CO Sidney Wells, 22, murdered 1 August 1983

[Richard]

Sidney Wells, 22, found dead from shotgun blast to head 1 August 1983.

By Vicky Collins, Dateline NBC

It'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.
Furnished living room. Prefer C.U. upperclassman or graduate student.
$300 monthly. For interview, call Sid, 443-****, evenings.

Sid Wells, a 22-year old journalism student at the University of Colorado, was looking for someone to rent a room to. Thayne Smika, a 24-year old college dropout, answered the ad.

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 thought he must be OK.

Smika rented the room. But as time passed, Sid began having trouble collecting the rent.

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. Sid’s older brother, Sam, found his body. The rent was due that day.

Sid’s 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.

In his freshman year, he’d fallen head-over-heels for a girl in his dorm named Shauna. He loved the way her hair fell over her eyes. He asked her to be his date to the Navy ROTC ball, and from that point on, the two were inseparable. Sid didn’t learn until later that Shauna was the daughter of actor Robert Redford.

In Sid’s obituary, Shauna was listed as survivor, girlfriend and best friend.

Robert Redford stopped production of his film “The Natural” so he and his family could attend Sid’s funeral.

A broken hearted Shauna later left the university.

Police focused their attention on Thayne Smika and, when forensic evidence confirmed their suspicions, they arrested him.

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. Sid’s mom could not believe it.

“The evidence pointed to Thayne," June said. "The police department felt that way, his friends and roommates felt that way. We couldn't understand why they let him go."

Smika moved to Denver then eventually left for California. In 1986 his abandoned car, a Dodge Aries, was found in Beverly Hills wiped clean of prints. Smika was never seen again.

Police and the family believe he changed his name and disappeared.

Dave Hayes was a rookie detective in the Boulder Police Department when Sid Wells was killed. For 30 years he’s been doggedly trying to solve this cold case. In 2010, armed with more sophisticated forensic and ballistic evidence, he says he was once again able to pinpoint Thayne Smika as the likely killer.

An arrest warrant for murder was issued but Smika was nowhere to be found.

According to Detective Hayes, “This is not a whodunit, but rather a 'where is he?'” ...

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.

She believes Smika has had some very good cover for 30 years and has also had help staying off the grid.

“If Thayne was innocent,” she says, “he would want to clear his name and live a normal life rather than hide out.”

For June, Sid’s death is as fresh as if it just happened. It’s something she and her family have never gotten over. She wants to find Thayne Smika and she wants to ask him, “Why?”

If you have information about Thayne Smika or his whereabouts contact Detective Jeremy Frenzen at 303-441-1890 or frenzenj@bouldercolorado.gov.

Those wishing to remain anonymous can call Crime Stoppers
at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or 1-800-444-3776.

LINKS:

The Murder of Sid Wells

Sid Wells Murder: Arrest Warrant in 1983 Killing of Wells, Boyfriend of Robert Redford's Daughter

 

[summergirl1]

I wonder whatever happened to Thayne Smika. LE looked to see if he was communicating with family around 2010, when they issued the arrest warrant. They looked at phone records of family members, etc. But they obviously found nothing or nothing concrete. I read in old online articles that his father said he hadn't heard from him since he disappeared and that he was honoring Thayne's wishes ( as expressed by him vanishing when suspected of murder) by not looking for him. His mother said if she knew where he was, why would she reveal it? Still, LE found nothing in her phone records or no evidence she had been in contact with him at the time. She died a few years ago, and his father died just last year.

There was apparently some evidence Thayne had lived in Mexico at least for awhile. I had never heard of this case until someone posted on a thread about a John Doe from Washington State in 1987, and said Thayne Smika might be a match. I looked into it and didn't think that Doe was him at all, but it got me thinking that he maybe a John Doe somewhere, although he is still probably alive under a fake name.

 

[Richard]

40 years ago...

Sidney Lee “Sid” Wells, age 22​

BIRTH 28 Mar 1961 Norton, Norton County, Kansas, USA
DEATH 1 Aug 1983 Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado, USA
BURIAL Cremated, Other. Specifically: burial place is unknown and unpublished due to publicity in the case

Murder victim. Handsome, popular Sidney Wells, a 22-year-old journalism student and member of Naval ROTC, was entering his senior year at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Athletic, clean-cut and smart, he appeared to be the poster child of the All American Golden Boy. He'd dated his beautiful girlfriend, the daughter of actor, Robert Redford, for three years. After graduation, Sid hoped to fly jets for the Navy. He was loved by his family and friends and his future seemed destined for happiness and success. Then everything changed the day Sid accepted a shady character as the third roommate of the condominium he shared with his brother, Sam.

On August 1,1983, Sam Wells returned home to find Sid sprawled on the living room floor, dead, with a bullet hole in the back of his head. Police immediately narrowed their investigation to the third roommate who had suddenly left town. The trail led to the home of the suspect's mother in western Colorado. With a warrant in hand, police searched the culprit's bedroom. In the closet they discovered a box with a gun which used the same caliber bullet as the murder weapon. It was later learned the gun had Sid's blood on the barrel. An arrest was made, but the suspect was released because the Boulder District Attorney felt there was not enough evidence to secure a conviction. Later a Grand Jury met and failed to indict. Soon after, the suspect was in the wind and the case went cold. Thirty-two years later, a new District Attorney wanted to reopen the case, but it was feared the suspect was living in Brazil under an assumed name. Sid's mother fought for thirty years trying to bring the murderer to justice. Sadly, June Wells Menger died in 2014 of cancer and the case has never been solved.

LINK:

Sidney Lee “Sid” Wells (1961-1983) - Find a Grave...

Murder victim. Handsome, popular Sidney Wells, a 22-year-old journalism student and member of Naval ROTC, was entering his senior year at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Athletic, clean-cut and smart, he appeared to be the poster child of the All American Golden Boy. He'd dated his...

www.findagrave.com