Also Read: Debra Jeter Death And Daughter Kiersten Jeter Netflix Documentary Case Dateline. June Menger, who is suffering from a terminal illness, is hoping to see Smika brought to justice for the murder charges against her son. Thayne Smika, now 54, is being sought in 1983 murder of 22-year-old Sid Wells; . She said she isn't bitter about the delays in getting a murder warrant. Then they learned that prosecutors had declined to charge Smika with the killing, saying there wasnt enough evidence. 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. They can do all they want, but I have had no contact with him.. 6: 6 "Trafficking in . Investigators pay a visit to Smika's mother's home. [Smika] gets a get-out-of-jail-free card a letter from the DA saying, nope, we got a grand jury going on but were not going to indict you. I hope its solved, he said. Police in 2011 issued a first-degree-murder arrest warrant for Thayne Smika, 54, . Thank you! For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. In 2011, the Boulder County District Attorneys office approved an arrest warrant for Smika on first-degree murder but his whereabouts are unknown. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. First published on July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM. Marshals in connection with a 2005 stabbing and Thayne Smika is wanted by the FBI for murder. Smika's abandoned car was discovered in California in 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 xZms6_*! Smika moved to Denver then eventually left for California. However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. Last updated: July 17, 2020 Denver, CO The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika since 1986 or even called him by that name. An arrest warrant for murder was issued but Smika was nowhere to be found. The comments below have not been moderated, By 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. 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. Reply. John Walsh is looking for a man suspected of killing his roommate and has been on the run since 1986. What happened over the next several hours remains unclear, but by noon, Sid was dead. After Boulder police gathered additional evidence in the case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. 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. 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. Associated Press, June Menger, the mother of murdered 22-year-old college student Sid Wells, hasn't given up hope police will find his killer, Thayne Smika, now 54, is being sought in 1983 murder of 22-year-old Sid Wells, Wells was found dead from 20-gauge shotgun blast to the back of the head in his home, Well had been dating Robert Redford's daughter, Shauna, for three years, Police believe Smika, Well's ex-roommate, has been living under alias, 'Did the HPV vaccine kill my daughter': Mother demands answers after healthy and active daughter, 12, collapses and dies after getting vaccine, Murder charges could be brought against gunman who tried to assassinate Reagan after coroner rules death this week of press secretary paralyzed in attack is homicide, Pupils take to TikTok as they stage protest at Shenfield High School, Putin orders intelligence service to find 'scum' who oppose him, King Charles hosts von der Leyen at Windsor Castle, Putin spy plane before being 'destroyed by pro-Ukraine Belarus group', Gabor Mat: No Jewish state without oppressing local population, Amplified jet stream could lead to 'disruptive snow in places', Shocking video shows machete fight playing out in broad daylight, Cops smashes window and rescue two kids from a parked car, Moment pastor FOILS armed robbery after praying for gunmen, TikTok video shows Unity Academy Blackpool pupils protesting, Dashcam captures moment two cars collide on a roundabout, Dramatic moment police cars chase driver moments before smash. On August 1, 1983, Sam Wells returned from a camping trip to find his brother lying face down on the floor inside the apartment. 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. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. 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. He also had a fondness for cocaine, according to police interviews with friends, a habit he could not afford. Thayne Alan Smika is wanted for a murder which occurred on August 1, 1983. . Marshal Walsh shines a light on the current search for Jihad Ramadan, who is . Johnson won the primary and then was elected in November in an uncontested race. Another connection with Burkhalter came in 1977. The case was presented to a grand jury but the District Attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, did not believe he had enough evidence to try Smika and released him from custody. 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. News. There was just no sign of life whatsoever, Wells said. 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. But Smika was still off the radar, and nobody had looked at any of the new evidence hard enough to pursue new charges. A. Greg Wells was dating Shauna Jean Redford, the daughter of actor Robert Redford, and this brought attention to the case on a global scale. By A grand jury was derailed by Hunter two years later, according to the Camera. 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. Thayne Smika has been missing since 1986 after his mother posted a bond for the 1983 murder of his roommate Sid Wells. Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . Now it comes down to finding a man who hasnt been seen or identified in 31 years. 348 Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. Prefer C.U. 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. 