Smika was arrested on Oct. 6, 1983 for first-degree murder. After Boulder police gathered additional evidence in a case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. A maid corroborated hearing a similar noise around the same time. On August 1, 1983, Sam Wells returned from a camping trip to find his brother lying face down on the floor inside the apartment. Following an investigation, authorities discovered Sid had been killed by a single shot fired at a slight downward angle from a.20-gauge shotgun. 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. 2. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 2 0 obj 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 FBI speculated that Thyane Smika might also reside in California. Last updated: July 17, 2020 Denver, CO Now it comes down to finding a man who hasnt been seen or identified in 31 years. They also found a box of shells with three missing. Comments Circumstances: Smika moved out of his Denver, CO home in 1986. /Metadata 6 0 R>> 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 . 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. 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. Im still hopeful, Robert said. Thayne'scloset included a.20-gauge shotgun, cartridges, a box of shells, three shells of which were missing. Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at http://www.crimeshurt.com. Shauna quit college. DENVER In August 1983, Sid Wells was 22 years old and about to enter his senior year at CU Boulder with dreams of becoming a broadcast journalist. That, according to police interviews, made for easy pickings for Smika, who was apparently one of only two people aside from Sid who knew where he kept his stash. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. The first grand jury did not issue an indictment for murder believed to be a result of misconduct by the district attorney. Thank you! Last Name: Smika. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. $300 monthly. The police arrested Smika in connection with the killing two months after it occurred, on Aug . "Maybe somebody will see something, maybe they'll remember something and they'll call us up and give us some information," Boulder Police Detective Commander Thomas Trujillo said. New DA furthers investigation, obtains new arrest warrant. But he had plenty of other friends and acquaintances. $300 monthly. Im still hopeful. Got a tip? Jihad Ramadan is wanted by U.S. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. Thayne Alan Smika is wanted for a murder which occurred on August 1, 1983. . Smikas friends and acquaintances thought Smika to be messy, unkempt and temperamental, according to the court documents. Under Garnett, an arrest warrant was issued for Thayne Smika, a roommate of Wells' and a longtime suspect in the case. He spent a little over half an hour airing out his sleeping bag and cleaning out his car before going upstairs to his apartment. I dont know why anybody would enter into an agreement like that. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. Marshals photo. 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. Currently Reading. Detective Tom Dowd may be reached at 303-441-3385. Shauna went back to her place, which was also in Spanish Towers, and Sid, Smika and the other man stayed back and did more cocaine into the early morning hours. Shortly after, his roommate, Thayne Smika, 24, was arrested in connection with the murder of Wells; however, the Boulder District Attorney decided not to file charges, and Smika was released. The guy who you believe has done it has never been brought to justice, Robert said. Report inappropriate content . Hayes graduated from a joint Boulder Police Department-Boulder Sheriffs Office Academy and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology and political science from Metropolitan State University of Denver. district attorney noun Synonyms of district attorney : the prosecuting officer of a judicial district Example Sentences Recent Examples on the Web His intent is to reveal what happened within the district attorney 's office during his year there. A. Greg Sids mother, June Menger, describes her youngest son as a good-looking, vivacious, young man who was interning at a local television station and wanted to fly jets for the U.S. Navy. Before arriving in Boulder, Smika had lived in North Platte, Nebraska, and Akron, Colorado, throughout his formative years. I have not been in touch with him, and I have no intentions of trying to do so. My dad helped review medical charts to screen for possible suspects, said Hayes. One man who lived across the street from Spanish Towers told detectives he was certain hed seen Smika walking quickly and strangely across the parking lot with something long and stiff shoved up his sleeve. Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines. /StructTreeRoot 5 0 R 100 posts. Discovery Company. Were revictimized on a daily basis because our loved one is not there to share that moment with us. While Smika was arrested on Oct. 6, 1983, about two months after the slaying, then-District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to charge him, saying there wasn't enough evidence. For nearly five decades as a police officer, Hayes has been on the helping side in situations of crisis and tragedy. 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The district attorney's office in Boulder County . Smika would be off scot-free for the time being, which infuriated the still-grieving Wells family. 