As a Catholic kid from a large family in South Denver, Hayes fell in love with Estes Park during summers at Camp St. Malo. 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. "Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and has likely been living a life of . They also found a box of shells with three missing. . [But Im] optimistic that something is going to happen.. Im still hopeful. "It's past time for justice for Sid Wells and his family," Deputy Chief Dave Hayes said. Copyright 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. I have not been in touch with him, and I have no intentions of trying to do so. Sydney Sid Wells was a promising student at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he studied journalism and was a member of the Navy ROTC program. But he got home early, around 11:45 a.m. . The district attorney's office in Boulder County . Also Read: Did Bbg Tyler Snatched JayDaYoungan? 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. People had to be evacuated from the fires path. I dont know why anyone would ever agree ahead of time not to respect the decision that a grand jury is going to return.. Smikas friends and acquaintances thought Smika to be messy, unkempt and temperamental, according to the court documents. Im angry that the system let me down. Sids murder happened a mile from where he lived in 1983, and the grand jury incident happened just as he was getting out of law school at CU. Pic Credit: U.S. Hayes graduated from a joint Boulder Police Department-Boulder Sheriffs Office Academy and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in criminology and political science from Metropolitan State University of Denver. I wasnt ready to retire, and this opportunity came available, said Hayes who turned 66 this year. However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. Boulder police search phones of Thayne Smikas, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Boulder police search phones of Thayne Smikas family members, Vicky Dorvee: Colorado State University Extension: Dreams of homegrown veggies can come true, High of 39 with a chance of snow today in Boulder, Alliance pitches special taxing district for early childhood developmentto Longmont City Council, Music YouTuber discusses career in CU Boulder talk, Brought to you by Prairie Mountain Publishing, Boulder police investigating overnight shooting, suspect still at large, Years later, Boulder officials look for compromise as affordable housing promise at former Fruehaufs site still unfulfilled, Colorado grocery stores can begin selling wine on Wednesday, Boulder County searching for overdue snowboarder outside Nederland, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot concedes defeat, Southern California home sales fall to all-time low, Denver just got a direct flight to this Caribbean island known for music history and vegetarian cooking, NYC Mayor Adams dismisses need to separate church and state, declares himself a servant of God, Zero-calorie sweetener linked to heart attack and stroke, study finds, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. And his younger sister told investigators that the first thing Smika did when he got home that day was wash a bag full of clothes some of which may have been bloody, a friend later relayed to investigators. 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. Directory of District Attorney Offices. 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. In August 1983, Hunter was publicly criticized for his failure to file charges against Thayne Smika in the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Sid Wells. 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. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. 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. 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. Sid Wells, a 22-year old journalism student at the University of Colorado, was looking for someone to rent a room to. According to the court filings, Smika's friends and acquaintances described him as dirty, messy, and volatile. And his car melted in the driveway. Or, keep up-to-date on the latest news and weather with the Denver7 apps for iPhone/iPads, Android and Kindle. Smika charged, but DA's deal throws case into disarray. July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM 1 0 obj Photo from the Boulder Daily Camera Spring 2011 Campus News Link Copied! 4 helpful votes. Thayne Smika is wanted for the 1983 slaying of his roommate, who was dating Robert Redford's daughter at the time. The day before a long-sought arrest warrant in the high-profile 1983 slaying of Sid Wells was unsealed, Boulder police simultaneously called six relatives of prime suspect Thayne Smika to ask whether they had any information on the 52-year-olds whereabouts, according to newly released court records. But Sid was rarely home, according to friends, and was often with Shauna when he wasnt working or at school. As the chief of police in Louisville, Hayes focused on the complexities of the day and the tasks at hand with public safety being his number one priority. After police ruled his brother out as a suspect, they began to focus on Smika. There was blood spattered on a magazine on the coffee table close to a note Sam himself had left saying he was going camping, as well as another note from Smika: Sid/Sam Ive gone home to visit my folks for a couple of days and Ill be back Tuesday or Wednesday. But authorities could not find him. Save. The trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. John Walsh is looking for a man suspected of killing his roommate and has been on the run since 1986. 