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 . Thayne Smika has been missing since 1986 after his mother posted a bond for the 1983 murder of his roommate Sid Wells. 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. But during a grand jury process to determine if and what charges Smika might face, Neitzel discovered in District Attorney Alexander Hunters case file that the office had reached an agreement with Smika that the grand jury would not be able to come back with a true bill charging Smika with any criminal conduct effectively meaning he wouldnt face any charges no matter what the grand jury found. I believe its possible that he still is out there.. 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. 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 2017, Hayes bought a home in Estes Park with the thought that he would eventually retire in the community. but it can also be stressful. For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings.Si. 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. The door was unlocked, as it typically was. 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. However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. 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Robert Redford stopped production of his film The Natural so he and his family could attend Sids funeral. Smikas friends and acquaintances thought Smika to be messy, unkempt and temperamental, according to the court documents. 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. Thayne Smika was arrested in 1983 for the murder of his roommate Sid Wells, but the Boulder County Jail freed him after his mother put up a bond. Thayne Smika disappeared in 1986, and the police didn't issue an arrest order for him until 2011. At some point, Sid went up to Shaunas apartment to stay with her. A grand jury failed to indict him, and two previous Boulder County district. This process is automatic. Smika had spent his younger days in North Platte, Nebraska and Akron, Colorado before eventually making his way to Boulder. I dont know why the grand jury was handled the way it was. The FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Smika's arrest and conviction. One friend said shed never known him to have had a job. Hayes father was a Denver physician who became ill and had to step back from his medical practice. Authorities said Smika may be working in the real estate or financial industry. Were following up on all leads as to what his location may be, and this includes checking cell phone records of people who may be in touch with him.. But as time passed, Sid began having trouble collecting the rent. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Johnson won the primary and then was elected in November in an uncontested race. 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. The rent was due that day. Smika was a leading suspect when the coroner declared the death to be a homicide. His vehicle was recovered in Hollywood, CA in 1986. My brother is dead, and Im angry that the system didnt work better then. According to Trujillo, if Thayne Smika is still alive, he will eventually be caught, charged, and the case will be closed. 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. According to the documents, he told some of his friends, as well as Sid, that he was able to figure out who the culprit was, and that he went and got the man drunk, then stole back the drugs and money, which he was supposed to deliver to Sid on the morning of Aug. 1, along with his rent. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. xQO0+>kqkBH&Bl*.t07;=F.B!`S@;0`.E:#ffl@mlSYVbY,b-I-WB"kJQ(pC,_Wz(z^=zl- B2=y-]B7mH785~Yk9._4]WH_B1J5} q mr7F0A{cGcN'hRfg\aX+3ce +U*G~ = Wells was dating the daughter of Robert Redford, Shauna Redford, at the time of the shooting. They said it's possible he lived in Yelapa, Mexico for many years after he was released from custody. 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. 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. 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 . He had a warrant for his arrest for the charge of Forgery and he was also the suspect in a 1983 Boulder, CO Homicide. 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. 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. Police believe Thayne Smika could be hiding in Mexico or California under an assumed identity. Smika charged, but DA's deal throws case into disarray. People had to be evacuated from the fires path. The case went cold and remained closed for years until Boulder police Deputy Chief David Hayes and Detective Melissa Kampf reopened it in 1997 when a new witness offered information about Smikas actions around the time of the homicide. Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . Smika says he told Sid about the trip the night before. He had a warrant for his arrest for the charge of Forgery and he was also the suspect in a 1983 Boulder, CO Homicide. Smika would be off scot-free for the time being, which infuriated the still-grieving Wells family. Deputy District Attorney Lesli S. Boese Ted S. Szczupakiewicz Michael D. Thurston. He also had a fondness for cocaine, according to police interviews with friends, a habit he could not afford. She grieved in ways that I cant even imagine, Menger said. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. Boulder police believe he may have a new identity and he may be working as a bookkeeper or accountant. /Lang (en) /Outlines 4 0 R endobj A photo that accompanied a 1983 Associated Press article about Wells funeral showed the weeping young woman being comforted by her father on their way to the service. Smika's abandoned car was discovered in California in 1986. But in 2009, Stan Garnett took over as district attorney, with a newfound interest in the case. Smika told the detectives that a possible suspect was Craig Evans, a man Smika said had been stealing cocaine from the victim. Feb 24, 2023, 3:22 PM. The following week, Smika's mother posts a $100,000 bond, and. But more tips started rolling in. 