Thayne Smika is wanted for first-degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. Oklahoma had the highest population of Smika families in 1920. The trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. An aspiring journalist, Wells also was part of the universitys Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. A. Greg Allegedly Arrested For Murder, Danny Pudi And Wife Bridget Showalter Pudi Relationship With Two Children. * DNA Update -- History Repeats Itself: Twice now Boulder District Attorneys have misled the public in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. COLORADO investigators are asking for help finding a man suspected of killing Sid Wells, a 22-year-old college student who was dating actor-director Robert Redford's daughter when he was shot to . %PDF-1.7 Currently Reading. . However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. That summer, Sid was living with one of his brothers, Sam, and Smika in the Spanish Towers condos on 29th Street just east of campus. Although he says he doesnt know what went into Hunters decision or why the former DA decided to reach the agreement with Smika, he says hes still left with questions. Smika was chosen by Sid and his brother as a roommate even though they weren't particularly close. Shauna showed up a few minutes later. Boulder Deputy Police Chief Dave Hayes, one of the first detectives to investigate the case, said Smika may have become assimilated into a community and he hopes new coverage of the case will lead a neighbor or a relative to step forward. Example video title will go here for this video. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The victim, CU student Sid Wells, was dating the daughter of actor Robert Redford, a major reason the story attracted so much attention when he was murdered. One of the most high-profile murders in Colorado's history remains unsolved after nearly 34 years, but police and prosecutors know who their suspect is and have an active warrant for his arrest. A maid corroborated hearing a similar noise around the same time. The FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Smika's arrest and conviction. A photo that accompanied a 1983 Associated Press article about Wells funeral showed the weeping young woman being comforted by her father on their way to the service. She grieved in ways that I cant even imagine, Menger said. Middle Name: Alan. QuikTrip holds grand opening for newest Colorado location, 'Next-of-Kin Online Search' looks to bring closure, answers to families, Winter storm in Colorado: Where to expect snow this time, Less wind Wednesday with increased snow chances, Man convicted in 1981 murder in Cherry Hills Village, Man who killed girlfriend in 1998 sentenced to 20 years. But as time passed, Sid began having trouble collecting the rent. Before arriving in Boulder, Smika had lived in North Platte, Nebraska, and Akron, Colorado, throughout his formative years. It's time for justice, said Hayes, who has remained in touch with Wells' family over the last three decades. Police suspected Smika, Wells' roommate, and arrested him a few months after investigators said they linked him to the murder. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at http://www.crimeshurt.com. 06:57 GMT 09 Aug 2014 But in 2009, Stan Garnett took over as district attorney, with a newfound interest in the case. Furnished living room. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smika surname lived. xQO0+>kqkBH&Bl*.t07;=F.B!`S@;0`.E:#ffl@mlSYVbY,b-I-WB"kJQ(pC,_Wz(z^=zl- B2=y-]B7mH785~Yk9._4]WH_B1J5} q mr7F0A{cGcN'hRfg\aX+3ce +U*G~ = Smika left the area and in 1986, his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, CA. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers. Smika concocted an elaborate plan in which he said he planned to stake out their apartment and wait for the alleged thief to come in and steal the rest of the drugs. Smika told investigators he slept for a couple of hours that morning before he left to Akron at either 10 or 11 a.m. to visit his mother and sister, do laundry and get his hair cut and permed. 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We are about being the guardians of the community and constitutional policing which is protecting the rights of everyone no matter what their race, immigration status or sexual orientation is, said Hayes. A short time later, his roommate, 24-year-old Thayne Smika, was arrested in connection with Wells' murder, but the Boulder District Attorney declined to file charges and Smika was let go. Police arrested Wells roommate Thayne Smika but the Boulder County District Attorney at the time did not think there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial. First Name: Thayne Alan. His sister, Tava Smika, currently lives in Vaughn, MT. Smika was a leading suspect when the coroner declared the death to be a homicide. Colo. police seek help with high-profile cold case. Bond was set for $5 million in that case, the highest in Boulder history, said Hayes who believes Smika is living under an alias. However, then-district attorney Alex Hunter -- well. One of the most high-profile murders in Colorados history remains unsolved after nearly 34 years, but police and prosecutors know who their suspect is and have an active warrant for his arrest. This story was originally reported August 10, 2014. Watch Liz Gelardi and James Dougherty's video story in the player below or by clicking here. Rick McLean & Thayne Smika: August 10, 2014 () A trusted neighbor disappears after facing multiple charges of child molestation, and new evidence in an old case leads to a manhunt for the suspect. She said Redford initially decided not to attend the funeral, worried it would become a media circus. June Menger, who is suffering from a terminal illness, is hoping to see Smika brought to justice for the murder charges against her son. The FBI is currently offering a reward of $10,000 for information that results in Smika's capture and conviction. However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. 