A man accused of killing his rockstar roommate has been arrested after allegedly evading authorities for more than three decades.
Richard Werstine, now 56, is accused of murdering Cold as Life band member Rodney Barner, 23, in September 1993, according to the US Marshals Service.
Investigators say Werstine was arrested just days after Barner was killed at their Detroit home.
But prosecutors allege that after being charged, he did not appear in court to face trial. Authorities later issued a warrant for his arrest in June 1994.
On April 29—more than 30 years after he allegedly disappeared—officials say the search ended when Werstine, who also used the name Joseph Alan Stavros, was taken into custody at a dog park in Panama City.
“He was a ghost since ‘94,” a federal source told Local 4. “He was very cunning, very crafty while on the run.”
Officials confirmed he has since been returned to the United States, where he is expected to be handed over to Wayne County authorities, the U.S. Marshalls Service said.
The Marshals Service took over the case in 2022, citing the long-standing failure to appear on a murder charge. During their work, authorities say they learned the suspect had been arrested previously under other identities, allowing him to avoid detection, WDIV reports.
After following multiple leads that pointed to Panama City, agents made the arrest. Officials say Werstine later admitted he had been living in Panama illegally since 2005 and never obtained legal status there.
“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,” U.S. Marshal or the Eastern District of Michigan Owen Cypher said.
“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.”
Cypher added that the arrest helps ‘work toward bringing closure,’ and said he hopes it serves as a warning to anyone who believes they can ‘prey on the members of the communities without being held accountable.’
Authorities note that thousands of active arrest warrants remain outstanding across the US.
In 2024, the U.S. Marshalls Service said it arrested 74,222 fugitives, including 28,706 sought on federal warrants and 45,516 wanted on state and local warrants.