Stephen Craig Campbell was accused of planting a bomb and seemingly vanished into thin air for four decades
A man who is accused of spending more than four decades on the run by allegedly using someone else’s identity has recently been caught out after he made one crucial mistake.
Wyoming fugitive, Stephen Craig Campbell, now 76, was arrested for a decades-old crime dating back to 1982. According to the Department of Justice, Campbell allegedly planted a bomb that seriously injured his estranged wife in a chilling act of attempted murder.
Authorities say Campbell left the explosive device hidden inside a toolbox outside his wife’s boyfriend’s home in Wyoming. When she unsuspectingly opened it, the bomb detonated, severing one of her fingers and igniting a devastating fire that engulfed both the house and a neighboring property.
After his arrest in 1983, Stephen Craig Campbell was released on bond—only to vanish without a trace. He never appeared in court, landing him on the U.S. Marshals’ Most Wanted list for decades.
That all changed on February 19 of this year when authorities finally tracked him down in New Mexico. Growing suspicious of his identity, officials uncovered an elaborate deception that had allowed him to evade justice for over 40 years.
Court documents reveal that Campbell allegedly assumed the identity of his former classmate, Walter Lee Coffman, who tragically died in a car crash at just 22 in 1975. Both men had studied engineering at the University of Arkansas, graduating only two months before Coffman’s death. Under this stolen identity, Campbell is accused of fraudulently collecting tens of thousands of dollars in government benefits—until his long-running scheme finally unraveled.
The Department of Justice suggests a “likely connection” between Stephen Craig Campbell and his deceased classmate, Walter Lee Coffman—a connection that fueled an elaborate decades-long deception.
Records reveal that Campbell first applied for a passport under Coffman’s name in 1984, successfully renewing it multiple times over the years using his own photograph and address. Then, in 1995, he took his fraud a step further, allegedly securing a new Social Security card by presenting an Oklahoma driver’s license—both under Coffman’s stolen identity.
By 2003, Campbell had used the false identity to purchase property in Weed, New Mexico, further solidifying his double life. He renewed his passport again in 2005 and 2015, but his carefully constructed facade began to crack in 2019. That year, authorities say, Campbell attempted to renew his driver’s license at the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department in Cloudcroft—armed with a web of fraudulent documents that ultimately led to his downfall.
Though Campbell was initially granted the license, his decades-long deception began to unravel when agents from the National Passport Center’s Fraud Prevention Unit flagged inconsistencies. Their investigation uncovered records of the real Walter Lee Coffman’s death, exposing Campbell’s alleged scheme.
Authorities soon discovered that he had fraudulently collected $140,000 in Social Security retirement benefits under the stolen identity. On February 19, law enforcement moved in on his sprawling 44-acre property—but Campbell wasn’t willing to go quietly.
Armed with a rifle, he allegedly tried to evade capture, forcing officers to deploy flashbang stun devices to flush him out. When the FBI finally apprehended him, they found his weapon loaded with high-powered ammunition capable of piercing body armor. A deeper search of his home revealed an alarming arsenal—57 firearms and massive stockpiles of ammunition, all of which he was prohibited from owning, according to the DOJ.
SCSO spokesperson Jason Mower reflected on the long-elusive fugitive, saying, “Campbell’s wanted poster has been on the wall at our office since I started here nearly 20 years ago. I’ve worked hundreds of fugitive cases, helping track down and capture fugitives all across the country. But never Campbell—every lead went cold, no matter what tools we used. Now, I finally understand why.”
After decades on the run, Campbell now faces justice. He has been arrested and charged with passport fraud, a crime that carries a potential 10-year prison sentence. However, his legal troubles are far from over. He must still stand trial for the 1982 attempted murder case that put him on the U.S. Marshals’ Most Wanted list.
Meanwhile, law enforcement is considering additional charges due to the staggering cache of illegal firearms found in his home, signaling that Campbell’s time in hiding may soon be replaced with years behind bars.
