Fugitive Michigan man arrested in Panama 33 years after killing punk singer roommate

A Michigan man wanted for more than three decades in the alleged killing of his punk-rock singer roommate has been captured, officials said.

Richard Werstine, also known as Joseph Alan Stavros, 56, was arrested in Panama City, Panama, in April, according to a U.S. Marshals Service news release.

Authorities had sought Werstine for the alleged murder of his 23-year-old roommate, Rodney Barger, in Detroit on Sept. 15, 1993. Barger was a vocalist for the punk band Cold as Life at the time, the Detroit Metro Times reported.

Federal authorities arrested Werstine days after the killing but he failed to appear for trial, leading to an arrest warrant in 1994.

"He was a ghost since '94," a federal source told Local 4. "He was very cunning, very crafty while on the run."

Werstine stayed on the run for years. In 2022, the U.S. Marshals Service took over the warrant after learning he had been arrested multiple times under aliases while evading capture.

"Over the course of the investigation, the USMS utilized state-of-the-art investigative resources and techniques and devoted numerous hours in efforts to find the fugitive," federal officials said.

Investigators tracked Werstine to a dog park in Panama City, where they arrested him on April 29, 2026.

Officials said Werstine confessed to his real identity after they found fraudulent documents on him. He admitted entering Panama illegally in 2005.

Panama extradited Werstine to the United States, where Wayne County officials took custody of him.

"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," Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen said.

"His arrest not only works toward bringing closure to the friends and family who have lost a loved one but also demonstrates our promise to pursue those who think they can prey on the members of our communities without being held accountable."