Richard Werstine was wanted in the 1993 killing of his roommate, Rodney Barger.
DETROIT, Mich. — A Detroit man accused in a 1993 murder was captured in Panama after more than 30 years on the run, federal authorities said.
Richard Werstine, 56, also known as Joseph Alan Stavros and Richard Brennan, was wanted in the Sept. 15, 1993, killing of his roommate, Rodney Barger, 23. Officials said Werstine was arrested by Detroit police days after the killing but failed to appear for trial. A warrant was issued in June 1994.
The U.S. Marshals Service said its Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team took over the case in May 2022. Investigators later found that Werstine had been arrested several times over the years under different names, but his real identity was not known to authorities. “He was a ghost since ’94,” a federal source told Local 4. “He was very cunning, very crafty while on the run.”
Federal officials said the investigation led deputies to Panama City, Panama, after a year of developing leads. Panamanian authorities arrested Werstine on April 29 at a local dog park without incident. Officials said he had fake identification when he was taken into custody. Fingerprint analysis later confirmed he was Werstine.
Authorities said Werstine admitted his true identity and acknowledged that he had been on the run. He also told officials he entered Panama illegally in 2005 and never obtained legal status there. U.S. marshals traveled from Detroit to Panama and worked with Diplomatic Security Service and Homeland Security Investigations agents to return him to the United States.
Owen Cypher, U.S. marshal for the Eastern District of Michigan, said the arrest showed the agency’s focus on violent fugitives. Cypher said there was “no place you can hide” from the Marshals Service. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen said the arrest works toward bringing closure to people who lost a loved one.
Werstine was returned to the United States and is expected to be turned over to Wayne County authorities. The murder case, stalled since the 1994 warrant, now moves back toward court proceedings.
Author note: Last updated May 12, 2026.