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. It carries first-degree murder charges, a $5 million bond and the conditions that Smika have no contact with the Wells family should he ever be caught. After police ruled his brother out as a suspect, they began to focus on Smika. We heard Thayne Smika had been arrested, we were elated, and I thought, Oh, you know, got the family settled down and law enforcement did their job. Before arriving in Boulder, Smika had lived in North Platte, Nebraska, and Akron, Colorado, throughout his formative years. Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. $300 monthly. She grieved in ways that I cant even imagine, Menger said. He has not been seen since. Hayes father was a Denver physician who became ill and had to step back from his medical practice. . Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him. Detective Tom Dowd may be reached at 303-441-3385. Thayne Smika Warrant. "The police department felt that way, his friends and roommates felt that way. The former DA, Hunter, served as the Boulder County District Attorney from 1973 to 2001, when Mary Lacy became head of the office. 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. 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. Missing. His vehicle was recovered in Hollywood, CA in 1986. Thayne'scloset included a.20-gauge shotgun, cartridges, a box of shells, three shells of which were missing. He may also be living in California, the FBI said. THAYNE ALAN SMIKA . Smika concocted an elaborate plan in which he said he planned to stake out their apartment and wait for the alleged thief to come in and steal the rest of the drugs. The first grand jury did not issue an indictment for murder believed to be a result of misconduct by the district attorney. 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. Darryl Smika said he has theories on where his son is hiding, but theyre mine. He said he absolutely believes his son is innocent in the infamous homicide, and he hopes police never find him. endobj Im still hopeful, Robert said. Sam Wells had gone on an overnight camping trip and was set to return around 1:30 p.m. Jihad Ramadan is wanted by U.S. 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. Hayes home was one that was turned to ash. 7 0 obj He also had some small-time involvement in the use and sale of cocaine, according to police documents. The evidence pointed to Thayne," June said. Whether movers in Fort Collins are helping you Windows are often overlooked when designing or purchasing home decor. 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. 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' Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. Smika was arrested Oct. 6, 1983 about two months after the slaying but then-District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to charge him, saying there wasnt enough evidence. 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 . Then-District Attorney Alex Hunter made a deal with Smika's. Thanyne Smika (CBS/KCNC) CBS/KCNC Smika was arrested in the killing two months later but wasn't charged. 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. 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. Smika allegedly stole around 7 grams of cocaine from Sid on two different occasions, according to the court documents. <> 2. Associated Press /Outlines 4 0 R It was January nearly 18 years after a brown-eyed 5-year-old girl named Aleszandra "Alie" Berrelez vanished from the courtyard outside her Englewood apartment, sparking a four-day hunt that ended. Shauna quit college. Thayne Alan Smika, photo taken in 1983, courtesy of fbi.gov Smika was known around town as a college dropout and drifter. A young man is murdered under suspicious circumstances. Colo. police seek help with high-profile cold case. I wasnt ready to retire, and this opportunity came available, said Hayes who turned 66 this year. Police and the family believe he changed his name and disappeared. 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. 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~ = For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. 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 . Hayes is the 2022-2023 President of the Colorado Association of Chiefs of Police. Recent information indicates he may be living near Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. 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? Darryl Smika said hes unfazed by the police request for his phone records. Redford said in 1997 that Wells' murder still haunted him. The rent was due that day. 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. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. . FBI investigators also said they connected three shotgun shells found in Smikas mothers home in eastern Colorado with the one that killed Wells test results that have since been questioned. (Information retrieved from NamUs.g. /Lang (en) Sid really seemed like he was a victim that should never have been. 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. According to Detective Hayes, This is not a whodunit, but rather a 'where is he?'. Thayne Smika is wanted for first-degree murder and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. 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. Trujillo said if Smika is still alive, he's confident he'll eventually be caught and prosecuted and the case will finally be solved. Smika had spent his younger days in North Platte, Nebraska and Akron, Colorado before eventually making his way to Boulder. 01:37 - Source: CNN. 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.. 2023 Cable News Network. 1, 1983, but the district attorney determined that there was not enough evidence to prosecute. 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.. 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