Investigators said aliases and fake IDs helped hide the suspect for years.
DETROIT, Mich. — Federal authorities said a fugitive wanted in a Detroit murder case since 1994 was arrested in Panama City and returned to the United States.
The U.S. Marshals Service said Richard Werstine, 56, was wanted after he failed to appear for trial in the killing of Rodney Barger, his 23-year-old roommate. Barger was killed on Sept. 15, 1993. Detroit police arrested Werstine days later, but officials said he later disappeared before trial.
The warrant sat for decades before the Marshals Service adopted it in May 2022 as a failure-to-appear case tied to a murder charge. Investigators said Werstine used aliases including Joseph Alan Stavros and Richard Brennan. Federal officials said he had been arrested more than once under other names, allowing him to avoid being linked to the Detroit case.
Over the past year, the Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team developed leads that pointed to Panama. The team worked with the Marshals Service Office of International Operations and Panamanian authorities. On April 29, authorities found Werstine at a dog park in Panama City and arrested him without incident.
Officials said Werstine had fraudulent identification when he was arrested. Fingerprints confirmed his identity, according to the Marshals Service. Authorities said Werstine admitted who he was, admitted he had been fleeing prosecution and said he entered Panama illegally in 2005 without later gaining legal status.
U.S. Marshal Owen Cypher said the agency took the case seriously because of the violent allegation and the long flight from prosecution. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen said the arrest showed the agency’s commitment to finding fugitives accused of harming community members.
Werstine has been brought back to the United States and is expected to face Wayne County authorities. Officials have not released a full court schedule, but the arrest ends a search that lasted more than three decades.
Author note: Last updated May 12, 2026.