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. TRAITS & CHARACTERISTICS: Height: 5 feet 11 inches Weight: 140 pounds at the time of the incident Sex: Male Race: White Eyes: Hazel Place of Birth: North Dakota Hair: Brown, could be sun-bleached /MarkInfo <> She said she isn't bitter about the delays in getting a murder warrant. 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. 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. Sid, Shauna and a friend eventually ended up back at Sid and Smikas apartment, and they drank and used cocaine, according to the documents. The case was presented to a grand jury but the District Attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, did not believe he had enough evidence to try Smika and released him from custody. 348 Marshal Walsh shines a light on the current search for Jihad Ramadan, who is . UNDATED: Thayne Smika is seen in a photo provided by the Boulder, Colo., Police Department. In Sids obituary, Shauna was listed as survivor, girlfriend and best friend. Why? he wonders. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. He went on to work in law enforcement and as a special agent, and has since founded the Families of Colorado Murder Victims and Missing Persons (FOHVAMP), which helps families of victims in unsolved murder and missing persons crimes seek help in closing their cases. Sids case went mostly cold over the next 20-or-so years, but Boulder investigators over the years continued to try and use new forensic technologies to see if they could glean any more evidence from what they had in storage. Allegedly Arrested For Murder, Danny Pudi And Wife Bridget Showalter Pudi Relationship With Two Children. Investigators pay a visit to Smika's mother's home. Also Read: Did Bbg Tyler Snatched JayDaYoungan? Smika was eventually let out of custody, and stayed around the area for a couple years. Thayne Smika disappeared in 1986, and the police didn't issue an arrest order for him until 2011. * DNA Update -- History Repeats Itself: Twice now Boulder District Attorneys have misled the public in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. THAYNE ALAN SMIKA . Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. Smika's abandoned car was discovered in California in 1986. It all started with this classified ad in the Boulder Daily Camera, January, 1983. Thanyne Smika (CBS/KCNC) CBS/KCNC Smika was arrested in the killing two months later but wasn't charged. I dont know why the grand jury was handled the way it was. 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. How in the world could this possibly happen? Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings. The suspect, roommate Thayne Smika, has been on the run since 1986 over theft charges. Wells' brother found his body August 1, 1983, in Wells' Spanish Towers condominium. He also reviewed the grand jury decision by Hunter. So thats when we started thinking maybe Thayne isnt so innocent.. . But more tips started rolling in. 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. - DNA Not from a Single Intruder: In 2016 Boulder's Daily Camera and Denver's 9News obtained the crime scene DNA report and their undisputed analysis found that in two of the three DNA specimens, the "a 3rd person's . "Smika's relatives have not provided any helpful information to the Boulder Police Department," police spokesperson Kim Kobel said in a statement. 5:59 PM EDT, Fri July 10, 2015. Theyll find nothing, he said. When asked by the Camera on Wednesday whether she knows where her son is, she said, Would I tell you?. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika since 1986 or even called him by that name. Smika left the area and in 1986, his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, CA. Wells' mother, June Menger, said that Boulder investigators have been dogged in their work to solve the case. Boulder police release new sketches of Smika. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. papa's burgeria hacked; superhero universe codes; wicked tuna paul died; why was matt houston cancelled; petey jones remember the titans character analysis 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. According to Detective Hayes, This is not a whodunit, but rather a 'where is he?'. 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. Hayes never gave up on getting justice for the Wells family and, in 1997, Boulder police reopened the case. Smikas last contact with authorities was in October 1986, and his vehicle was last located in Beverly Hills, Calif., without any paperwork and with stolen license plates, according to the affidavit. 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. The door was unlocked, as it typically was. Police ask anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact them. For 30 years hes been doggedly trying to solve this cold case. 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. An additional 149 homes and 30 other buildings were also damaged. Honorary U.S. endobj Sid Wells, who was 22 at the time, was found shot to death in his condo in August of 1983. However, then-district attorney Alex Hunter -- well. Things were going as planned for Smika, according to the documents, late on July 31. 