Smika had spent his younger days in North Platte, Nebraska and Akron, Colorado before eventually making his way to Boulder. Police ask anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact them. . Police believe Thayne Smika could be hiding in Mexico or California under an assumed identity. 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. A grand jury failed to indict him, and two previous Boulder County district. They felt like he was a good candidate for a roommate, the brothers mother June Menger recalled. 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. Smika's bail was set at $5million after the warrant was issued. Marshals in connection with a 2005 stabbing and Thayne Smika is wanted by the FBI for murder. Sam and Sid Wells needed a third roommate to help with rent, so they posted an ad which was answered by 24-year-old Thayne Smika, a Colorado State University graduate from Akron in eastern Colorado. Sids mom could not believe it. The day before a long-sought arrest warrant in the high-profile 1983 slaying of Sid Wells was unsealed, Boulder police simultaneously called six relatives of prime suspect Thayne Smika to ask whether they had any information on the 52-year-olds whereabouts, according to newly released court records. 4 helpful votes. Did you encounter any technical issues? It's like a partially opened door with a very dark room behind it, he said. To date, the trail has been cold, but Boulder police said they have not given up. 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. Detectives couldnt be reached Wednesday to comment on whether they obtained any leads from the family members phones. By Vicky Collins, Dateline NBCIt's an unsolved mystery involving a beautiful college town, a picture-perfect young couple and even a movie star.It all started with this classified ad in the Boulder Daily Camera, January, 1983.SPANISH Towers Luxury Condominiums. On August 1, 1983, just before Sid began his senior year, he died from a single 20-gauge shotgun wound to the back of the head. Hayes father was a Denver physician who became ill and had to step back from his medical practice. Things were going as planned for Smika, according to the documents, late on July 31. 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. Boulder police issued a statement Wednesday saying they're looking for Thayne Smika, who is still being sought after a murder warrant was issued for his . So he started putting together another arrest warrant for Smika, which Boulder County District Court Judge Roxanne Balin approved on Dec. 2, 2010 more than 27 years after Sids murder. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers. Looking out the windows at the Louisville Police Station, Hayes saw flames consuming nearby bushes. The police arrested Smika in connection with the killing two months after it occurred, on Aug . www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Recent information indicates he may be living near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. One of the doctors in his fathers practice, Zdenka Kalendovsky, a neurologist who had immigrated from Czechoslovakia, was shot to death in the clinics parking lot. ;}v;LZ%^(R(;_/"-Rqnv};!;.cs|CGA6. 01:37 - Source: CNN. <> June Menger, who is suffering from a terminal illness, is hoping to see Smika brought to justice for the murder charges against her son. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. But he wouldnt know that until later that evening. He also had some small-time involvement in the use and sale of cocaine, according to police documents. Smika was also profiled in the January 23, 2019 episode of the Investigation Discovery series In Pursuit with John Walsh. Sid really seemed like he was a victim that should never have been. . His vehicle was recovered in Hollywood, CA in 1986. But he was perhaps best-known around town in 1983 for being the guy who was dating Robert Redfords daughter, Shauna, who was also a student at CU at the time. It all started with this classified ad in the Boulder Daily Camera, January, 1983. Smika was arrested on Oct. 6, 1983 for first-degree murder. /MarkInfo <> Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. They also found a box of shells with three missing. 7 Thayne Smika Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 7 Thayne Smika Premium High Res Photos Browse 7 thayne smika stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. Or, keep up-to-date on the latest news and weather with the Denver7 apps for iPhone/iPads, Android and Kindle. For 30 years hes been doggedly trying to solve this cold case. That same year Hayes joined the Louisville Police Department at the age of 20. I knew at that point nothing was ever going to come from that grand jury, Neitzel said. Sam called police, who arrived shortly afterward. However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Frozen Dead Guy Days live music and entertainment lineup announced, Estes Womens Monument given prestigious history award, Perspectives: Watched by Howard P. 