Detroit cold case murder suspect arrested after more than 30 years on the lam
NBC News • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Richard Werstine, a fugitive wanted for the 1993 murder of punk rock singer Rodney Barger, was recently arrested in Panama City, Panama, after evading authorities for over 30 years.
- Werstine used multiple aliases and was difficult to track due to limited technology in the 1990s, but advances in investigative resources helped U.S. Marshals locate and apprehend him in 2024.
- While on the run, Werstine was arrested several times, including a 1999 incident in Flagstaff, Arizona, where he was shot during a police confrontation and used the alias Joseph Alan Stavros.
- Barger, known by his stage name “Rawn Beauty,” was the lead singer of the Motown-area punk band Cold as Life and was fatally shot in 1993; Werstine was initially arrested but skipped bail and disappeared.
- Werstine confessed to illegally entering Panama in 2005 and living there without legal status until his capture, and he now awaits a court hearing in Detroit.