State Attorney Amira Fox convened this term’s Lee County Grand Jury and they have returned a First Degree Murder indictment against Rolbert Joachin for the extremely brutal and incredibly violent murder of a 51-year-old woman in Fort Myers, on the morning of April 2, 2026.
The defendant attacked the victim, an innocent mother, at her workplace, repeatedly hitting her in the head with a hammer, bludgeoning her to death.
The store surveillance video shows what happened in this case. Many of you have seen it already. President Trump posted it on his Truth Social page. The video dramatically demonstrates the violence and havoc that a person who enters this country unlawfully can wreak. It shows the defendant smashing the victim’s car windshield outside of the store. You can see the victim inside of the store near the door and then exiting the store.
As soon as she came out of the door, the defendant rushed towards her with the hammer raised. He struck her at full force in the head. She fell to the ground after the first impact from the weapon and the defendant continued his attack, with repeated hammer blows to her head. He left her laying on the ground with her head beaten and bloodied.
The defendant, a Haitian illegal alien, fled the scene. A city-wide manhunt ensued. The Fort Myers Police Department, led by Chief Jason Fields, located and apprehended the defendant and did a tremendous job investigating the case.
“This crime was so violent, so extreme, so unwarranted. It is something that once seen, is never to be forgotten. I want to thank the Lee County Grand Jury who watched and reviewed the gruesome evidence in this case and gave their full attention. I know it was not easy. This defendant entered the United States illegally and brutally ended the life of a mother simply at her job, working to provide for her family,” said State Attorney Fox.
The indictment for the First Degree Murder count reads in part as follows:
“Rolbert Joachin On or about April 2, 2026, in Lee County, Florida, did effect the death of “the victim”, by inflicting blunt force injuries upon her using a weapon, to wit: a hammer or blunt instrument, contrary to Florida Statute, and during the commission of said offense was an unauthorized alien.”
“To the family and friends of the victim and our community, I want you to know that we are doing everything possible to seek justice starting with this First Degree Murder Indictment. He will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We will seek the death penalty in this case,” said State Attorney Fox.
Samantha Syoen – Communications Director, State Attorney’s Office