’ return. Rubio first introduced the legislation before he was named secretary of state.

Scott is calling for even stronger measures against the Communist nation.

«We have to make sure there’s no money that goes there. They’re clearly a state sponsor of terrorism,» Scott says.» Trump did the right thing by putting them back on.»

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Frank Connor was killed in the FALN bombing of Manhattan’s Fraunces Tavern in 1975. Courtesy Joe Connor.  (Joe Connor)

The bill is also named for another victim, Frank Connor. In 1975, Connor, a New York City banker, was having lunch in the historic Fraunces Tavern when a bomb exploded, killing him and three others, and wounding more than 50 people. The device had been planted by the Puerto Rican terrorist group «Armed Forces for National Liberation» (FALN), which was responsible for a wave of terrorist bombings in New York City in the 1970s.

The FALN’s chief bombmaker, Willie Morales, also escaped a U.S. prison to find safety in Fidel Castro’s Cuba.

«We have convicted terrorists who we do have the power to get back,» says Connor’s son, Joe, who has been in the forefront of the push to return the fugitives. He says President Trump can achieve that.

«Trump absolutely can use economic power,» he says. «We have these convicted terrorists 90 miles from home, we have the economic leverage on Cuba to bring them back. Cut the deal, bring these guys back, and then we will talk about how we are going to assist Cuba in the future.»

Four people were killed, and more than 50 were injured, after a bomb exploded in Fraunces Tavern, in New York City. The FALN, a Puerto Rican nationalist group, claimed responsibility. (New York Daily News via Getty Images)

«It would really mean something, that there is justice for my dad.»

In January, Secretary of State Rubio honored Connor and the other Fraunces Tavern victims on the anniversary of the FALN attack.

«We must also recommit ourselves to demanding that wanted U.S. fugitives under the Cuban regime’s protection be brought to justice. We owe the victims and the American people our unwavering commitment to holding the Cuban regime accountable.»

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy marked the anniversary of Foerster’s murder by saying, «As we honor his memory, our commitment to justice has never wavered. More than half a century later, we continue to pursue his murderer’s repatriation to New Jersey to face the consequences of her actions.»

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Colonel Callahan notes that in its 104-year history, the state police force has lost 78 troopers in the line of duty, but that Foerster’s death and Chesimard’s freedom remain «an open wound.»

«There’s not a day that goes by that I’m not trying to do something about bringing her back here,» he says.

 Fox News Producer Maria Paronich contributed to this story.

The reelection campaign of Governor Katie Hobbs, D-Ariz., has tapped someone with a penchant for slamming white people, despite being white himself. 

Hobbs, a vocal progressive and anti-Trump leader, brought Michael Beyer on as her 2026 reelection campaign communications director in April despite his history of going after people because they are white, and not just Republicans either.

A look through Beyer’s X account shows the staffer levying criticism on social media as early as 2014 against a range of demographics, all with one thing in common – they’re white.  

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Beyer has accused the «religious right» of being united through «a belief in white supremacy,» blasted self-professed democratic socialist Bernie Sanders’ voters for having «white entitlement» and accused Taylor Swift and other «white people» of «romanticizing the conquest of Africa.»

Beyer has also espoused anti-gay rhetoric targeted at gay white Republicans, positing in a social media post about the leader of one of the longest-standing pro-gay GOP nonprofits in the country that it was «unclear» whether he was «just a bunch of twinks standing on top of each other hiding in a trench coat.» In another post, Beyer complained there were too many «white men» in a 1980’s news segment about HIV, while in another Beyer suggested «white suburban voters» in Louisiana «had taken over» the local newspaper.

Sen. Bernie Sanders and pop star Taylor Swift have been among the targets of Beyer’s offensive X posts. (GETTY IMAGES/FOX NEWS)

The Arizona governor’s recent hire is just the latest in a series of tumultuous staffing issues Hobbs has faced as governor. In 2022, it was reported that in just five months two-thirds of Hobbs’ gubernatorial campaign staff left, with several describing their work on the campaign as «emotionally abusive.» Meanwhile, Hobbs has also been forced to fire past employees over inflammatory social media posts.

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«White evangelicals are the only group that predominantly wants anti-gay discrimination, poll shows,» Beyer posted on then-Twitter in 2017, along with a link to a blog from Slate. «Once again, it is a belief in white supremacy that unites the Religious Right,» he added in his tweet. 

