A man has been arrested overseas after federal authorities say he spent decades on the run after killing his roommate, the frontman of a Detroit punk rock band.
Richard Werstine, 56, was taken into custody in Panama by the US Marshals Service with assistance from local authorities, according to Detroit News.
Werstine was originally arrested and charged days after the 1993 murder of Rodney Barger – the 23-year-old lead singer of Cold as Life. Barger, also known by his stage name of ‘Rawn Beauty’, was shot to death in his sleep.
Barger was described as a ‘fabled wild-man vocalist’ in a 2023 piece in Revolver Magazine. Cold as Life was known for its rowdy shows and gained most of its acclaim in 1998 following the release of their debut album, Born to Land Hard.
‘Many of Cold as Life’s craziest stories (intraband brawls, confrontations at shows, heavy drinking) are credited to Barger’s erratic behavior, but his talents as a belligerent vocalist and underclass poet remain obvious,’ the magazine wrote.
Werstine failed to appear for his trial in 1994 and another arrest warrant for him was issued in June of that year.
For the next 32 years, Werstine used a series of aliases to evade capture, according to the US Marshals Service.
In May 2022, when the US Marshals took over the investigation, they discovered that Werstine had been arrested multiple times under fake names over the years. Authorities simply never connected the dots to figure out who he really was, federal investigators said.
Pictured: U.S. Marshals and police escort Richard Werstine in Houston. He was arrested in Panama, where he spent more than 20 years of his life
Werstine, 56, was arrested last month for the 1993 murder of Rodney Barger
‘He was a ghost since ’94,’ a federal source told Click On Detroit. ‘He was very cunning, very crafty while on the run.’
US Marshals said they used state-of-the-art investigative techniques to catch Werstine, who had been hiding out in Panama. They never received any tips on his whereabouts.
Police in Panama City arrested him at a dog park on April 29. Officers said he had fake identification documents on him, though his identity was later confirmed when his fingerprints were analyzed.
Werstine admitted his true identity and said he was a fugitive. He also told Panamanian authorities that he had illegally entered the country in 2005.
On Saturday, the US Marshals retrieved Werstine with the help of the Diplomatic Security Service, the law enforcement arm of the US State Department, and agents with Homeland Security Investigations.
‘The US Marshals Service takes crimes of this nature extremely seriously given the violent nature of the alleged offense and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution,’ said Owen Cypher, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Michigan.
‘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 US Marshals Service won’t find you and bring you to justice.’
Chief Deputy US Marshal Jimmy Allen said Werstine had gotten married in Panama and had started ‘a whole new life’.
The 23-year-old lead singer of Cold as Life was shot to death in his sleep
Pictured: A Cold as Life album cover honoring Barger after his death
Join the discussion
Should fugitives who evade capture for decades be punished more harshly when finally caught?
‘He had roots in Panama,’ Allen said. ‘I think he thought that he would never be caught. You could tell he really wanted to know how he was found and what happened.’
Allen said he was glad to finally bring closure to Barger’s family.
‘It’s been 30 years and now they can at least rest their heads at night and have some justice,’ Allen said. ‘That doesn’t change what happened, but you know, at least there’s some closure that someone’s going to pay for what they did.’
Werstine is in the United States and is awaiting extradition back to Michigan.