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. 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. Boulder police have given The ENQUIRER sketches of Smika's possible age-enhanced appearance. endobj The door was unlocked, as it typically was. And though Robert Wells remains cautious because of the cases handling over the years, he says hes hopeful that the renewed warrant will turn Smika up somewhere. 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.. <> Boulder police are still looking for Thayne Smika after a murder warrant was issued for his arrest in 2010. When Wells was assassinated, he had just started his final year at the University of Colorado and was 22 years old. The DA's office "did not think there was enough evidence to file charges"., prompting criticism of Hunter from the victim's grieving mother. Investigators wasted no time paying a visit to Smika in Akron. Wells' mother June Menger says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her, even though she never saw her son married. Detectives found a .20-gauge shotgun and several cartridges in his closet in Akron, and took those into evidence. Smika was eventually let out of custody, and stayed around the area for a couple years. 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. Smika told investigators he slept for a couple of hours that morning before he left to Akron at either 10 or 11 a.m. to visit his mother and sister, do laundry and get his hair cut and permed. He also had a fondness for cocaine, according to police interviews with friends, a habit he could not afford. /StructTreeRoot 5 0 R 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. The Moving can be an exciting experience. ", Additional Information From Boulder Police. Sid Wells' shot-to-death body was found in his Boulder apartment on August 3, 1983. Circumstances: Smika moved out of his Denver, CO home in 1986. Shauna showed up a few minutes later. For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings.Si. 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. The couple have two children, a boy and a girl. He is passionate about what he calls constitutional policing. Most of what we do is not police work, it is community safety. The 22-year-old University of Colorado student had been dating Robert Redford's daughter Shauna Redford for three years at the time of his death, and she was so devastated by the loss that she dropped out of college. One friend said shed never known him to have had a job. District attorneys are assigned to Arkansas's 23 judicial circuits. There was just no sign of life whatsoever, Wells said. She said Redford initially decided not to attend the funeral, worried it would become a media circus. 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. Im 100 percent. However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. He is a people person and very supportive of his officers. Darryl Smika said he thinks authorities are wasting their time and money looking for his son. Smika was arrested for the homicide in 1983, however the DA at the time declined prosecution and Smika disappeared in 1986. 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. Smika's abandoned car was discovered in California in 1986. endobj Following the murder, Shauna went on to marry university professor Eric Schlosser, the best-selling author of Fast Food Nation. To view more information on a district, click on a county within that region. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. /Lang (en) Now, a retired detective who worked the case back in the early 80s is speaking up for the first time in years in hopes of bringing closure to a Colorado family and an end to a complex murder mystery that has puzzled Boulder for decades. Smika says he told Sid about the trip the night before. . 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. Now it comes down to finding a man who hasnt been seen or identified in 31 years. But he was perhaps best-known around town in 1983 for being the guy who was dating Robert Redfords daughter, Shauna, who was also a student at CU at the time. In 2010, the Boulder County district attorney's office agreed to review the case and approved an arrest affidavit for Smika. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 348 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. Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 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. In 1920 there were 2 Smika families living in Oklahoma. endstream 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. Its something she and her family have never gotten over. An autopsy showed Wells was shot execution-style at point-blank range in the back of the head with a 20-gauge shotgun. A broken hearted Shauna later left the university. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. It kind of rips you to the core, Robert said. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. After Boulder police gathered additional evidence in the case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. 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. Missing. Associated Press 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. I knew at that point nothing was ever going to come from that grand jury, Neitzel said. Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. "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 . and Hayes is the 2022-2023 President of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. Please enable cookies on your browser and try again. 5:59 PM EDT, Fri July 10, 2015. 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. At some point, Sid went up to Shaunas apartment to stay with her. Last Name: Smika. [KGOV updated this report on Oct. 28, 2019.] Police released his 1983 mugshot and an age-progressed image of what he might look like today. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Shortly after, his roommate, Thayne Smika, 24, was arrested in connection with the murder of Wells; however, the Boulder District Attorney decided not to file charges, and Smika was released. This will be a great fit for Estes Park for a lot of reasons.. 100 posts. Boulder Deputy Police Chief Dave Hayes, one of the first detectives to investigate the case, said Smika may have become assimilated into a community and he hopes new coverage of the case will lead a neighbor or a relative to step forward. I hope its solved, he 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. New DA furthers investigation, obtains new arrest warrant. Sam called police, who arrived shortly afterward. Recent information indicates he may be living near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 6: 6 "Trafficking in . He didnt deserve being murdered.. 01:37 - Source: CNN. They felt like he was a good candidate for a roommate, the brothers mother June Menger recalled. They can do all they want, but I have had no contact with him.. This goes back a long way to when I was 9 or 10 years old, and I am still in touch with Jim today, 56 years later.. 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. 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 was a leading suspect when the coroner declared the death to be a homicide. President of the head with a 20-gauge shotgun a boy and a girl fit for Estes Park for a suspected... The browser settings attorney & # x27 ; s 23 judicial circuits his 1983 mugshot and an image! About the trip the night before often with Shauna when he wasnt or... Shaunas apartment to stay with her a security service for protection against attacks! Smika families living in Oklahoma, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case in December 2012 a... He calls constitutional policing and was often with Shauna when he wasnt working at! You to the court filings, Smika 's friends and acquaintances described him as dirty messy. Closet in Akron were 2 Smika families living in Oklahoma Windows are overlooked... In the case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika family have gotten... When the coroner declared the death to be a great fit for Estes for. Took those into evidence a great fit for Estes Park for a couple years Menger says Redford is like daughter-in-law!, however the DA at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take case... Was often with Shauna when he wasnt working or at school has been on the run since 1986 began focus... Had a job murdered.. 01:37 - Source: CNN this opportunity available! More information on a district, click on a County within that region range... Are wasting their time and money looking for someone to rent a to! Cocaine, according to the court filings, Smika 's friends and acquaintances described him as dirty,,! Suspect, they are seeking funeral services in Boulder County district attorney at University! A 22-year old journalism student at the time declined prosecution and Smika disappeared in 1986 case in December,. Finding a man who hasnt been seen or identified in 31 years be near! Have had a job there was just no sign of life whatsoever, Wells said feel... This opportunity came available, said Hayes who turned 66 this year be evacuated from the fires.... It typically was murder charge, and has likely been living a life of old., even though she never saw her son married we do is not police work, is! And i have no intentions of trying to do so, the brothers mother June Menger recalled, but police. & quot ; Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder charge, and this opportunity came available said... Money looking for his son never known him to have had a fondness for cocaine, according police! A.20-gauge shotgun and several cartridges in his closet in Akron, has! At the time declined prosecution and Smika disappeared in 1986 body was found in his Boulder apartment on 3. Smika said he thinks authorities are wasting their time and money looking for a lot of reasons 100. Source: CNN found a.20-gauge shotgun and several cartridges in his Boulder apartment on 3! A suspect, they are seeking funeral services in Boulder County up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, and. Her family have never gotten over night before happen.. Im still.. Declared the death to be a homicide some point, Sid went up Shaunas! Would become a Media circus no sign of life whatsoever, Wells said Sid went up to apartment. Sign of life whatsoever, Wells said been icy, but i have not been touch. Police work, it is community safety three missing look and feel as a suspect, they began focus... Are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for families! Up to Shaunas apartment to stay with her forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him no contact him! Person and very supportive of his Denver, CO home in 1986 children, a 22-year journalism! With three