In addition to blaming religious conservatives for being racist, Beyer also said in 2015 that Republicans in general «thinks [sic] they only have to answer to white voters.» In a subsequent post, Beyer slammed Secretary of State Marco Rubio for only appealing to «whites» after allegedly «romanticizing U.S. colonialism.»

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is another of Beyer’s targets. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, Pool)

Turning to liberals, Beyer has also had choice words for white Bernie Sanders supporters, saying in a 2016 post on Twitter that they all have «white entitlement.» He suggested in another post around the same time that the only reason Sanders won New Hampshire during the 2016 election was because the state is «91% white.»

In 2015, Beyer went after Taylor Swift and other «white people» for «romanticizing» colonialism. «Only white people would be the people romanticizing the conquest of Africa,» Beyer said in a 2015 post, referring to Swift’s song «Wildest Dreams» that debuted around the same time. His post was in response to a separate tweet Beyer posted that included a link and title of a NPR op-ed with the headline: «Taylor Swift Is Dreaming Of A Very White Africa.»

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Despite Beyer’s numerous claims suggesting white people are racist, he contended in 2017 that «white people are very bad at identifying racism/racists.» 

Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs gives a brief speech prior to President Joe Biden’s remarks at the Tempe Center for the Arts on September 28, 2023 in Tempe, Arizona. Biden delivered remarks on protecting democracy, honoring the legacy of the late Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), and revealed funding for the McCain Library. (Rebecca Noble/Getty Images)

Fox News Digital reached out to the Hobbs campaign to question whether it would be reconsidering its decision to hire Beyer, but never received a response. 

Beyer himself did not respond when reached for comment, either. 

In addition to Beyer, Hobbs has a history of hiring other staffers who have made controversial remarks on social media. She has also had an issue with high turnover in her office.

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One of Hobbs’ former press secretaries was fired in 2023 after posting an image of a lady drawing two pistols from her hip, which included the caption «Us when we see transphobes.» The social media post came the same day a gender-confused individual opened fire at an elementary school in Nashville, after which some critics cited the person’s gender dysphoria as a possible catalyst for the horrific event. 

Hobbs’ office has also been impacted frequently by an unusually high turnover rate among her staff. In 2022, it was reported that two-thirds of Hobbs’ gubernatorial campaign staff left across a period of just five months, with some of the departing staff describing their work on the campaign as «emotionally abusive.»

The culture was apparently so bad, the staffers said, they had to upend their lives mid-election to seek employment elsewhere. 

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Hobbs has lost staffers in the middle of ongoing legislative sessions, and, in 2023, Hobbs’ legislative director resigned just hours before the release of the state’s budget.

At least one of Hobbs’ staffers went from their job on her campaign to another job with Arizona politics.

En una en las afueras de la ciudad española de Oviedo, la vida de tres nenes se convirtió en una pesadilla. Christian Steffen, un hombre que se presentaba como “cazatalentos” y gestor de recursos humanos “independiente”, impuso un régimen de terror a sus hijos. Estaban encerrados, los obligaban a usar pañales y dormir en cunas y vivían rodeados de basura.

Según el medio El Español, Steffen es un doctor en Filosofía alemán de 53 años nacido en Hamburgo, que se ganaba la vida trabajando como freelance de recursos humanos, con bagaje profesional en una startup de software y en sectores como la industria farmacéutica y las ciencias biológicas.

Leé también: Leé también: Rescataron a tres hermanos que estuvieron encerrados por años: los obligaban a dormir en cunas y usar pañales

Su esposa, identificada como Melissa Ann Steffen, de 48 años, es también alemana, aunque nacida en Estados Unidos y con raíces mexicanas.

Una mudanza en medio de la pandemia

La familia llegó a Oviedo desde Alemania en octubre de 2021, en medio de la pandemia de coronavirus.

Según los investigadores, Christian controlaba cada aspecto de la vida de sus hijos, dos gemelos de 8 años y un nene de 10. “Daba la impresión de que todo lo dirigía el padre”, señalaron fuentes de la investigación.

Él era el único que podía salir de la vivienda, para hacer las compras o recibir los encargos. Los chicos tenían horarios estrictos para todo, incluso para ir al baño.

“Los menores tenían un horario para ir al aseo y un número máximo de veces al día porque el resto del tiempo debían llevar pañales», indicaron los investigadores. Tal restricción les provocó a los gemelos y a su hermano mayor que les detectaran “un estreñimiento severo” y presencia de “heces en los intestinos” cuando los examinaron en el hospital tras el rescate.