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. Smika stayed up until around 6:30 a.m. before he was seen by a neighbor moving a trash can outside and back inside, locking the apartment door and falling asleep. After Boulder police gathered additional evidence in the case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. 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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Marshals in connection with a 2005 stabbing and Thayne Smika is wanted by the FBI for murder. I dont know why anyone would ever agree ahead of time not to respect the decision that a grand jury is going to return.. He may also be living in California, the FBI said. 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 Some of us have expressed not criticism but surprise Smika is getting another airing considering he's a cold case the previous most recent John Walsh show already did (as opposed to a new cold case and/or unused . Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. . He loved the way her hair fell over her eyes. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. Thayne Smika has been missing since 1986 after his mother posted a bond for the 1983 murder of his roommate Sid Wells. 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 We couldn't understand why they let him go.". . 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. The comments below have not been moderated, By He also had some small-time involvement in the use and sale of cocaine, according to police documents. <> www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Smika was chosen by Sid and his brother as a roommate even though they weren't particularly close. For nearly five decades as a police officer, Hayes has been on the helping side in situations of crisis and tragedy. 'The Hunt': Thayne Smika . Hayes home was one that was turned to ash. However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. "The police department felt that way, his friends and roommates felt that way. $300 monthly. 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. A nearby chair had been overturned, and the coffee table was moved aside. After testing the crime scene, interviewing Smika at his mothers home, and finding a 20-gauge shotgun there the same weapon Wells had been killed with police arrested Smika on October 6, 1983, for first-degree murder. 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' It's time for justice, said Hayes, who has remained in touch with Wells' family over the last three decades. A. Greg According to Detective Hayes, This is not a whodunit, but rather a 'where is he?'. Last seen alive: October 01, 1986. He also reviewed the grand jury decision by Hunter. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. 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. Sids older brother, Sam, found his body. She was devastated, June Menger recalled. 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. "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of . 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. * DNA Update -- History Repeats Itself: Twice now Boulder District Attorneys have misled the public in the JonBenet Ramsey murder case. 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. Wells' mother June Menger says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her, even though she never saw her son married. 15:04 GMT 09 Aug 2014. In December 2012, a judge signed an arrest warrant for Smika after Boulder police developed more evidence in the case. ", Additional Information From Boulder Police. Dave Hayes was a rookie detective in the Boulder Police Department when Sid Wells was killed. "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. I dont know why anybody would enter into an agreement like that. Comments Link Copied! Sid and his brother needed a roommate and settled on Smika, but they werent close friends. It all started with this classified ad in the Boulder Daily Camera, January, 1983. Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines. Im 100 percent. Sid Wells in 1983 (credit: Boulder Police Department). /StructTreeRoot 5 0 R An arrest warrant for murder was issued but Smika was nowhere to be found. 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. Marshal Walsh shines a light on the current search for Jihad Ramadan, who is . Thayne Alan Smika is wanted for a murder which occurred on August 1, 1983. . Sam Carlson Port Protection Singer Son Kelly Carlson Makes An Appearance On The Show, Jason Segel Siblings Are Sister Alison Segel and Brother Adam Segel, DB Woodside And Golden Brooks Daughter Dakota Tao Brooks-Woodside, Deena Nicole Cortese Sister Joanie Maiorella Works As A Science Teacher, Khary Payton Parents Victor Payton And Gwendolyn Middleton Payton Raised Him With His Other Siblings, Ritchie Coster Wife Jan Conklin Is Operations Consultant With A Lot Of Experience, Stefania Spampinato Wished Her Sister Daniela Spampinato On Her New Journey, Was Thayne Smika Found? 2. According to the court filings, Smika's friends and acquaintances described him as dirty, messy, and volatile. Sid really seemed like he was a victim that should never have been. He is a people person and very supportive of his officers. 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. I believe the motive was the money and the cocaine, and that Thayne got found out from Sid that he was not being up and up, Neitzel added. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. An aspiring journalist, Wells also was part of the universitys Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps. After a cold case investigation in December 2010 an arrest warrant for the murder was issued. Police suspected his roommate, Thayne Smika, and arrested him. 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