Florida | Man Accused of Killing Fort Myers Woman with Hammer Faces 1st-Degree Murder Indictment; Death Penalty Sought

The store surveillance video showed Rolbert Joachin smashing the victim's car window before she exited the store and he attacked her with a hammer.

Florida State Attorney Amira Fox announced Thursday that a Lee County grand jury has indicted Rolbert Joachin, a 40-year-old Haitian national, on a charge of first-degree murder in the killing of 51-year-old Nilufa Easmin, a Bangladeshi immigrant and mother of two who worked as a gas station clerk in Fort Myers. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

According to authorities, surveillance video from the D&D Convenience Store on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard captured Joachin smashing the windshield of a vehicle associated with Easmin using a hammer or mallet. When she came outside to confront him, he repeatedly struck her in the head in a targeted and extremely violent attack.

Easmin suffered fatal blunt force trauma and died at the scene. Investigators have described the assault as deliberate, with reports indicating Joachin confessed to intentionally targeting her. He is also linked to scrutiny in at least one other prior incident.

Fort Myers Police worked with multiple agencies, including ICE, in a coordinated effort that led to his quick arrest later that day while he was walking in the area.

Joachin’s immigration history has drawn intense national attention. He first entered the United States illegally by boat near Key West in August 2022. A federal immigration judge ordered his removal in September 2022, yet he was released into the country. In 2023, under prior administration policies, he received Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti—a program designed to provide temporary legal residency and work authorization to nationals of countries experiencing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other severe conditions. He applied to renew it in 2024.

Although his TPS had expired, pending renewal applications can sometimes extend certain protections. He held a valid Florida driver’s license and Social Security number tied to this status. Following the murder, the current administration terminated his TPS, making him fully subject to deportation. Officials have described him as an unauthorized alien at the time of the offense.

This sequence of events has sparked widespread debate about immigration enforcement, the screening of TPS recipients, and the management of individuals who have outstanding deportation orders.

Nilufa Easmin, who had lived in the United States for about six years, was remembered as a dedicated mother who had been employed at the store for roughly three months. She is survived by two daughters. 

State Attorney Fox emphasized the extreme brutality of the crime and stated that Joachin will face the full force of the law. Joachin has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody without bond. 

Court proceedings are ongoing, and the case continues to highlight issues at the intersection of violent crime, immigration policy, and public safety in Southwest Florida.

Source: DPN, News outlets, Staff, AI May 10, 2026

"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,
but by the punishments that the good have inflicted."

— Oscar Wilde

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