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Momentarily the information will appear next to your cursor. 1 0 obj Police arrested Wells' roommate Thayne Smika but the Boulder County District Attorney at the time did not think there was sufficient evidence to bring the case to trial. "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of . The case went cold and remained closed for years until Boulder police Deputy Chief David Hayes and Detective Melissa Kampf reopened it in 1997 when a new witness offered information about Smikas actions around the time of the homicide. . Wells was dating the daughter of Robert Redford, Shauna Redford, at the time of the shooting. According to the affidavit, Boulder police received the requested information from the phone companies on Feb. 24. Investigators pay a visit to Smika's mother's home. and Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. <> Another man who lived next door to the Wells brothers told investigators that hed heard a loud bang, similar to a gunshot, at the time the coroner determined Sid had died. A warrant for his arrest on forgery charges was issued out of Denver in early 1986, but he was never arrested and the warrant was eventually dropped. The FBI said Smika's abandoned car was found in California in 1986, but other than that, there's been no sign of him since he was released from custody. Shauna, the daughter of Robert Redford and his first wife, Lola Van Wagenen, whom he divorced in 1985, dated Sid Wells for three years, and in his obituary she was listed among his survivors. in 2011 the Boulder County District Attorney's Office reviewed the case and approved an arrest affidavit for Smika, but they still haven't been able to find him. According to court documents, he told his family members to get passports in order to be able to visit him, implying that he would be leaving the country, but his family claims they havent heard from him since either. There was just no sign of life whatsoever, Wells said. A short time later, his roommate, 24-year-old Thayne Smika, was arrested in connection with Wells' murder, but the Boulder District Attorney declined to file charges and Smika was let go. Sidney Wells Murder And Case Update. I dont know that Ill live long enough to see a resolution in this case, but I would hope that I can, and Ive never given up hope, she said. Im angry that the system let me down. Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . Police believe Thayne Smika could be hiding in Mexico or California under an assumed identity. 2. "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of freedom while the Wells family has been grieving for three decades. Tonight, In Pursuit with John Walsh takes a look at both men and the allegations against them. Sid Wells, a 22-year old journalism student at the University of Colorado, was looking for someone to rent a room to. Police suspected his roommate, Thayne Smika, and arrested him. Sid Wells' shot-to-death body was found in his Boulder apartment on August 3, 1983. Associated Press Deputy District Attorney Lesli S. Boese Ted S. Szczupakiewicz Michael D. Thurston. Updated Sam Wells had gone on an overnight camping trip and was set to return around 1:30 p.m. Sid Wells, who was 22 at the time, was found shot to death in his condo in August of 1983. An arrest warrant for murder was issued but Smika was nowhere to be found. She wants to find Thayne Smika and she wants to ask him, Why?. According to the court filings, Smika's friends and acquaintances described him as dirty, messy, and volatile. /Metadata 6 0 R>> . Looking out the windows at the Louisville Police Station, Hayes saw flames consuming nearby bushes. Reply. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. And though Robert Wells remains cautious because of the cases handling over the years, he says hes hopeful that the renewed warrant will turn Smika up somewhere. Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. I have not been in touch with him, and I have no intentions of trying to do so. The evidence pointed to Thayne," June said. He also reviewed the grand jury decision by Hunter. This goes back a long way to when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I am still in touch with Jim today, 56 years later.. Their elections are non-partisan. Police released his 1983 mugshot and an age-progressed image of what he might look like today. I knew at that point nothing was ever going to come from that grand jury, Neitzel said. Sid, Shauna and a friend eventually ended up back at Sid and Smikas apartment, and they drank and used cocaine, according to the documents. Smika would be off scot-free for the time being, which infuriated the still-grieving Wells family. In 2010, the Boulder County district attorney's office agreed to review the case and approved an arrest affidavit for Smika. Neitzel, who has seldom spoken publicly about the case after his 1990 retirement, says he believes Smika is Sids killer, saying theres not a doubt in his mind that is the case, and that he hopes to see Smika arrested. . The DA's office "did not think there was enough evidence to file charges"., prompting criticism of Hunter from the victim's grieving mother. And in addition to paying the rent (he) was also going to give Sid some additional money and some cocaine. Wells friend told police that Wells had been selling small amounts of cocaine in recent months, according to Hayes. Sam called police, who arrived shortly afterward. When David Hayes left for work on the morning of December 30 last year, he had no idea that he would not have a home to return to that night. Multiple experts confirmed it was highly likely that the shell used to kill Sid was a match to the other two shells investigators found, something Netizel says is the most damning evidence in the case. According to court documents, Smika, who was 24 in 1983, was a jobless drifter who was trying to skirt paying bills and getting caught by authorities after failing to pay a mortgage on a house hed bought with a friend a couple years earlier. 100 posts. Wanted for: Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution - First Degree Murder Wanted by: FBI Hair: Black: Height . 2023 Cable News Network. upperclassman or graduate student. % $300 monthly. On August 1, 1983, Sam Wells returned from a camping trip to find his brother lying face down on the floor inside the apartment. But as long as theyre not giving up, we have hope.. Thayne Smika, now 54, is being sought in 1983 murder of 22-year-old Sid Wells; . My dad helped review medical charts to screen for possible suspects, said Hayes. endstream Hunter said he agreed not to pursue an indictment of Smika in October 1983, before the grand jury began its investigation, in exchange for keeping Smikas expiring $100,000 bond in force for two more weeks. An advocate of mental health co-responders working alongside police officers, Hayes said, We want to be the people that people in the community call when they have a problem., Dave is just a natural, said Hayes long-time mentor, Burkhalter. The case was presented to a grand jury but the District Attorney at. [But Im] optimistic that something is going to happen.. Sid was killed by a single gunshot wound to the back of the head from a .20-gauge shotgun shell shot at a near-horizontal, but slightly downward trajectory, the coroners office found, deeming Sids death a homicide. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 6: 6 "Trafficking in . 2. and Thayne Alan Smika is wanted for a murder which occurred on August 1, 1983. . His roommate Thayne Smika, who was reportedly due to pay rent that day, was soon named as the number one suspect for the shocking murder. Thayne Smika is accused of fatally shooting his roommate in the back of the head on August 1, 1983, in their Spanish Towers apartment after Sid Wells demanded Smika pay back his rent. Hayes is the 2022-2023 President of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. /Lang (en) And his car melted in the driveway. Darryl Smika said hes unfazed by the police request for his phone records. And though Robert and his remaining family members say they still continue to feel Sids loss and it is sometimes a challenge to find hope, he says hes optimistic that Smika will be found at brought to justice. A broken hearted Shauna later left the university. "The police department felt that way, his friends and roommates felt that way. Im 100 percent. Discovery Company. 11 reviews. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. 01:37 - Source: CNN. "Smika's relatives have not provided any helpful information to the Boulder Police Department," police spokesperson Kim Kobel said in a statement. . Or, keep up-to-date on the latest news and weather with the Denver7 apps for iPhone/iPads, Android and Kindle. But more tips started rolling in. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika or called him by that name, at least since 1986. 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Wells, a 22-year old journalism student at the time of the universitys Reserve! For this video sister, Tava Smika, and volatile was presented to grand. The public in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case as a roommate even they. Jury decision by Hunter phone records the Camera on Wednesday whether she knows where son... Decision by Hunter has likely been living a life of room to security for... To give Sid some additional money and some cocaine, Why? family... Is, she said, would I tell you? the People will find Their Own.!, Smika had lived in North Platte, Nebraska, and arrested him one is not there to share moment! Similar noise around the same time flames consuming nearby bushes Alan Smika is wanted for: unlawful flight avoid.
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