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A Detroit fugitive recently captured after more than three decades on the run has been dubbed a “ghost” for his ability to evade law enforcement since the early 1990s. Richard Werstine, accused of fatally shooting his punk rock singer roommate in 1993, has now been brought back to face justice.
Despite his long fugitive status, Werstine was not entirely off law enforcement’s radar. During his years on the run, he was arrested multiple times and was even shot in 1999 during a police confrontation in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen, who led the effort to apprehend Werstine, told NBC News that the injury from that incident still affects Werstine today.
Werstine, 56, is currently in Detroit awaiting a court hearing. Marshal Allen credited the relentless efforts of the U.S.
Marshals Service and their Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team for finally securing his arrest. The long delay, Allen explained, was largely due to Werstine’s use of numerous aliases-including Joseph Alan Stavros-and the challenges of tracking fugitives in the pre-internet era.
“In the 1990s, fingerprint databases and digital tools were not as advanced or accessible as they are now,” Allen said. “When we took over the case in 2022, it was like starting from scratch.”
Leveraging modern investigative techniques, marshals traced Werstine to Panama City, Panama. With assistance from local authorities, they apprehended him without incident at a dog park on April 29.
At the time of arrest, Werstine was carrying fraudulent identification. Fingerprint analysis confirmed his true identity, and he admitted to illegally entering Panama in 2005 and never obtaining legal status.
The victim, Rodney Barger, was a well-known figure in Detroit’s punk rock scene. As the charismatic frontman of the band Cold as Life, he performed under the stage name “Rawn Beauty.”
Barger was shot in the head while asleep on September 15, 1993. Werstine was arrested shortly after but skipped trial in 1994, disappearing soon after.
Described by federal sources as “cunning” and “crafty,” Werstine’s trail went cold for years. His multiple aliases complicated law enforcement’s pursuit. In 1999, under the alias Stavros, he faced charges related to aggravated assault and disorderly conduct in Arizona, where a confrontation with police left him wounded after he reportedly fired 14 shots and refused to surrender.
The Flagstaff Police Department has yet to provide further details on that incident or Werstine’s subsequent time in custody. Officials noted that his delayed charges were partly due to the need to verify his various identities.
With his recent arrest, authorities hope to finally close this decades-old case and bring resolution to those affected by the tragic events of 1993.