. BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - 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' 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. Burkhalter, who had become a homicide detective, thought that the suspect might be a former patient at the clinic. Its something I would like to see before Im gone, Neitzel said. 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. "It's past time for justice for Sid Wells and his family," Deputy Chief Dave Hayes said. Wells' mother June Menger says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her, even though she never saw her son married. Smikas friends and acquaintances thought Smika to be messy, unkempt and temperamental, according to the court documents. Police and the family believe he changed his name and disappeared. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. upperclassman or graduate student. 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 New DA furthers investigation, obtains new arrest warrant. Sid didnt learn until later that Shauna was the daughter of actor Robert Redford. In his freshman year, hed fallen head-over-heels for a girl in his dorm named Shauna. Why? he wonders. To that end, investigators requested and received a court order earlier this year to obtain records related to the phones belonging to six of Smikas family members including the phone numbers of calls dialed and received, as well as physical addresses, longitude and latitude, and GPS coordinates of cell towers used in those calls. at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. 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. Things were going as planned for Smika, according to the documents, late on July 31. "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. 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. 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. Those who have information but wish to remain anonymous may contact the Northern Colorado Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. 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 . Redford said in 1997 that Wells' murder still haunted him. Save. % Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 4 helpful votes. For the past three years, Wells had been dating Shauna Redford, daughter of actor Robert Redford, and she had seen him just a few hours before he was killed. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. Furnished living room. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, California. 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. Im angry that the system let me down. However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. 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The Wells family owned the condo and had bought it for their children to use while in college. But part of his story didnt add up from the beginning: His mother was away on a trip to Fort Collins all week. Smika left the area and in 1986, his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, CA. / CBS Colorado. . 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. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at http://www.crimeshurt.com. It's like a partially opened door with a very dark room behind it, he said. You all made up your own stories.. 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. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. For his first date with Shauna Redford, the two went to an ROTC dance, the site Daily Camera reported. Smika would be off scot-free for the time being, which infuriated the still-grieving Wells family. /Lang (en) In Sids obituary, Shauna was listed as survivor, girlfriend and best friend. 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. 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. 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. District attorneys are assigned to Arkansas's 23 judicial circuits. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. Stories worth watching 16 videos. - 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 . He says he was confident in his work and the departments conclusions. 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. He also had a fondness for cocaine, according to police interviews with friends, a habit he could not afford. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. 100 posts. 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. He has not been seen since. 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. 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. 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. The police said that new evidence and advances in forensic technology had convinced them to refocus on the only suspect ever named, Thayne Alan Smika , now . "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of . How can a district attorney actually handle his grand jury in such a manner? IE 11 is not supported. Looking out the windows at the Louisville Police Station, Hayes saw flames consuming nearby bushes. Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika since 1986 or even called him by that name. 16 0 obj Sid Wells in 1983 (credit: Boulder Police Department). Lakewood, Ohio. This process is automatic. The whole thing was extremely frustrating.. Stories worth watching (13 Videos) Roommate missing after killing Wells was dating Shauna Jean Redford, the daughter of actor Robert Redford, and this brought attention to the case on a global scale. Then-District Attorney Alex Hunter made a deal with Smika's. Associated Press But Smika was still off the radar, and nobody had looked at any of the new evidence hard enough to pursue new charges. Boulder police are asking for help finding Smika, suspected of killing Sid Wells, a 22-year-old. Momentarily the information will appear next to your cursor. Sid Wells' shot-to-death body was found in his Boulder apartment on August 3, 1983. He said it had turned into his nightmare too, she said. Thanyne Smika (CBS/KCNC) CBS/KCNC Smika was arrested in the killing two months later but wasn't charged. My view is the warrant couldve been approved long ago, and had it been, its possible that Mr. Smika mightve been found more quickly, Garnett said. When asked by the Camera on Wednesday whether she knows where her son is, she said, Would I tell you?. A grand jury failed to indict him, and two previous Boulder County district. 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. 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 . But I hope its solved with the criminal who did it, not with my son being convicted of something he didnt do.. appreciated. Sid Wells, a 22-year old journalism student at the University of Colorado, was looking for someone to rent a room to. Smika allegedly stole around 7 grams of cocaine from Sid on two different occasions, according to the court documents. but it can also be stressful. Detectives couldnt be reached Wednesday to comment on whether they obtained any leads from the family members phones. A nearby chair had been overturned, and the coffee table was moved aside. Theyll find nothing, he said. He loved the way her hair fell over her eyes. Finding Smika is especially urgent because June Menger is now battling stage four cancer and would like closure and justice for her son in her lifetime. The district attorney's office in Boulder County . Several other rounds of DNA testing at labs across the country, including the FBI Laboratory, turned up scant evidence directly linking Smika to Sids murder, though they did find some circumstantial blood evidence. I dont know why anybody would enter into an agreement like that. Prefer C.U. 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. But as time passed, Sid began having trouble collecting the rent. Im 100 percent. Thayne'scloset included a.20-gauge shotgun, cartridges, a box of shells, three shells of which were missing. In 1920 there were 2 Smika families living in Oklahoma. 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. I dont know why anyone would ever agree ahead of time not to respect the decision that a grand jury is going to return.. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika or called him by that name, at least since 1986. Hayes worked on many cocaine cases in the 1970s and 1980s and was an investigator in the 1983 homicide of Sid Wells a University of Colorado student who was dating Robert Redfords daughter Shauna. Circumstances: Smika moved out of his Denver, CO home in 1986. 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. 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. Missing. It's an unsolved mystery involving a beautiful college town, a picture-perfect young couple and even a movie star. District Attorney Susan L. Opper. Call 1-866-THE-HUNT (In Mexico: 0188000990546) or click here. In December 2012, a judge signed an arrest warrant for Smika after Boulder police developed more evidence in the case. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika - or called him by that name, at least - since 1986. Thayne Smika was accused of killing his roommate Sid Wells in August 1983, and the case hasn't been solved yet. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Then they learned that prosecutors had declined to charge Smika with the killing, saying there wasnt enough evidence. Police in 2011 issued a first-degree-murder arrest warrant for Thayne Smika, 54, . According to Detective Hayes, This is not a whodunit, but rather a 'where is he?'. July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM 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 trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. The trail has been frozen, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. Wells' brother found his body August 1, 1983, in Wells' Spanish Towers condominium. It all started with this classified ad in the Boulder Daily Camera, January, 1983. There was just no sign of life whatsoever, Wells said. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. /MarkInfo <> First published on July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM. 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