Circumstances: Smika moved out of his Denver, CO home in 1986. But he wouldnt know that until later that evening. The police arrested Smika in connection with the killing two months after it occurred, on Aug . The trail has been icy, but Boulder police said they haven't given up. Darryl Smika said he thinks authorities are wasting their time and money looking for his son. 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. 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. 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. We are no longer accepting comments on this article. The Smika family name was found in the USA in 1920. An arrest warrant for murder was issued but Smika was nowhere to be found. Or, keep up-to-date on the latest news and weather with the Denver7 apps for iPhone/iPads, Android and Kindle. Lakewood, Ohio. 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. A Boulder County grand jury was convened to investigate the homicide but failed to issue an indictment in 1985 after Hunter made a secret agreement with Smika's public . Thayne Smika disappeared in 1986, and the police didn't issue an arrest order for him until 2011. I dont know why anybody would enter into an agreement like that. First published on July 31, 2013 / 9:40 PM. 'The Hunt': Thayne Smika . % There was blood spatter underneath the note, which would mean the note was written after the death, Neitzel said. Source: CNN. 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. 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. stream Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . With the Marshall Fire, he experienced being a victim, something he says has given him an increased sense of empathy in working with others. But that day fire roared through unincorporated Boulder County, and the communities of Superior and Louisville, Colo., destroying more than 1,000 homes and seven commercial structures. Reply. But Smika was still off the radar, and nobody had looked at any of the new evidence hard enough to pursue new charges. You will be redirected once the validation is complete. Sid Wells, who was 22 at the time, was found shot to death in his condo in August of 1983. 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. She grieved in ways that I cant even imagine, Menger said. John Walsh is looking for a man suspected of killing his roommate and has been on the run since 1986. I dont know why anyone would ever agree ahead of time not to respect the decision that a grand jury is going to return.. Living at Kimberly Court can seem like living in the most convenient location in Boulder. 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 . 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. Im thinking, no, thats not real; thats not right. 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. Thayne Smika is wanted for the 1983 slaying of his roommate, who was dating Robert Redford's daughter at the time. %PDF-1.7 endobj Multiple experts confirmed it was highly likely that the shell used to kill Sid was a match to the other two shells investigators found, something Netizel says is the most damning evidence in the case. It's time for justice, said Hayes, who has remained in touch with Wells' family over the last three decades. Investigators pay a visit to Smika's mother's home. 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 . In 1920 there were 2 Smika families living in Oklahoma. Smika's bail was set at $5million after the warrant was issued. Thayne Smika, a 24-year old college dropout, answered the ad. But he had plenty of other friends and acquaintances. Then they learned that prosecutors had declined to charge Smika with the killing, saying there wasnt enough evidence. a state arrest warrant was issued for Smika by the County District Court, Boulder County, Colorado, for first degree . Allegedly Arrested For Murder, Danny Pudi And Wife Bridget Showalter Pudi Relationship With Two Children. The suspect in this case is a man named Thayne Smika, a roommate of Wells' in 1983. Associated Press Last seen alive: October 01, 1986. Boom, were going to get the rest of the story now and really find out what happened to Sid, his brother Rob Wells said. upperclassman or graduate student. Oct. 6, 1983: Police arrest Thayne Smika, who was living with Wells at the time of the crime, at his family home in Akron. 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. 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. Oklahoma had the highest population of Smika families in 1920. All Rights Reserved. and However, then-Boulder District Attorney Alex Hunter declined to file charges, and Smika moved away in 1986. . The service requires full cookie support in order to view this website. 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. 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. Wells was dating Shauna Jean Redford, the daughter of actor Robert Redford, and this brought attention to the case on a global scale. After Boulder police gathered additional evidence in a case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. A. Greg For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings.Si. His vehicle was recovered in Hollywood, CA in 1986. However, Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time, Alex Hunter, declined to take the case. It would be unusual for someone to absent themselves from contact with any and all known family members for such an extended period of time, Detective Traci Cravitz wrote in an affidavit supporting the departments request for phone records, which was made public Wednesday. Shauna quit college. At some point, Sid went up to Shaunas apartment to stay with her. It's like a partially opened door with a very dark room behind it, he said. He loved the way her hair fell over her eyes. $300 monthly. In his freshman year, hed fallen head-over-heels for a girl in his dorm named Shauna. Police in 2011 issued a first-degree-murder arrest warrant for Thayne Smika, 54, . Smika was eventually let out of custody, and stayed around the area for a couple years. /StructTreeRoot 5 0 R 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 Boulder police gathered additional evidence in the case in December 2012, a judge issued an arrest warrant for Smika. The only problem is no one has seen Thayne Smika - or called him by that name, at least - since 1986. First Name: Thayne Alan. Marshal Walsh shines a light on the current search for Jihad Ramadan, who is . Wells' mother June Menger says Redford is like a daughter-in-law to her, even though she never saw her son married. He didnt deserve being murdered.. Re: Walking at night . After a cold case investigation in December 2010 an arrest warrant for the murder was issued. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, Calif. Wells'. Deputy District Attorney Lesli S. Boese Ted S. Szczupakiewicz Michael D. Thurston. Now it comes down to finding a man who hasnt been seen or identified in 31 years. 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. 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. He may also be living in California, the FBI said. 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. This process is automatic. at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776. Robert was enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard at the time of his brothers death, but has long maintained an active role in the investigation. Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 1 0 obj 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. For his first date with Shauna Redford, the two went to an ROTC dance, the site Daily Camera reported. <> But part of his story didnt add up from the beginning: His mother was away on a trip to Fort Collins all week. Sam Wells still struggles with talking about that day. 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. Detectives couldnt be reached Wednesday to comment on whether they obtained any leads from the family members phones. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Feb 24, 2023, 3:22 PM. Smika was also profiled in the January 23, 2019 episode of the Investigation Discovery series In Pursuit with John Walsh. But as long as theyre not giving up, we have hope.. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Sid went up to Shaunas apartment to stay with her of custody, and nobody looked! 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