After years of consulting with the manufacturer of the shotgun shells used in Sids murder and the ones found in Smikas closet in Akron, investigators were eventually able to learn that the three shells were uniquely old when they were used, had all been loaded into Smikas shotgun, and all had the same chemical makeup. Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . I dont know why anybody would enter into an agreement like that. "The police department felt that way, his friends and roommates felt that way. 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. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. The grand jury was the biggest shock for my family and the most difficult thing to deal with, said Robert Wells, Sids older brother. Last Name: Smika. I dont know that Ill live long enough to see a resolution in this case, but I would hope that I can, and Ive never given up hope, she said. What Happened To Nia From Real World Portland? 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. Burkhalter, who had become a homicide detective, thought that the suspect might be a former patient at the clinic. Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. and Police ask anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact them. 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. He is a people person and very supportive of his officers. Feb 24, 2023, 3:22 PM. He started reviewing the case, its evidence and how it had progressed through the new analyses. Darryl Smika said he thinks authorities are wasting their time and money looking for his son. But more tips started rolling in. 11 reviews. Thayne Smika is wanted for the 1983 slaying of his roommate, who was dating Robert Redford's daughter at the time. According to Detective Hayes, This is not a whodunit, but rather a 'where is he?'. July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM Thayne Smika, a 24-year old college dropout, answered the ad. Fred Neitzel, now retired, was one of the Boulder Police Department detectives on the case at the time, and says that a host of evidence played into the decision to arrest Smika, but his note saying he was leaving town may have been the biggest factor. 4 helpful votes. 7 0 obj However, they are crucial to any rooms look and feel. 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District attorneys are assigned to Arkansas's 23 judicial circuits. 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. endstream 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. <> Thayne Smika, who is believed to be living under an assumed identity, would be 54 now. One of the most high-profile murders in Colorado's history remains unsolved after nearly 34 years, but police and prosecutors know who their suspect is and have an active warrant for his arrest. 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. 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 . Sam Wells had gone on an overnight camping trip and was set to return around 1:30 p.m. Detective Tom Dowd may be reached at 303-441-3385. To view more information on a district, click on a county within that region. June Menger, who is suffering from a terminal illness, is hoping to see Smika brought to justice for the murder charges against her son. He worked through college at the Boulderado Hotel. 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. 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. But he had plenty of other friends and acquaintances. Missing. "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 . 5:59 PM EDT, Fri July 10, 2015. 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. If you have information about Thayne Smika or his whereabouts contact Detective Jeremy Frenzen at 303-441-1890 orfrenzenj@bouldercolorado.gov. In 2022 Hayes was a Democratic primary candidate for Sheriff in Boulder County running against Curtis Johnson, a division chief with the Boulder County Sheriffs Office. . Wells friend told police that the morning of Wells death, Smika was supposed to return some money to Sid, according to former Boulder County deputy chief Dave Hayes. Smika was chosen by Sid and his brother as a roommate even though they weren't particularly close. Those submitting tips through Crime Stoppers that lead to the arrest and filing of charges on a suspect(s) may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000 from Crime Stoppers. Thayne Smika was accused of killing his roommate Sid Wells in August 1983, and the case hasn't been solved yet. The FBI is currently offering a reward of $10,000 for information that results in Smika's capture and conviction. Wells was dating the daughter of Robert Redford, Shauna Redford, at the time of the shooting. But Sid was rarely home, according to friends, and was often with Shauna when he wasnt working or at school. They also found a box of shells with three missing. Looking out the windows at the Louisville Police Station, Hayes saw flames consuming nearby bushes. upperclassman or graduate student. The service requires full cookie support in order to view this website. 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. ;}v;LZ%^(R(;_/"-Rqnv};!;.cs|CGA6. However, then-Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to file charges, and Smika moved away in 1986. . in 2011 the Boulder County District Attorney's Office reviewed the case and approved an. Sid Wells, who was 22 at the time, was found shot to death in his condo in August of 1983. The Moving can be an exciting experience. The state or Arizona has until January 4, 2019, to respond. Wells was found shot to death in his Boulder apartment on Aug. 3, 1983. Thayne Smika has been missing since 1986 after his mother posted a bond for the 1983 murder of his roommate 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. Save. 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. Boulder police are asking for help finding Smika, suspected of killing Sid Wells, a 22-year-old. Sids older brother, Sam, found his body. In 2011, the Boulder County District Attorneys office approved an arrest warrant for Smika on first-degree murder but his whereabouts are unknown. upperclassman or graduate student. 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. An autopsy showed Wells was shot execution-style at point-blank range in the back of the head with a 20-gauge shotgun. 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. Photo from the Boulder Daily Camera Spring 2011 Campus News 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. A broken hearted Shauna later left the university. Hayes never gave up on getting justice for the Wells family and, in 1997, Boulder police reopened the case. Stories worth watching (13 Videos) Roommate missing after killing The documents detail several personal timelines from people interviewed by detectives that investigators say show Smika was his killer. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. He may also be living in California, the FBI said. District Attorney Susan L. Opper. Sam called police, who arrived shortly afterward. Furnished living room. 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. Hayes is the 2022-2023 President of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. That summer, Sid was living with one of his brothers, Sam, and Smika in the Spanish Towers condos on 29th Street just east of campus. A grand jury was derailed by Hunter two years later, according to the Camera. One friend said shed never known him to have had a job. % Investigators pay a visit to Smika's mother's home. Level Contributor . Authorities said Smika may be working in the real estate or financial industry. Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . Prefer C.U. Robert Redford stopped production of his film The Natural so he and his family could attend Sids funeral. Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. 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. 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