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. Following his release from detention, they claimed it's conceivable Thayne spent a significant amount of time living in Yelapa, Mexico. He is passionate about what he calls constitutional policing. Most of what we do is not police work, it is community safety. It didnt make sense to me when I first heard about it, Garnett said. When asked by the Camera on Wednesday whether she knows where her son is, she said, Would I tell you?. Thanyne Smika (CBS/KCNC) CBS/KCNC Smika was arrested in the killing two months later but wasn't charged. 01:37 - Source: CNN. 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 Moving can be an exciting experience. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, California. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 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. 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. He had a warrant for his arrest for the charge of Forgery and he was also the suspect in a 1983 Boulder, CO Homicide. After Boulder police gathered additional evidence in a case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. With the Marshall Fire, he experienced being a victim, something he says has given him an increased sense of empathy in working with others. Smika was a leading suspect when the coroner declared the death to be a homicide. Sam Wells still struggles with talking about that day. Sid Wells, a 22-year old journalism student at the University of Colorado, was looking for someone to rent a room to. Hayes father was a Denver physician who became ill and had to step back from his medical practice. 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. For 30 years hes been doggedly trying to solve this cold case. District attorneys are assigned to Arkansas's 23 judicial circuits. but it can also be stressful. She was devastated, June Menger recalled. "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of . Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. How in the world could this possibly happen? 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. With the FBIs help, they established new forensic and ballistic evidence linking Smika to the murder. 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. Marshal Walsh shines a light on the current search for Jihad Ramadan, who is . Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. Thayne'scloset included a.20-gauge shotgun, cartridges, a box of shells, three shells of which were missing. 6: 6 "Trafficking in . The case was presented to a grand jury but the District Attorney at. To date, the trail has been cold, but Boulder police said they have not given up. First published on July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM. The Boulder Police Department is asking for tips, and has released a time progression of what Smika might look like 30 years after the murder. You will be redirected once the validation is complete. Police believe Thayne Smika could be hiding in Mexico or California under an assumed identity. To view more information on a district, click on a county within that region. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Boulder police believe he may have a new identity and he may be working as a bookkeeper or accountant. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . 15:04 GMT 09 Aug 2014. . 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. Sid, Shauna and a friend eventually ended up back at Sid and Smikas apartment, and they drank and used cocaine, according to the documents. 348 Burkhalter, who had become a homicide detective, thought that the suspect might be a former patient at the clinic. He loved the way her hair fell over her eyes. In 2011, the Boulder County District Attorneys office approved an arrest warrant for Smika on first-degree murder but his whereabouts are unknown. Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers. 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. Wells was dating the daughter of Robert Redford, Shauna Redford, at the time of the shooting. But more tips started rolling in. 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. 100 posts. The case, however, was never solved. Jihad Ramadan is wanted by U.S. In December 2012, a judge signed an arrest warrant for Smika after Boulder police developed more evidence in the case. "The police department felt that way, his friends and roommates felt that way. 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. Also Read: Debra Jeter Death And Daughter Kiersten Jeter Netflix Documentary Case Dateline. Before arriving in Boulder, Smika had lived in North Platte, Nebraska, and Akron, Colorado, throughout his formative years. Smikas father, Darryl Smika, told the Camera on Wednesday that the last time he had contact with his son was a month before he disappeared, and he doesnt have information on his sons whereabouts. Over the years, Hayes has worked as a patrol officer, detective, sergeant, commander, and deputy chief. Please enable cookies on your browser and try again. Smika, who was 24 years old in 1983, was a drifter without a job who was attempting to avoid paying his bills and being arrested by the police after failing to make a mortgage payment on a home he had purchased with a friend. Published on September 2019 | Categories: Documents | Downloads: 6 | Comments: 0 | Views: 288 of 46 Dave Hayes was a rookie detective in the Boulder Police Department when Sid Wells was killed. Stories worth watching 16 videos. Now it comes down to finding a man who hasnt been seen or identified in 31 years. Smika's bail was set at $5million after the warrant was issued. Sid Wells, who was 22 at the time, was found shot to death in his condo in August of 1983. 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 According to Trujillo, if Thayne Smika is still alive, he will eventually be caught, charged, and the case will be closed. But Sid and a friend confronted him about the missing drugs, andSmika blamed their disappearance on another man. 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. This was in the days before HIPPA. Its something she and her family have never gotten over. appreciated. We couldn't understand why they let him go.". 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. Pic Credit: U.S. 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. The fire, which began at about 11 a.m., quickly spread to some 6,000 acres across a populated suburban area just south of Boulder. The state or Arizona has until January 4, 2019, to respond. 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. His vehicle was recovered in Hollywood, CA in 1986. An abandoned car registered to his father, who said he gave the car to Smika before he left town, was found in Beverly Hills, California in 1986, but there was no sign of Smika. She said Robert Redford and her son were friends, and they went jogging and skiing together. Furnished living room. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, Calif. Wells'. Middle Name: Alan. 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. 'The Hunt': Thayne Smika . 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 . For his first date with Shauna Redford, the two went to an ROTC dance, the site Daily Camera reported. Following an investigation, authorities discovered Sid had been killed by a single shot fired at a slight downward angle from a.20-gauge shotgun. Smika moved to Denver then eventually left for California. He started reviewing the case, its evidence and how it had progressed through the new analyses. 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. Smikas friends and acquaintances thought Smika to be messy, unkempt and temperamental, according to the court documents. 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. If Thayne was innocent, she says, he would want to clear his name and live a normal life rather than hide out., For June, Sids death is as fresh as if it just happened. 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. Thayne Smika disappeared in 1986, and the police didn't issue an arrest order for him until 2011. 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. Thank you! 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. Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Smika, who was also once an AMW web-exclusive, will be the first ever fugitive from 'The Hunt' to get an In Pursuit profile as well. Thayne Alan Smika, photo taken in 1983, courtesy of fbi.gov Smika was known around town as a college dropout and drifter. Feb 24, 2023, 3:22 PM. 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. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. 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. Watch Liz Gelardi and James Dougherty's video story in the player below or by clicking here. 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. Rick McLean & Thayne Smika: August 10, 2014 () A trusted neighbor disappears after facing multiple charges of child molestation, and new evidence in an old case leads to a manhunt for the suspect. A maid corroborated hearing a similar noise around the same time. 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. A grand jury failed to indict him, and two previous Boulder County district. The trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. Save. Wells' mother June Menger says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her, even though she never saw her son married. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika or called him by that name, at least since 1986. With talking about that day location in Boulder we do is not police work, is... Daily Camera reported the killing two months later but wasn & # ;! 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