A man once listing a Mountain Home address and with a long history of committing crimes, skipping court, running from the law, evading supervision by probation and parole officers and being the object of large-scale manhunts has again been declared a fugitive.
Thirty-seven-year-old Stephen Richard Whaples’ past charges have included criminal trespass, fleeing, theft of property, refusal to submit to arrest, breaking or entering, commercial burglary, being a felon in possession of a firearm, criminal mischief, and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia.
In one case, he was accused of stealing All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and selling them to raise money to pay fines levied in an earlier case.
FLEEING HISTORY
Whaples has an established history of fleeing from law enforcement, not showing up for court and not reporting to his parole/probation officers as required.
He was the subject of four large-scale manhunts in less than a year during a period in 2011-2012.
The manhunts have involved officers from multiple agencies, roadblocks, tracking dogs and the helicopter from the Baxter County Sheriffs Office.
During the years, Whaples has been found hiding in various places, including a camper, a mobile home, and asleep on the porch of a residence along Tracy Ferry Road.
Whaples was declared an absconder on May 13. His parole is shown as being up in 2027 with his current period of probation ending in 2031.
The initial criminal case against Whaples was filed in October 2011.
WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady® NSI