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The case, however, was never solved. She believes Smika has had some very good cover for 30 years and has also had help staying off the grid. After a cold case investigation in December 2010 an arrest warrant for the murder was issued. Sid, Shauna and a friend eventually ended up back at Sid and Smikas apartment, and they drank and used cocaine, according to the documents. It is his decision to solve this problem his way, and I have honored it.. The grand jury was the biggest shock for my family and the most difficult thing to deal with, said Robert Wells, Sids older brother. 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 100 posts. Sid and his brother needed a roommate and settled on Smika, but they werent close friends. UNDATED: Thayne Smika is seen in a photo provided by the Boulder, Colo., Police Department. 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. . His vehicle was recovered in Hollywood, CA in 1986. Robert Redford stopped production of his film The Natural so he and his family could attend Sids funeral. After Boulder police gathered additional evidence in a case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. By In December 2010, the Boulder County district attorney signed off on an arrest warrant accusing Thayne Smika of first degree murder, but he has yet to be located. 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. /Lang (en) 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. Earlier this month, Arias's present attorneys, Peg Green and Corey Engle, filed a 324-page appeal on behalf of the imprisoned murderer, asking that her conviction be overturned. In 2010, armed with more sophisticated forensic and ballistic evidence, he says he was once again able to pinpoint Thayne Smika as the likely killer. Police suspected his roommate, Thayne Smika, and arrested him. A Denver district attorney has called parts of Colorado, "the Wild West of weed." Sales across state lines have pitted one legal jurisdiction against another, as marijuana laws differ widely around the country. IE 11 is not supported. Associated Press, June Menger, the mother of murdered 22-year-old college student Sid Wells, hasn't given up hope police will find his killer, Thayne Smika, now 54, is being sought in 1983 murder of 22-year-old Sid Wells, Wells was found dead from 20-gauge shotgun blast to the back of the head in his home, Well had been dating Robert Redford's daughter, Shauna, for three years, Police believe Smika, Well's ex-roommate, has been living under alias, 'Did the HPV vaccine kill my daughter': Mother demands answers after healthy and active daughter, 12, collapses and dies after getting vaccine, Murder charges could be brought against gunman who tried to assassinate Reagan after coroner rules death this week of press secretary paralyzed in attack is homicide, Pupils take to TikTok as they stage protest at Shenfield High School, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Shocking video shows machete fight playing out in broad daylight, Cops smashes window and rescue two kids from a parked car, Moment pastor FOILS armed robbery after praying for gunmen, TikTok video shows Unity Academy Blackpool pupils protesting, Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Dramatic moment police cars chase driver moments before smash. A year later he joined the Boulder Police Department where he worked for 36 years before returning to the Louisville Police Department in 2014 to serve as their Chief of Police. In 2010, the Boulder County district attorney's office agreed to review the case and approved an arrest affidavit for Smika. . Their elections are non-partisan. Got a tip? Smika was arrested for the homicide in 1983, however the DA at the time declined prosecution and Smika disappeared in 1986. Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines. 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. Thayne Smika for decades has been considered the main suspect in the death of Wells, 22, who was living with his brother and Smika in Boulders Spanish Towers when his body was found Aug. 1, 1983, shot to death execution-style. Example video title will go here for this video. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, California. There was blood spatter underneath the note, which would mean the note was written after the death, Neitzel said. THAYNE ALAN SMIKA . It was January nearly 18 years after a brown-eyed 5-year-old girl named Aleszandra "Alie" Berrelez vanished from the courtyard outside her Englewood apartment, sparking a four-day hunt that ended. An additional 149 homes and 30 other buildings were also damaged. Then-District Attorney Alex Hunter made a deal with Smika's. , updated This was about 33% of all the recorded Smika's in USA. Oklahoma had the highest population of Smika families in 1920. 'I don't know that I'll live long enough to see a resolution in this case, but I would hope that I can, and I've never given up hope,' she told CNN. If Thayne was innocent, she says, he would want to clear his name and live a normal life rather than hide out., For June, Sids death is as fresh as if it just happened. 2 0 obj Police and prosecutors know their suspect and have a warrant out for his arrest. at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Thayne.. