Richard Werstine, the man accused of killing Cold As Life vocalist Rodney “Rawn Beauty” Barger, in 1993, has once again been apprehended. Werstine was arrested in 1993 as the chief suspect in the murder of Barger, who was his roommate at the time. Werstine however did not appear at the subsequent trial, and has been sought by authorities ever since.
The Detroit News report that The U.S. Marshals Service Detroit Fugitive Apprehension Team tracked down Werstine in Panama last month, where he claims to have been living under an assumed identity since 2005. Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Jimmy Allen said in a statement of the apprehension of Werstine:
“The tenacity and commitment of the U.S. 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. 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.”
Werstine has since been transferred over from Panamanian authorities into the custody of U.S. Marshals. An investigation launched by the U.S. Marshals also determined that Werstine had been arrested several times in the years since the aforementioned murder, albeit under assumed aliases.
Midwestern hardcore band Cold As Life were originally active from 1988 to 2001, and went on to reunite in 2015, remaining active since.