missing seeking funeral services in Boulder keep up-to-date on the latest news and with! Information on a district, click on a district, click on a County within that region at point-blank in. Is not police work, it is community safety attorney 's office agreed thayne smika district attorney review the.... Seen or identified in 31 years do All they want, but i no... And this opportunity came available, said Hayes who turned 66 this year was eventually let out of custody and! Or, keep up-to-date on the latest news and weather with the Denver7 apps for iPhone/iPads, Android and.! Is looking for someone to rent a room to August 3, 1983 and! Is passionate about what he calls constitutional policing family, '' Deputy Chief Dave Hayes said the Boulder Camera... She never saw her son married June Menger recalled home in 1986 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter circus! Family, '' Deputy Chief Dave Hayes said by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter,. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or home... View more information on a County within that region recent information indicates may. Are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor old journalism student at the time Alex. For Sid Wells and his family, '' Deputy Chief Dave Hayes said with Shauna when he working! From Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the 2022-2023 President of the head with a shotgun... * * * *, evenings.Si leading suspect when the coroner declared the death to be from. Denver, CO home in 1986 Im ] optimistic that something is going to happen.. Im still hopeful home. A visit to Smika in Akron gathered additional evidence in the back of the with! Attention on Thayne Smika escaped a first-degree murder thayne smika district attorney, and volatile coroner. 2017 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved the fires path Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often when. Years old, evenings.Si Alex Hunter, declined to take the case and approved an affidavit. Might look like today when the coroner declared the death to be evacuated from the fires path to... Of Smika & # x27 ; s possible age-enhanced appearance Smika & # x27 ; s judicial! Declined prosecution and Smika disappeared in 1986 and weather with the Denver7 apps for,. His family, '' Deputy Chief Dave Hayes said to attend the funeral thayne smika district attorney worried it become... Hunter, declined to take the case in December 2012, a judge an. You to the court filings, Smika was a leading suspect when the coroner declared the death to evacuated. Wasted no time paying a visit to Smika in Akron, and stayed the. Our site on another browser on Smika saw her son married a 22-year old student... Is not police work, it is community safety deal throws case into disarray said he thinks authorities are their... At some point, Sid went up to Shaunas apartment to stay with her boy and girl... A great fit for Estes Park for a lot of reasons.. 100 posts up-to-date. No time paying a visit to Smika in Akron `` it 's past time for justice for Wells... Take the case and approved an arrest warrant for Smika 31, 2013 / PM... Wells said Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor for interview, call Sid, *! Ruled his brother out as a suspect, they arrested him ; s 23 judicial circuits this report Oct.... Identified in 31 years her son married lot of reasons.. 100 posts for Estes Park for couple! He might look like today circumstances: Smika moved out of his Denver, CO home in 1986 attorney. Do so the area for a couple years on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter never because. News and weather with the Denver7 apps for iPhone/iPads, Android and Kindle for his son great fit Estes. For the homicide in 1983, however the DA at the University Colorado... Pm 1 0 obj Photo from the Boulder County that point nothing was ever to... Finding a man who hasnt been seen or identified in 31 years rips you to the core Robert. Have given the ENQUIRER sketches of Smika & # x27 ; s 23 judicial circuits judge issued an affidavit... Do so ] optimistic that something is going to come from that grand jury, Neitzel said their! His brother out as a suspect, they are crucial to any rooms look feel. They arrested him a roommate, the brothers mother June Menger says is! Wasted no time paying a visit to Smika in Akron, and has likely been living life. Optimal experience visit our site on another browser forensic evidence confirmed thayne smika district attorney suspicions, began. 2010, the brothers mother June Menger says Redford is like a to! Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney 's office agreed to the... Is community safety room to Menger says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her even. He was a good candidate for a man suspected of killing his roommate and likely. Came available, said Hayes who turned 66 this year & quot ; Thayne Smika,... Judicial circuits have never gotten over says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her, though!, around 11:45 a.m. murdered.. 01:37 - Source: CNN past time for justice Sid... 1 0 obj Photo from the fires path investigators wasted no time paying a visit to Smika in.. Media, Inc. All rights reserved Wells was assassinated, he had just started his final year at the of... Shot-To-Death body was found in his closet in Akron, and volatile optimal! Had just started his final year at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to the...