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, Calif. Wells'. Wells' brother found his body August 1, 1983, in Wells' Spanish Towers condominium. The district attorney's office in Boulder County . During his boyhood, Hayes thought about becoming a priest, but an interaction with a Denver police officer, R. James Burkhalter, helped him decide what he wanted to be. Photo from the Boulder Daily Camera Spring 2011 Campus News A grand jury convened to investigate the homicide, but failed issue an indictment in 1985 after Hunter made a clandestine deal with Smikas public defender. With the Marshall Fire, he experienced being a victim, something he says has given him an increased sense of empathy in working with others. Police and the family believe he changed his name and disappeared. In 1997, a police officer posing as a journalism student talked to Smika's mother, who said her son had changed his name because he was afraid for his life because he knew who the real killer was. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. He had a warrant for his arrest for the charge of Forgery and he was also the suspect in a 1983 Boulder, CO Homicide. Its something she and her family have never gotten over. A maid corroborated hearing a similar noise around the same time. 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. Sid, it turns out, had a decent amount of the drug reportedly spending around $2,000 for an ounce at one point, though it wasnt clear how he got the money. According to the FBI, Thayne Smika hasn't been seen since he was freed from detention. The trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. Sids older brother, Sam, found his body. Boulder police believe he may have a new identity and he may be working as a bookkeeper or accountant. Wells and Redford's daughter Shauna, then 22 years old, were both students at the University of Colorado and lived in the same building. Smikas friends and acquaintances thought Smika to be messy, unkempt and temperamental, according to the court documents. For a list of Offices and access to their websites, either select "Directory of District Attorney Offices" or select a location on the map. Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Jihad Ramadan is wanted by U.S. 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. 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. The story made headlines across Boulder County when Smika was tabbed as a suspect, though a friend was quoted in the paper as saying hed said the other man whom Smika had allegedly stolen the drugs and money from was to blame. Smikas family members were informed at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 12 that authorities had obtained a warrant to arrest Smika on suspicion of first-degree murder, and all of them except his mother denied knowing anything about where Smika might be hiding, according to police. / CBS Colorado. Judicial Circuit County(ies) Prosecuting Attorney 1st Cross, Lee, Monroe, Phillips, St. Francis, Woodruff: Todd Murray After police ruled his brother out as a suspect, they began to focus on Smika. When she came back around 12:15 p.m., her boyfriend was dead. He may also be living in California, the FBI said. Arkansas's prosecutors are known as Prosecuting Attorneys. However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. He is passionate about what he calls constitutional policing. Most of what we do is not police work, it is community safety. How in the world could this possibly happen? In 2017, Hayes bought a home in Estes Park with the thought that he would eventually retire in the community. Smika charged, but DA's deal throws case into disarray. Wells was entering his senior year at the University of Colorado, and his death drew international attention because he was dating actor Robert Redfords daughter, Shauna Redford, at the time. upperclassman or graduate student. For his first date with Shauna Redford, the two went to an ROTC dance, the site Daily Camera reported. Honorary U.S. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much It kind of rips you to the core, Robert said. But he came anyway because of his close friendship with Wells. LinnyT. Boulder police are asking for help finding Smika, suspected of killing Sid Wells, a 22-year-old. Hayes never gave up on getting justice for the Wells family and, in 1997, Boulder police reopened the case. Wind gusts were clocked at 70 to 100 mph. In August 1983, Hunter was publicly criticized for his failure to file charges against Thayne Smika in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Sid Wells. 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 . A. Greg 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. %PDF-1.7 Thayne, WY Attorney (307) 883-9972 Duke University School of Law University of Wyoming California, Wyoming and U.S. Supreme Court Wyoming State Bar and Member, State Bar of California When Wells was assassinated, he had just started his final year at the University of Colorado and was 22 years old. The following week, Smika's mother posts a $100,000 bond, and. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. The case was presented to a grand jury but the District Attorney at. 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