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, 23. 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.
Authorities in Panama City arrested Werstine on April 29, 2026, 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 to entering Panama illegally in 2005 and never obtaining legal status.
On Saturday, U.S. Marshals traveled from Detroit to Panama and, working with Diplomatic Security Service and Homeland Security Investigations agents, arrested Werstine. He was returned to the United States, where he will then be turned over to Wayne County authorities.
“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.”
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen said the arrest “works toward bringing closure” and “demonstrates our promise to pursue those who think they can prey on the members of our communities without being held accountable.”