DETROIT – The U.S. Marshals Service’s Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team has arrested a Detroit man who they said had been on the run for more than 30 years after being accused of a 1993 murder.
“He was a ghost since ‘94,” a federal source told Local 4 Monday. “He was very cunning, very crafty while on the run.”
Richard Werstine, also known as Joseph Alan Stavros, 56, is wanted in the Sept. 15, 1993, killing of his roommate, Rodney Barger, aka “Rawn Beauty,” 23, who was the lead singer of the punk rock band Cold as Life. Werstine was arrested by Detroit police days later but failed to appear for trial, and a warrant was issued in June 1994, the feds said.
In May 2022, the Marshals Service took over the case for failure to appear for a murder charge and found through its investigation that Werstine had been arrested multiple times over the years under different aliases but that his true identity was never known to authorities.
The agency said it used state-of-the-art investigative resources and techniques and devoted numerous hours to locating the fugitive. Over the previous year, DFAT developed leads that focused efforts on Panama City, Panama, and worked with the Marshals Service’s Office of International Operations and Panamanian authorities to find him.
“The U.S. Marshals Service takes crimes of this nature extremely seriously given the violent nature of the alleged offense and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution,” said Owen Cypher, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Michigan. “The dedication of all members of my staff who spearheaded the arrest of this fugitive who has been on the run for over 30 years is a testimony to their resolve. It sends a message to fugitives that there is no place you can hide that the U.S. Marshals Service won’t find you and bring you to justice.”
“The tenacity and commitment of the United States Marshals Service working to bring Werstine and those like him into police custody where they belong is at the forefront of our daily mission here in Detroit,” said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen.
Multiple identities, no tips
“We kind of just took over this case and started from the beginning -- kind of took modern day investigative techniques to a really old case from the early 90s, and just kind of unwrapped that spider web,” Allen said.
It turns out that spider web was tight and large, and the USMS said they did not receive any tips on his whereabouts. Werstine also allegedly used multiple aliases, not only in Michigan, but Arizona, and other states. Werstine was also even arrested numerous times, locally and in other states, but under different aliases.
“Nobody ever got a return on who they actually had,” Allen said. “So, he eventually left, got out of custody, and made his way to Panama… where he was for about 20 years.”
On April 29, 2026, US Marshals traveled from Detroit to Panama and, working with Diplomatic Security Service and Homeland Security Investigations agents, arrested Werstine. Authorities in Panama City arrested Werstine at a local dog park and arrested him without incident, the Marshals Service said. When arrested, Werstine had fake IDs on him, but fingerprint analysis identified him as Werstine, officials said.
Werstine confessed to his identity and to being on the run, the feds said. He also admitted entering Panama illegally in 2005 and never obtaining legal status.
‘A whole new life’
Allen said that in Panama, Werstine said he was married down there, and “basically had a whole new life.”
“He had roots in Panama, and kind of just lived a new life,” Allen told Local 4. “I think he thought that he would never be caught.”
“I think when they got his fingerprints back, he couldn’t deny who he was.”
Reporter: “Even though he had fake IDs on him.”
Allen: “Yes.”
Reporter: “And he’s had multiple aliases and here and in other states.”
Allen: “Fingerprints don’t lie.”
Werstine was returned to the United States, where he will then be turned over to Wayne County authorities.
“He 100% thought he was never going to be found,” Allen said. “You could tell he really wanted to know how he was found and what happened.”
Message to Barger’s family
Allen said the effort to find Werstine was massive -- from the USMS headquarters in Washington DC to Michigan and Panama – and hopes the arrest “works toward bringing closure” to Barger’s family.
“It’s been 30 years and now they can at least rest their heads at night and have some justice,” Allen said. “That doesn’t change what happened, but you know, at least there’s some closure that someone’s going to pay for what they did.”
He said it demonstrates the Marshals’ promise to “pursue those who think they can prey on the members of our communities without being held accountable.”
Sources tell Local 4 Werstine is in the U.S. and awaiting extradition back to Michigan.