Link Copied! / CBS Colorado. 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. in 2011 the Boulder County District Attorney's Office reviewed the case and approved an. He is passionate about what he calls constitutional policing. Most of what we do is not police work, it is community safety. 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. John Walsh is looking for a man suspected of killing his roommate and has been on the run since 1986. 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.. 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. Associated Press DENVER In August 1983, Sid Wells was 22 years old and about to enter his senior year at CU Boulder with dreams of becoming a broadcast journalist. Boulder police are still looking for Thayne Smika after a murder warrant was issued for his arrest in 2010. 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. Smika left the area, and in 1986 his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, Calif. Wells'. 7 Thayne Smika Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 7 Thayne Smika Premium High Res Photos Browse 7 thayne smika stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. What Happened To Nia From Real World Portland? He also reviewed the grand jury decision by Hunter. I have not been in touch with him, and I have no intentions of trying to do so. . 5:59 PM EDT, Fri July 10, 2015. Lakewood, Ohio. The FBI is currently offering a reward of $10,000 for information that results in Smika's capture and conviction. 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. In 2010, the Boulder County district attorney's office agreed to review the case and approved an arrest affidavit for Smika. 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. An autopsy showed Wells was shot execution-style at point-blank range in the back of the head with a 20-gauge shotgun. Police said a possible motive was that Smika owed Wells $300 for rent that day. They said it's possible he lived in Yelapa, Mexico for many years after he was released from custody. www.officer.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. In 2011, the. Also Read: Debra Jeter Death And Daughter Kiersten Jeter Netflix Documentary Case Dateline. 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 stayed up until around 6:30 a.m. before he was seen by a neighbor moving a trash can outside and back inside, locking the apartment door and falling asleep. 2 0 obj I hope its solved, he said. Following his release from detention, they claimed it's conceivable Thayne spent a significant amount of time living in Yelapa, Mexico. . So he started putting together another arrest warrant for Smika, which Boulder County District Court Judge Roxanne Balin approved on Dec. 2, 2010 more than 27 years after Sids murder. The FBI is now offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to Smika's arrest and conviction. He worked through college at the Boulderado Hotel. 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 . Middle Name: Alan. Furnished living room. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 2. Oklahoma had the highest population of Smika families in 1920. endobj Wells and Redford's daughter Shauna, then 22 years old, were both students at the University of Colorado and lived in the same building. 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. but it can also be stressful. For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings. TRAITS & CHARACTERISTICS: Height: 5 feet 11 inches Weight: 140 pounds at the time of the incident Sex: Male Race: White Eyes: Hazel Place of Birth: North Dakota Hair: Brown, could be sun-bleached A. Greg Smika was arrested for the homicide in 1983, however the DA at the time declined prosecution and Smika disappeared in 1986. %PDF-1.7 But part of his story didnt add up from the beginning: His mother was away on a trip to Fort Collins all week. It all started with this classified ad in the Boulder Daily Camera, January, 1983. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Sid, Shauna and a friend eventually ended up back at Sid and Smikas apartment, and they drank and used cocaine, according to the documents. 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. /StructTreeRoot 5 0 R Smika was never prosecuted because the district attorney at the time declined to take the case. 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. 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 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. papa's burgeria hacked; superhero universe codes; wicked tuna paul died; why was matt houston cancelled; petey jones remember the titans character analysis Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Redford said in 1997 that Wells' murder still haunted him. 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. Sids mother, June Menger, describes her youngest son as a good-looking, vivacious, young man who was interning at a local television station and wanted to fly jets for the U.S. Navy. To date, the trail has been cold, but Boulder police said they have not given up. She said Redford initially decided not to attend the funeral, worried it would become a media circus. 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. Smika was eventually let out of custody, and stayed around the area for a couple years. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Pic Credit: U.S. For nearly five decades as a police officer, Hayes has been on the helping side in situations of crisis and tragedy. Source: CNN. Police and prosecutors know their suspect and have a warrant out for his arrest. Hayes home was one that was turned to ash. Allegedly Arrested For Murder, Danny Pudi And Wife Bridget Showalter Pudi Relationship With Two Children. 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. 6: 6 "Trafficking in . District attorneys are assigned to Arkansas's 23 judicial circuits. Smika left the area and in 1986, his abandoned car was found in Beverly Hills, CA. Smika's potential motivation would have been because she owed Wells $300 in rent that day. 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. Thayne Smika, a 24-year old college dropout, answered the ad. 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. An arrest warrant for murder was issued but Smika was nowhere to be found. A young man is murdered under suspicious circumstances. He may also be living in California, the FBI said. But authorities could not find him. Hayes father was a Denver physician who became ill and had to step back from his medical practice. 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. If you have information about Thayne Smika or his whereabouts contact Detective Jeremy Frenzen at 303-441-1890 orfrenzenj@bouldercolorado.gov. Marshals photo. He also had a fondness for cocaine, according to police interviews with friends, a habit he could not afford. The door was unlocked, as it typically was. When Wells was assassinated, he had just started his final year at the University of Colorado and was 22 years old. . . In 2011, the Boulder County District Attorneys office approved an arrest warrant for Smika on first-degree murder but his whereabouts are unknown. But as time passed, Sid began having trouble collecting the rent. Tips can also be submitted through the Crime Stoppers website at http://www.crimeshurt.com. A. Greg You are just minutes from Greenwood & Myers Mortuary is the first choice for many families when they are seeking funeral services in Boulder. A nearby chair had been overturned, and the coffee table was moved aside. Following an investigation, authorities discovered Sid had been killed by a single shot fired at a slight downward angle from a.20-gauge shotgun. Sid really seemed like he was a victim that should never have been. xZms6_*! Smika was arrested on Oct. 6, 1983, two months after the slaying, but then-district attorney Alex Hunter (A&S'59, Law'63) declined to charge him, saying there wasn't enough evidence. Looking out the windows at the Louisville Police Station, Hayes saw flames consuming nearby bushes. And it was questions from Sid and friends regarding several grams of missing coke, a few hundred dollars, and Smika's behavior that police believe eventually led to Sids murder just before noon on Aug. 1, 1983. She said Robert Redford and her son were friends, and they went jogging and skiing together. /Lang (en) Darlene Smika the mother of the missing suspect, who vanished in 1986 refused to speak with detectives, police reported. Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. On August 1, 1983, just before Sid began his senior year, he died from a single 20-gauge shotgun wound to the back of the head. He says he was confident in his work and the departments conclusions. According to the FBI, Thayne Smika hasn't been seen since he was freed from detention. Comments Smika was never seen again. Investigators are still looking for Thayne Smika and are asking anyone with information about Smika or where he might be living to contact . 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