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. According to the affidavit, Boulder police received the requested information from the phone companies on Feb. 24. In the summer of 1983, 22-year-old Sid Wells was living with his older brother in their familys Boulder, Colorado, condominium and studying journalism at the University of Colorado. But he came anyway because of his close friendship with Wells. Arkansas's prosecutors are known as Prosecuting Attorneys. But Sid was rarely home, according to friends, and was often with Shauna when he wasnt working or at school. Robert was enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard at the time of his brothers death, but has long maintained an active role in the investigation. Smika had spent his younger days in North Platte, Nebraska and Akron, Colorado before eventually making his way to Boulder. He was in debt, ducking out on bills and hiding from authorities, and was said to be sloppy, usually unemployed, moody, and easily set off by those who knew him. When Wells was assassinated, he had just started his final year at the University of Colorado and was 22 years old. Smika, who was often late with rent, was supposed to pay Wells the day he was killed, investigators said. Assistant District Attorney Kevin M. Osborne Mary C. Brejcha Jayne Davis Dewire Andrea M. Will Lindsey H. Hirt Abbey L. Nickolie Melissa J. Zilavy Shawn N. Woller Kristina J. Gordon Jack A. Pitzo Molly M. Schmidt Zachary A. Wittchow News. Wells had been shot in the back of the head at close range. <> But he wouldnt know that until later that evening. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. In 2017, Hayes bought a home in Estes Park with the thought that he would eventually retire in the community. Thayne Smika is wanted for the 1983 slaying of his roommate, who was dating Robert Redford's daughter at the time. 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. He had a warrant for his arrest for the charge of Forgery and he was also the suspect in a 1983 Boulder, CO Homicide. 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. Smika was arrested for the homicide in 1983, however the DA at the time declined prosecution and Smika disappeared in 1986. 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. Sydney Sid Wells was a promising student at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he studied journalism and was a member of the Navy ROTC program. 06:57 GMT 09 Aug 2014 In his freshman year, hed fallen head-over-heels for a girl in his dorm named Shauna. His home of 32 years, where he raised two daughters, was a half mile from the police station, but Hayess attention was on a joint operation with area sheriff, police and fire departments. Boulder police are asking for help finding Smika, suspected of killing Sid Wells, a 22-year-old. A young man is murdered under suspicious circumstances. The documents detail several personal timelines from people interviewed by detectives that investigators say show Smika was his killer. To view more information on a district, click on a county within that region. They felt like he was a good candidate for a roommate, the brothers mother June Menger recalled. An autopsy showed Wells was shot execution-style at point-blank range in the back of the head with a 20-gauge shotgun. . Prefer C.U. 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. Published on September 2019 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 6 | Comments: 0 | Views: 288 of 46 <> He also had a fondness for cocaine, according to police interviews with friends, a habit he could not afford. . . You all made up your own stories.. Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, Calif. Robert Redford said in 1997 that Wells' murder still haunted him. Smika was arrested on Oct. 6, 1983, two months after the slaying, but then-district attorney Alex Hunter (A&S'59, Law'63) declined to charge him, saying there wasn't enough evidence. Smika's bail was set at $5million after the warrant was issued. [But Im] optimistic that something is going to happen.. 'The Hunt': Thayne Smika . '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. Thayne Smika is wanted for first-degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. 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. She grieved in ways that I cant even imagine, Menger said. Did you encounter any technical issues? The comments below have not been moderated, By Prosecutors at the time of the killing lacked the evidence techniques that have since allowed detectives to link shotgun pellets recovered from Wells' body to shells found at the Smika family residence in Akron, Menger said. Its disturbing on so many levels.. Johnson won the primary and then was elected in November in an uncontested race. stream (Information retrieved from NamUs.g. 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 In 2022 Hayes was a Democratic primary candidate for Sheriff in Boulder County running against Curtis Johnson, a division chief with the Boulder County Sheriffs Office. Sids older brother, Sam, found his body. "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of . 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. But he got home early, around 11:45 a.m. July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smika surname lived. Wells friend told police that the morning of Wells death, Smika was supposed to return some money to Sid, according to former Boulder County deputy chief Dave Hayes. X27 ; s office in Boulder, Smika had lived in North Platte Nebraska., on Aug DNA Update -- History Repeats Itself: Twice now Boulder district Attorneys have the... He came anyway because of his close friendship with Wells did not issue indictment. Out of his Denver, CO home in 1986 and in 1986 support in order to view more on... The district attorney at the time declined to take the case 1986 and... Case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest order for him until.! 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