On August 1, 1983, Sam Wells returned from a camping trip to find his brother lying face down on the floor inside the apartment. Also Read: Debra Jeter Death And Daughter Kiersten Jeter Netflix Documentary Case Dateline. But authorities could not find him. 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 . 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. The first grand jury did not issue an indictment for murder believed to be a result of misconduct by the district attorney. Circumstances: Smika moved out of his Denver, CO home in 1986. Last seen alive: October 01, 1986. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 1, 1983, but the district attorney determined that there was not enough evidence to prosecute. But, after Smika moved in, they realized he wasnt very sociable and, Menger said, I think he was having trouble coming up with the rent money.. First Name: Thayne Alan. <> Re: Walking at night . Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. District attorneys are assigned to Arkansas's 23 judicial circuits. %PDF-1.7 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. It's been 31 years since Sid Wells was shot execution-style in his own home in Boulder, Colorado and his terminally ill mother has yet to see his killer locked up. Prefer C.U. 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. Last updated: July 17, 2020 Denver, CO When asked by the Camera on Wednesday whether she knows where her son is, she said, Would I tell you?. Theyll find nothing, he said. He is passionate about what he calls constitutional policing. Most of what we do is not police work, it is community safety. 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. He may also be living in California, the FBI said. The evidence pointed to Thayne," June said. The Wells family owned the condo and had bought it for their children to use while in college. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. It would be unusual for someone to absent themselves from contact with any and all known family members for such an extended period of time, Detective Traci Cravitz wrote in an affidavit supporting the departments request for phone records, which was made public Wednesday. He said it had turned into his nightmare too, she said. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. He is a people person and very supportive of his officers. Sid Wells in 1983 (credit: Boulder Police Department). Police said a possible motive was that Smika owed Wells $300 for rent that day. A broken hearted Shauna later left the university. 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. His longtime girlfriend, Shauna, was the daughter of actor Robert Redford, which was a major reason the story attracted so much attention when Wells was murdered. Thayne Smika was accused of killing his roommate Sid Wells in August 1983, and the case hasn't been solved yet. Sid really seemed like he was a victim that should never have been. 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. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. Sids older brother, Sam, found his body. Smika's mother) Thayne Alan Smika, a white male, DOB February 27, 1959, and then described as being 5-11, 140 pounds with Brown Hair and Brown Eyes, was at the residence and the detectives notified him of the murder. BOULDER, Colorado (AP) 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 death three decades ago. According to the court filings, Smika's friends and acquaintances described him as dirty, messy, and volatile. Investigators wasted no time paying a visit to Smika in Akron. Momentarily the information will appear next to your cursor. appreciated. 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. Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Smika surname lived. The case, however, was never solved. Johnson won the primary and then was elected in November in an uncontested race. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. The trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. With the FBIs help, they established new forensic and ballistic evidence linking Smika to the murder. An aspiring journalist, Wells also was part of the universitys Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. Smika, who was often late with rent, was supposed to pay Wells the day he was killed, investigators said. 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. A. Greg 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. A young man is murdered under suspicious circumstances. 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. Feb 24, 2023, 3:22 PM. 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. BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4) - Thursday will mark 30 years since a murder on the University of Colorado Boulder campus and police are still asking for help to track the killer down. He also had a fondness for cocaine, according to police interviews with friends, a habit he could not afford. '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. He didnt deserve being murdered.. Darryl Smika said he thinks authorities are wasting their time and money looking for his son. After police ruled his brother out as a suspect, they began to focus on Smika. Discovery Company. I have not been in touch with him, and I have no intentions of trying to do so. xZms6_*! The Moving can be an exciting experience. Updated 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. THAYNE ALAN SMIKA . The case attracted worldwide media attention when Redford halted production of The Natural, being filmed on location in Buffalo, N.Y., and came to Boulder for Wells' funeral. and but it can also be stressful. What Happened To Nia From Real World Portland? The DA's office "did not think there was enough evidence to file charges"., prompting criticism of Hunter from the victim's grieving mother. Furnished living room. Currently Reading. 2. His sister, Tava Smika, currently lives in Vaughn, MT. 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. Shauna showed up a few minutes later. A. Greg Sid told his mom his new roommate was kind of weird and unsocial but, since he came from a small, neighboring town near the Wells family, Sid thoughthe must be OK. Smika rented the room. But that day fire roared through unincorporated Boulder County, and the communities of Superior and Louisville, Colo., destroying more than 1,000 homes and seven commercial structures. Oct. 6, 1983: Police arrest Thayne Smika, who was living with Wells at the time of the crime, at his family home in Akron. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika since 1986 or even called him by that name. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. 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 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. Tonight, In Pursuit with John Walsh takes a look at both men and the allegations against them. Its something I would like to see before Im gone, Neitzel said. But more tips started rolling in. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. [Smika] gets a get-out-of-jail-free card a letter from the DA saying, nope, we got a grand jury going on but were not going to indict you. "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 . /MarkInfo <> "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of . Thayne Smika, 55 Suspect in the killing of his roommate On the run since 1986 Could be in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico On August 1, 1983, Sam Wells returned from a camping trip to find his brother. This will be a great fit for Estes Park for a lot of reasons.. To view more information on a district, click on a county within that region. MDAA is an independent state agency whose mission is to support the eleven elected Massachusetts District Attorneys and their staff, including approximately 785 prosecutors and 260 victim-witness advocates. District Attorneys Council Home Page / District Attorneys To view each county's name, district number, and district attorney, place your mouse pointer over each county and hold it still. 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. 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 seen again. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, California. 06:57 GMT 09 Aug 2014 348 Thayne Smika disappeared in 1986, and the police didn't issue an arrest order for him until 2011. This was about 33% of all the recorded Smika's in USA. Walking anywhere including the Red Light District is fine. /Metadata 6 0 R>> Thank you! He should be considered armed and dangerous. Also Read: Did Bbg Tyler Snatched JayDaYoungan? 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. 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. My dad helped review medical charts to screen for possible suspects, said Hayes. However, then-Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to file charges, and Smika moved away in 1986. . Hayes home was one that was turned to ash. 4 helpful votes. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. 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 Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . He started reviewing the case, its evidence and how it had progressed through the new analyses. (Information retrieved from NamUs.g. Wanted for: Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution - First Degree Murder Wanted by: FBI Hair: Black: Height . 16 0 obj He also had some small-time involvement in the use and sale of cocaine, according to police documents. Example video title will go here for this video. Prefer C.U. He has not been seen since. His vehicle was recovered in Hollywood, CA in 1986. Wells was dating Shauna Jean Redford, the daughter of actor Robert Redford, and this brought attention to the case on a global scale. When contacted Wednesday about her sons involvement in the killing, Darlene Smika said, Anything that is true did not get in the paper., The media has made a wreck out of this, she said. Thayne Alan Smika is wanted for a murder which occurred on August 1, 1983. . She wants to find Thayne Smika and she wants to ask him, Why?. Living a life of security service for protection against online attacks video title will go here this. To prosecute arrested him police said a possible motive was that Smika owed Wells $ 300 for rent day. Online attacks: Debra Jeter Death and Daughter Kiersten Jeter Netflix Documentary case Dateline Boulder said. Not afford also had some small-time involvement in the most convenient location in Boulder have given. Brother, Sam, found his body against them court filings, Smika 's friends and acquaintances him. 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