Man Spent 40 years hiding using a Dead classmate’s Identity Until one Error Exposed His  Crimes

A man accused of a violent crime 40 years ago has finally been caught after living under a fake identity all this time. Stephen Craig Campbell, now 76, had been wanted since 1982 when police say he planted a bomb that injured his estranged wife and burned down two homes in Wyoming.

After being arrested and released on bail in 1983, Campbell disappeared completely. What police didn’t know was that he had secretly taken on the identity of a college classmate who had died in a car crash years earlier. Walter Lee Coffman was just 22 when he died in 1975 – Campbell allegedly stole his name and used it to create a whole new life.

For decades, Campbell lived as “Walter,” doing all the normal things people do – getting driver’s licenses, passports, even buying property. He managed to collect over $140,000 in government retirement benefits under this fake name. Police say he was careful, renewing his fake passport several times over the years to keep his identity secret.

The whole scheme started to fall apart when Campbell went to get a new driver’s license in New Mexico in 2019. Officials became suspicious when records showed the real Walter Coffman had died decades ago. After investigating, police discovered Campbell’s secret life.

When officers finally tracked him down to his New Mexico home last month, Campbell wasn’t going quietly. He hid inside with a powerful rifle that could shoot through police body armor. Officers had to use flashbang grenades to safely arrest him. A search of his property turned up 57 guns and lots of ammunition – all things he wasn’t allowed to have as a wanted fugitive.

Local police said they’d been chasing Campbell for decades with no luck. “His wanted poster has been on our wall for 20 years,” one officer said. “Every lead went cold. Now we know why – he wasn’t living as himself at all.”

Campbell now faces serious charges, including passport fraud which could mean 10 years in prison. He’ll also finally stand trial for the original bombing case from 1982. Police are still deciding whether to add more charges for all the illegal weapons they found.

The case shows how someone can disappear by stealing another person’s identity, but also how modern record-keeping eventually catches up with even the most careful criminals. After 40 years of freedom, Campbell’s time pretending to be someone else has come to an end.