A Detroit man who had been on the run for more than 30 years after allegedly killing his rock singer friend has been arrested. Richard Werstine, also known as Joseph Alan Stavros, 56, was detained at a dog park in Panama on suspicion of the September 1993 murder of Rodney Barger, the former frontman of notorious hardcore band Cold as Life. Werstine had already been arrested on suspicion of shooting Barger in the head while his roommate slept in their Detroit home on Sept. 15, 1993, but he failed to appear at his trial. An arrest warrant was issued in June 1994, but the suspect has managed to evade capture until now. The U.S. Marshals Service said Werstine had been arrested multiple times over the years but avoided detection by using various aliases. When the fugitive was tracked down to the Central American country, authorities found him in possession of fake IDs. He was identified following fingerprint analysis. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen said Westein’s arrest brings closure to his victim’s family, but also “demonstrates our promise to pursue those who think they can prey on the members of our communities without being held accountable.”
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