Attempted murder fugitive busted as 40-year scheme posing as dead college mate unravels

Fugitive Captured After Decades in Hiding: A Tale of Deception and Danger

After more than 40 years on the run, Stephen Craig Campbell, a 76-year-old fugitive wanted for the attempted murder of his estranged wife, has finally been captured. Campbell’s remarkable ability to evade law enforcement for decades was made possible by a daring identity theft scheme. Assuming the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, a man who had died in 1975, Campbell managed to live a life of deception, even collecting over $140,000 in fraudulent Social Security benefits. His elaborate ruse unraveled in 2019, leading to his dramatic arrest in New Mexico during an armed standoff with police. Authorities found nearly 60 weapons at his residence, underscoring the dangerous life he had been living.

A Crime That Shocked a Community

The origins of Campbell’s fugitive life date back to 1982, when he planted a booby-trapped toolbox rigged with explosives outside the Wyoming home of his estranged wife’s boyfriend. The explosion that followed was devastating, tearing off one of the victim’s fingers and causing a fire that destroyed the residence and a neighboring unit. Campbell was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder but was released on bond. It wasn’t long before he vanished, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and a warrant for his arrest. For decades, he remained a ghost, seemingly impossible to track down, until his meticulously crafted facade began to crumble.

A Master of Deception: How Campbell Evaded Capture

Campbell’s ability to remain under the radar for so long was nothing short of remarkable. He adopted the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, a University of Arkansas engineering graduate who had died at the age of 22. Campbell, who had also attended the same university, used Coffman’s identity to apply for a passport in 1984 and renewed it multiple times over the years. He even obtained a replacement Social Security card in Coffman’s name, using a fraudulent Oklahoma driver’s license. By the early 2000s, he had settled in Weed, New Mexico, where he purchased a 44-acre property under his assumed name. His scheme seemed foolproof, but the passage of time and advancements in fraud detection ultimately led to his downfall.

The Downfall of a Fugitive

In 2019, Campbell’s carefully constructed life began to unravel when he attempted to renew his New Mexico driver’s license using a passport in Coffman’s name. Agents from the National Passport Center’s Fraud Prevention Unit discovered that Coffman had died decades earlier, raising suspicions about the identity Campbell had been using. This breakthrough led authorities to Campbell’s property in Weed, where they executed a search warrant on February 19. The situation quickly escalated into an armed standoff, with Campbell positioning himself with a scoped rifle in a concealed location. After deploying flashbangs and issuing repeated commands, Campbell emerged from the woods and was taken into custody. The search of his property revealed 57 firearms and a large cache of ammunition, a startling discovery given that Campbell, as a fugitive, was prohibited from possessing firearms.

Reflections on a Decades-Long Pursuit

The capture of Stephen Craig Campbell has brought closure to a case that had haunted law enforcement for decades. Jason Mower, a spokesperson for the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, reflected on the significance of the arrest, noting that Campbell’s wanted poster had been a constant presence in the office for nearly 20 years. Mower, who had worked on hundreds of fugitive cases, described how every lead on Campbell had gone cold, leaving him baffled until the truth about the identity theft came to light. Joe Tomich, undersheriff for the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office, also shared his thoughts on the case, describing it as “almost hard to wrap your head around” due to the violent nature of the original crime, the decades-long search, and the dramatic confrontation in New Mexico. Tomich, who had a case file on Campbell the size of a novel, emphasized the dedication of law enforcement to never give up on bringing him to justice.

Justice Finally Served

Campbell’s capture marks the end of a long and tumultuous chapter, but his legal journey is far from over. He appeared in federal court in New Mexico on fraud charges related to his use of a stolen identity. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Once federal proceedings conclude, he will be extradited to Wyoming to face trial for the 1982 bombing. The Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office has placed a detainer on him to ensure his return to Wyoming. For the victims and their families, as well as the law enforcement officers who dedicated their careers to solving the case, Campbell’s capture represents a long-awaited victory for justice. His story serves as a chilling reminder of the lengths to which some individuals will go to escape accountability and the enduring determination of those who pursue it.