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A suspect accused of murdering his rock singer friend in 1993 has been apprehended in Central America after spending more than 30 years successfully evading authorities.

According to the US marshals service, Richard Werstine, who was wanted in connection with the killing of Cold as Life vocalist Rodney Barger, was arrested in Panama.

Investigators say Barger, who was 23 years old, was Werstine’s roommate and close friend when Werstine allegedly shot him in the head as he slept inside their Detroit residence on 15 September 1993.

Authorities said Werstine, now 56, was taken into custody at a dog park in Panama City, Panama, on 29 April after decades as a fugitive following the alleged murder of Barger. Officials also said he was carrying fake identification at the time of his arrest, but fingerprint testing later confirmed his identity.

Detroit police first detained Werstine just days after Barger’s death, but officials say he never showed up for trial proceedings. A warrant for his arrest was issued in June 1994.

“The tenacity and commitment of the US marshals service working to bring Werstine and those like him into police custody where they belong is at the forefront of our daily mission here in Detroit,” chief deputy marshal Jimmy Allen said in a statement.

Allen added: “His arrest not only works toward bringing closure to the friends and family who have lost a loved one but also demonstrates our promise to pursue those who think they can prey on the members of our communities without being held accountable.”

In May 2022, the US marshals assumed responsibility for Werstine’s case related to his failure to appear on murder charges. During the investigation, authorities learned he had been arrested multiple times over the years while using different aliases, though his real identity had remained unknown.

“He was a ghost since ’94,” a federal source told WDIV. “He was very cunning, very crafty while on the run.”

After his apprehension, Werstine confessed to being on the run from authorities, the outlet reported. He also reportedly said he had entered Panama illegally in 2005 and admitted to never obtaining legal status.

Officials have not disclosed a motive in the 1993 killing.

Over the past year, the Detroit fugitive apprehension team pursued several investigative leads and coordinated with the US marshals service’s international operations division along with Panamanian authorities to track down Werstine.

Barger, also known by the stage as Rawn Beauty, helped form the hardcore punk band Cold as Life in 1988. Revolver magazine once referred to him as a “fabled wild-man” whose “talents as a belligerent vocalist and underclass poet remain obvious”.