Florida Prosecutors Seek Death Penalty Against Haitian Migrant Accused Of Brutal Hammer Killing At Gas Station

Florida prosecutors have announced they will seek the death penalty against Rolbert Joachin, a 40-year-old Haitian national accused of carrying out a horrifying hammer attack that left a beloved gas station clerk dead in broad daylight.

The case has rapidly become one of the most politically explosive criminal investigations in the country, fueling heated national debate over immigration enforcement, Temporary Protected Status programs, and public safety.

State Attorney Amira Fox confirmed Thursday that a Lee County grand jury had indicted Joachin on a charge of First-Degree Premeditated Murder in the d3ath of 51-year-old Nilufa Easmin, a Bangladeshi immigrant and mother of three who was working at a Chevron gas station in Fort Myers when the attack unfolded.

According to prosecutors, the violence erupted during the morning hours of April 2, 2026, at the Chevron station located on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Investigators say surveillance cameras captured the entire incident in disturbing detail.

Authorities allege Joachin first smashed the windshield of Easmin’s vehicle in the parking lot. When the clerk stepped outside to confront him, prosecutors say he suddenly charged at her armed with a hammer.

Court documents claim the first blow knocked Easmin to the ground before the suspect repeatedly struck her in the head with what prosecutors described as extreme force.

Officials said the attack was so violent that members of the grand jury were visibly shaken while reviewing the footage.

“This crime was so violent, so extreme, so unwarranted. It is something that once seen, is never to be forgotten,” State Attorney Amira Fox said during a press conference announcing the death penalty decision.

“He will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We will seek the death penalty in this case.”

The brutal killing immediately drew national attention after details emerged about Joachin’s immigration history.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Joachin illegally entered the United States in August 2022. Federal records reportedly show an immigration judge later issued a final removal order against him that same year.

Despite the order, Joachin was allegedly released into the country under Temporary Protected Status, commonly known as TPS.

Officials say that protection expired in 2024, but he remained living in the Fort Myers area.

Following his arrest, Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed a detainer on Joachin, meaning federal authorities intend to deport him after the criminal proceedings conclude.

The case quickly became a political flashpoint after President Donald Trump publicly reacted to the killing on Truth Social, where he shared surveillance footage from the attack and sharply criticized previous immigration policies.

“An Illegal Alien Criminal from Haiti… just beat an innocent woman to death with a hammer,” Trump wrote.

“This one killing should be enough for these Radical Judges to STOP impeding my Administration’s Immigration Policies and allow us to END THIS SCAM ONCE AND FOR ALL.”

The comments triggered fierce reactions online, with supporters arguing the case highlighted failures within the immigration system, while immigrant advocacy groups warned against using the actions of one suspect to stigmatize entire communities.

The Haitian Bridge Alliance condemned the killing but urged public officials not to “weaponize” the tragedy against Haitian migrants broadly.

Meanwhile, family members and friends of Nilufa Easmin — known affectionately by customers as “Yasmin” — say the focus should remain on the life that was stolen.

Community members described Easmin as hardworking, kind, and deeply devoted to her children. Friends say she immigrated to the United States seeking better opportunities for her family and became a familiar face to regular customers at the gas station where she worked.

“She came here for the American Dream, and it turned into a nightmare at the hands of someone who shouldn’t have been here,” one mourner reportedly said during a recent vigil held in her honor.

Joachin remains jailed without bond in Lee County.

In addition to the first-degree murder charge, prosecutors have also filed criminal mischief charges connected to the destruction of Easmin’s vehicle.

Under Florida law, prosecutors must secure a unanimous jury recommendation in order for the death penalty to be imposed.

Officials say they plan to argue the attack was especially “heinous, atrocious, and cruel” — one of the legal standards required for capital punishment in Florida.

As the Fort Myers community prepares for what is expected to become a highly watched murder trial, the case continues to ignite fierce debate nationwide over crime, immigration policy, and the failures critics say allowed a violent suspect to remain in the country despite an existing deportation order.