Man a ‘con artist,’ police say
Timothy Estep was declared mentally incompetent by a Kootenai County magistrate, but Post Falls police say the 50-year-old man is a lot smarter than people think.
“His whole life he’s been a con artist,” Post Falls police Lt. Greg McLean said Tuesday.
Estep is accused of running from child molestation charges, then faking his own death in Canada to shake investigators off his trail. He is fighting extradition to Kootenai County, where he’s charged with lewd conduct with a 12-year-old girl.
Vermont State Police arrested Estep on a Kootenai County warrant late last month as he tried to re-enter the U.S. from Canada.
“He’s claiming he was injured in an accident and received brain damage, and his memory isn’t as good as it should be,” McLean said. “I think he’s fully aware of what he’s doing. He’s made logical attempts to throw us off his tracks. He’s more rational than I think he wants everyone to believe.”
The Idaho Department of Insurance previously investigated Estep over numerous claims and settlements for injuries he allegedly sustained in accidents, McLean said.
Court records show the county paid Estep $150,000 after he filed a tort claim in 2000. Following an arrest for driving with a suspended license, Estep alleges he had an epileptic seizure while in a holding cell at the Kootenai County Jail.
Estep said in the tort claim the seizure caused him to lose consciousness, restricting oxygen to his brain and causing severe brain damage.
His longtime girlfriend, Dawn Workman, petitioned the court in 2001 to be named his legal guardian. Magistrate Scott Wayman put Workman in charge of managing Estep’s property, money and affairs, saying Estep was incapable of handling those matters due to “mental illness or mental deficiency.” Their relationship has since ended.
Post Falls police began investigating Estep last July for child molestation after his neighbors went to police with concerns about their daughter’s relationship with Estep. Police say he befriended the girl, then lured her into his home by saying he had an elevator in his house.
After finding their daughter at Estep’s home numerous times, McLean said, the girl’s parents called police. The girl told police Estep had molested her.
McLean said he believes Estep knew he was under investigation. He reportedly sold his Post Falls home with all the contents inside and left town.
The Realtor described Estep as “sharp as a tack,” McLean said. But in his dealings with law enforcement, Estep “sounds like he’s not all there,” McLean said.
A warrant was issued for his arrest in October. About three months ago, Estep called a friend to say he was headed to Europe and wanted to say goodbye, police said. Investigators assumed he had left the country.
Recently, Canadian authorities discovered Estep’s clothing and wallet about 100 yards from a cliff in Newfoundland. It’s a popular suicide spot, Canadian authorities said. But they told Post Falls police they didn’t believe Estep killed himself. The weather was so cold that he likely wouldn’t have stripped off his clothes to leap into the ocean, at least not so far from the ledge, police there said.
Though the wallet had Estep’s identification inside, all the money and his debit and credit cards were missing, McLean said.
Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas said his office will work with Gov. Butch Otter’s office to obtain a governor’s warrant to have Estep returned. The process could take 90 days, Douglas said.