Aparentemente, Christian “también era el encargado de cocinar porque en el armario de la cocina había un cartel con un mensaje en inglés que la madre le dirigió al padre: ‘Si tú te frustras con los niños, te frustras como padre. Prohibido gritar’»

Un entorno de control y la obsesión por el COVID-19

La casa, que alguna vez fue hogar del futbolista Markel Susaeta, se convirtió en una prisión. Los chicos vivían en un entorno controlado y obsesionado con la salud. “Había máquinas de ozono para purificar el aire y los niños llevaban mascarillas triples”, detallaron los investigadores.

“Los padres aseguraban que sus hijos no sabían controlar sus esfínteres, pero se ha demostrado que eso es falso en el informe del pediatra”, indicaron. Tampoco sufrían las “graves cardiopatías” a las que aludieron los padres. “Estaban obsesionados con que sus hijos tenían patologías graves y se iban a morir por la pandemia», deslizaron las fuentes a El Español.

El consumo de agua en la casa era desproporcionado, pero no para tomarla, sino posiblemente para ducharse compulsivamente.“Gastaban tres veces más de lo habitual en una familia convencional, hasta el punto de que la dueña de la casa llegó a pensar que tenía una avería en la red de abastecimiento”, dijeron.

“Solo bebían agua embotellada” y la casa estaba llena de bidones vacíos, mientras que el baño de invitados se usaba como vertedero de pañales.

Según los investigadores, todas las persianas de la casa estaban cerradas, excepto las de las dos habitaciones de los nenes “que podían estar abiertas exactamente hasta la mitad de la ventana”. Pero Christian había decretado un toque de queda: «A las cinco y diez de la tarde, todos los días, los niños debían bajar las persianas de sus cuartos“.

Monstruos en las cunas

A los chicos los obligaban a dormir en cunas y los dibujos de monstruos que los agentes encontraron allí dan cuenta del horror que atravesaron los nenes.

“Los niños estaban fatal, era una cosa absolutamente indignante. No malnutridos, porque alimentados sí estaban. Pero también sucios, y secuestrados, separados de la realidad completamente, y no sólo por no ir al colegio: cuando los sacamos de la casa, en el jardín, al que ni siquiera salían, vieron un caracol y se volvieron locos, fliparon”, contó un policía en un informe al que tuvo acceso el diario El Mundo.

Leé también: Los terroríficos dibujos en las cunas de los nenes encerrados durante cuatro años en la “casa del horror”

Educación en casa y el aislamiento

Christian que también tiene un título en Pedagogía, convirtió una habitación en un aula improvisada, con una mesa, tres sillas. Los niños no asistían a la escuela y no tenían acceso a internet ni a dispositivos electrónicos. “Todo era analógico: juegos de mesa, cómics, muñecos de Playmobil”, describieron las autoridades.

“Era como una sala de estudios porque los niños sabían leer, escribir, se expresaban bien, el idioma con el que se comunicaban en casa era el inglés, incluso el hermano mayor dominaba palabras en castellano”, afirmaron.

Según los investigadores, el temor al contagio puede ser una de las claves del caso. “Parece que después del confinamiento por la pandemia de coronavirus, cuando se recuperaron las clases presenciales, el matrimonio pidió al colegio que sus hijos siguieran formándose en casa, sin acudir al aula, incluso que ellos mismos le impartiesen las asignaturas», indicaron. El centro les respondió que informarían a los servicios sociales si sacaban del sistema educativo alemán a los menores. Eso, creen los investigadores, pudo haber sido el detonante de su mudanza a la “casa de los horrores”.

La situación llegó a su fin gracias a la denuncia de una vecina, que notó algo extraño en la casa. La Policía de Oviedo intervino y liberó a los nenes, poniendo fin a su calvario.

Nadie en el barrio los había visto jamás. “No sabíamos ni que la casa estaba habitada”, resumió una vecina. “Nunca les vimos o escuchamos. Ni con niños ni sin ellos”, agregó.

El Juzgado de Instrucción número 3 de Oviedo, junto al Ministerio Fiscal, decretó prisión preventiva sin fianza para los padres.

El Juzgado de Instrucción número 3 de Oviedo, junto al Ministerio Fiscal, decretó prisión preventiva sin fianza para los padres, acusado de maltratos, abandono y detención ilegal. Además, les sacaron la patria potestad y la custodia de los menores, ahora bajo el cuidado del Principado de Asturias.

Ahora, los niños serán evaluados psicológicamente para determinar el impacto de este encierro en su salud mental.