Boulder detectives suspect that Smikas parents and siblings upon learning of the new warrant, which was signed by a judge Dec. 2 and placed under seal might have alerted him to the fact that police were ready to arrest him, according to court documents. endobj Sam Wells had gone on an overnight camping trip and was set to return around 1:30 p.m. Wells was found shot to death in his Boulder apartment on Aug. 3, 1983. but it can also be stressful. 01:37 - Source: CNN. 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. She believes Smika has had some very good cover for 30 years and has also had help staying off the grid. Smika, who shared an apartment with Sid Wells in the plush Spanish Towers condominium complex near the CU campus, was arrested late Thursday at his mother's home in the eastern Colorado farming. Wells and Redford's daughter Shauna, then 22 years old, were both students at the University of Colorado and lived in the same building. 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. Last seen alive: October 01, 1986. For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings.Si. and The comments below have not been moderated, By 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. Walking anywhere including the Red Light District is fine. 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. Smika had spent his younger days in North Platte, Nebraska and Akron, Colorado before eventually making his way to Boulder. 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. 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. Last Name: Smika. This will be a great fit for Estes Park for a lot of reasons.. Following his release from detention, they claimed it's conceivable Thayne spent a significant amount of time living in Yelapa, Mexico. Police believe Thayne Smika could be hiding in Mexico or California under an assumed identity. But in 2009, Stan Garnett took over as district attorney, with a newfound interest in the case. 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. Furnished living room. Sids older brother, Sam, found his body. In Sids obituary, Shauna was listed as survivor, girlfriend and best friend. Following an investigation, authorities discovered Sid had been killed by a single shot fired at a slight downward angle from a.20-gauge shotgun. 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. 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 . 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. Source: CNN. 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. Smika says he told Sid about the trip the night before. Smika told the detectives that a possible suspect was Craig Evans, a man Smika said had been stealing cocaine from the victim. 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. Tonight, In Pursuit with John Walsh takes a look at both men and the allegations against them. 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. 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. Boulder police release new sketches of Smika. . 11 reviews. 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. The door was unlocked, as it typically was. The suspect, roommate Thayne Smika, has been on the run since 1986 over theft charges. A. Greg Reply. Photo from the Boulder Daily Camera Spring 2011 Campus News The DA's office "did not think there was enough evidence to file charges"., prompting criticism of Hunter from the victim's grieving mother. 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. 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. However, then-Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to file charges, and Smika moved away in 1986. . A grand jury was derailed by Hunter two years later, according to the Camera. Thayne Smika, who is believed to be living under an assumed identity, would be 54 now. I dont want him to go through this for something he did not do, Darryl Smika said. Hayes home was one that was turned to ash. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika or called him by that name, at least since 1986. 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 06:57 GMT 09 Aug 2014 With the Marshall Fire, he experienced being a victim, something he says has given him an increased sense of empathy in working with others. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. He is a people person and very supportive of his officers. 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. They can do all they want, but I have had no contact with 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. 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' The Wells family owned the condo and had bought it for their children to use while in college. After a cold case investigation in December 2010 an arrest warrant for the murder was issued. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. Published on September 2019 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 6 | Comments: 0 | Views: 288 of 46 An additional 149 homes and 30 other buildings were also damaged. Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 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 spent a little over half an hour airing out his sleeping bag and cleaning out his car before going upstairs to his apartment. Thank you! Thayne Smika, a 24-year old college dropout, answered the ad. Police and the family believe he changed his name and disappeared. Hayes is the 2022-2023 President of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. Watch Liz Gelardi and James Dougherty's video story in the player below or by clicking here. My brother is dead, and Im angry that the system didnt work better then. Smika left the area and in 1986, his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, CA. Following the murder, Shauna went on to marry university professor Eric Schlosser, the best-selling author of Fast Food Nation. For his first date with Shauna Redford, the two went to an ROTC dance, the site Daily Camera reported. 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. The FBI is currently offering a reward of $10,000 for information that results in Smika's capture and conviction. Link Copied! Smika's family says the last time they heard from him was in 1986, when he said he was leaving town. They also found a box of shells with three missing. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings. [KGOV updated this report on Oct. 28, 2019.] 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. It is his decision to solve this problem his way, and I have honored it.. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers. 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. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika - or called him by that name, at least - since 1986. Wells' mother, June Menger, said that Boulder investigators have been dogged in their work to solve the case. According to Trujillo, if Thayne Smika is still alive, he will eventually be caught, charged, and the case will be closed. 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. The Moving can be an exciting experience. How in the world could this possibly happen? Example video title will go here for this video. When Wells was assassinated, he had just started his final year at the University of Colorado and was 22 years old. Thayne Alan Smika is wanted for a murder which occurred on August 1, 1983. . On August 1, 1983, Sam Wells returned from a camping trip to find his brother lying face down on the floor inside the apartment. Authorities said Smika may be working in the real estate or financial industry. 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. 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. Subscribe For 30 years hes been doggedly trying to solve this cold case. 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. In his freshman year, hed fallen head-over-heels for a girl in his dorm named Shauna. This past February, when Estes Parks Police Chief Wes Kufeld announced that he would be stepping down in May after 34 years with department, 14 as chief, David Hayes threw his hat in the ring for the job. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 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 published on July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM. Smikas friends and acquaintances thought Smika to be messy, unkempt and temperamental, according to the court documents. The trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. 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. . 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 . The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika since 1986 or even called him by that name. Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. Dave Hayes was a rookie detective in the Boulder Police Department when Sid Wells was killed. A grand jury failed to indict him, and two previous Boulder County district. 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