PANAMA CITY, Panama (WXYZ) — A Detroit man who had been on the run after being accused of committing a 1993 murder has been arrested in Panama City, the U.S. Marshals tell us.
We're told that 56-year-old Richard Werstine, also known as Joseph Alan Stavros, had been wanted for the murder of his roommate — 23-year-old Rodney Barger — for three decades. He was initially arrested after the alleged murder, but he failed to appear for trial, and a warrant was issued for his arrest in June of 1994.
The U.S. Marshals adopted the warrant in May of 2022, and said in a press release that Werstine had been arrested multiple times over the years under different aliases. Working several leads, investigators were able to determine that he was in Panama.
Last week, Werstine was arrested at a local dog park in Panama City and was taken into custody. We're told he had a fake I.D., and fingerprint analysis upon his arrest led to him being identified.
Werstine confessed to authorities that he had been on the run, entering Panama illegally in 2005. U.S. Marshals proceeded to return him to the United States, as he has since been turned over to Wayne County authorities.
