The fugitive for attempted murder of his wife, who had been estranged more than 40 years ago, was captured after a fraud that assumed the identity of a man who had died for decades, the Justice Department announced Wednesday.
Stephen Craig Campbell, 76, has been fraudulently claiming about $140,000 in retirement Social Security benefits for years, avoiding authorities under another identity, but was arrested in New Mexico last week in an armed standoff with police who found nearly 60 weapons at his residence, prosecutors said.
The suspect was running to plant a toolbox trapped in a booby equipped with explosives outside his wife's boyfriend, who had become estranged in 1982, the DOJ said.
Campbell Mugshot 2025, left, 1982 mugshot, and weapons on his property, (Doctor of Justice)
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When she opened the container, a powerful explosion was torn from her fingers, causing a rap shot. The explosion also lit the fire and destroyed the residence and adjacent units, police in Sweetwater, Wyoming said.
Campbell was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder, but was released on bonds in 1982, according to the Justice Department. He disappeared shortly after posting bail.
A warrant was issued, but he disappeared without a trace and avoided capture for decades by slipping into the identity of Walter Lee Coffman, who died in 1975 at the age of 22.
Coffman had graduated from the University of Arkansas just two months before his death. College records showed that Campbell attended the same institution during that period, both him and Coffman pursuing an engineering degree, suggesting possible connections between the two, the DOJ said.
Prosecutors argue that Campbell first applied for a passport in Coffman's name in 1984, renewing it multiple times, and always providing photos of himself and his current address. He also stole an alternative Social Security card in Coffman's name in 1995, using his Oklahoma driver's license in Coffman's name.
Coffman's name is Campbell's Oklahoma license. (Doctor of Justice)
In 2003 and about 2003, Campbell moved to New Mexico Weed, where he bought 44 acres of property in the name of Coffman, continuing to renew his fraudulent passport.
His plans began to unravel in 2019 to renew his New Mexico driver's license in Coffman's name, using a passport in Coffman's name.
Agents of the National Passport Center's fraud prevention unit soon discovered that there were alleged misconduct for Coffman's death and decades of his identity.
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On February 19th, authorities descended on his property to conduct a search for weed property. There, Campbell is armed with a scoped rifle and places himself in a tall, partially hidden spot.
After repeated orders and unfolding of Flash Bangs, Campbell emerged from the wooden line and was taken into custody. When retrieved, the rifle was equipped with powerful ammunition that could stab standard body armor, ready to fire, with the scope cap open, firing a selector lever and fitted with a round chamber.
Authorities discovered 57 firearms and a large amount of ammunition on the property. As a fugitive, Campbell is prohibited from owning a firearm. He was then fingerprinted, which confirmed his true identity and escape status.
Jason More, a spokesman for the Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office, reflected the importance of Campbell's capture and noted that the incident had remained consistent over the years.
“Campbell's wanted posters have been on the walls of our office since we left here nearly 20 years ago,” Mower said. “I worked in hundreds of fugitive cases and helped track and capture fugitives across the country. But Campbell never did. All the leads got cold.
Campbell's Scope Lifull. (Doctor of Justice)
Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office Representative Joe Tomitch highlighted the scale of the case, from its violent origins to decades of search and dramatic resolution.
“It's almost difficult to wrap your head around this case: the cold and calculated nature of the original crime, decades of searching, and then a tense standoff in the mountains of New Mexico,” Tomitch said.
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“We all took turns trying to catch Campbell. I have him a case file, the size of a novel.
Campbell appeared in federal court on Wednesday in New Mexico on fraud charges related to using a stolen identity.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison before extradition to Wyoming to withstand a 1982 bombing trial. The Sweetwater County Sheriff's Office has placed detainees so he is returned to Wyoming once the federal lawsuit is over.
