'Most wanted' Oregon fugitive arrested in Georgia after 30 years

Isabel Funk, Salem Statesman Journal
·2 min read
Steven Craig Johnson, a fugitive who escaped a prison work group in 1994, shown in 1990s (left) and in July 2024.
Steven Craig Johnson, a fugitive who escaped a prison work group in 1994, shown in 1990s (left) and in July 2024.

An Oregon fugitive who escaped a prison work group 30 years ago was arrested Tuesday in Macon, Georgia.

Steven Craig Johnson, 70, was arrested by a regional fugitive task force of the U.S. Marshals Service at about 2 p.m. at an apartment complex where he had been living under the alias of William Cox since 2011, according to a news release.

Johnson, who the Oregon Department of Corrections classified as one of its "most wanted fugitives," fled from a prison work group in 1994. He was serving a prison sentence at the Mill Creek Correctional Facility in Salem for sexual abuse and attempted sodomy.

A 2019 wanted poster from the ODOC described Johnson as a "pedophile" who "presents a high probability of victimizing pre-teen boys." It also cautioned that he "should not be allowed contact with children."

The U.S. Marshals Service took on the case in 2015 at the request of the ODOC. New investigative technology generated new leads in the case in 2024.

An investigation found that Johnson had stolen the identity of a child who died in Texas in 1962, according to the release. Johnson was able to obtain a copy of the child's birth certificate, a Social Security number in Texas and a driver's license in Georgia.

Johnson entered ODOC custody in 1989 and had served just over five years when he fled his work group, according to the ODOC. He has about 11 years remaining in his sentence.

The ODOC reviews all escaped inmates to determine the threat based on the level of felony charges and time remaining on their sentences. Those with the highest degrees of crimes are identified as most critical to return to custody and listed as "most wanted." The ODOC has apprehended 38 fugitives since 2012 and has six escapees, including Johnson, on its "most wanted" list.

Johnson is being held at Bibb County Jail and awaiting extradition back to Oregon.

Isabel Funk covers breaking news and public safety for the Statesman Journal. Funk can be reached at ifunk@statesmanjournal.com or on X at @isabeldfunk

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon fugitive Steven Craig Johnson arrested after 30 years