A man who has been on the run for 40 years was finally arrested after allegedly bombing his wife in the '80s.
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Jealousy had wracked Stephen Craig Campbell as a younger man. His ex-wife had found herself a new boyfriend, and he couldn't deal with it. Rather than move on, he decided that the best plan was to blow up her new boyfriend.
So, in an act of passionate rage, he rigged a toolbox to explode when it was opened. He then left it on their doorstep. However, things went awry when the toolbox bomb detonated on his ex-wife. The explosion didn't kill her, but it did blow off a finger and cause other injuries. A neighbour's property was also burnt along with hers.
Stephen Craig Campbell was immediately suspected of the bombing and was promptly arrested. But as soon as he was released on bond, he disappeared. From 1983 until this February, the man was on the run from the police.
His Fake Identity Failed
The man suspected of bombing his wife was able to remain on the run for 40 years using a fake identity. Stephen Craig Campbel became Walter Lee Coffman for most of his life. The stolen identity belonged to a man who had died at 22.
Using the forged documents, Campbell was able to apply for a passport and then a driving license under the new name. He was even able to apply for a social security card with his new alias. The man responsible for the bombing was gone, and the dead man lived again.
Campbell eventually relocated to Weed in New Mexico, buying property under his false identity's name. He continued to renew his passport without trouble, but the real problem arose when attempting to renew his driving license in 2019.
Something flagged up in the National Passport Center's Fraud Prevention Unit. They ran checks on the name and found that, in actual fact, Coffman had been dead for decades. The investigation also showed that, although dead, Coffman had claimed $140,000 in benefits.
A warrant was released to search the 44-acre land under the dead Coffman's name. Here is where they found the man who had been on the run for 40 years for a failed bombing. It appeared he had let the paranoia get to him, too.
According to the report, Campbel opened the door "dressed in camouflage, hearing protection and armed with a scoped .302 caliber FAL rifle." As well as this crazy attire, he also stocked 57 firearms and large quantities of ammunition.
Now, the man who had been on the run for 40 years is facing trial. He will finally face the consequences of his attempted murder at the ripe old age of 76.
