More than 40 years after a University of Colorado Boulder student was found shot to death in his apartment, the FBI is renewing its appeal for tips, releasing new age-progression images of the man accused in the killing.
On Thursday, investigators made public updated images of Thayne Alan Smika, who authorities say has avoided capture for decades after the Aug. 1, 1983, slaying of his former roommate, 22-year-old Sidney Lee Wells.
According to the FBI, officers were called to a Boulder apartment complex that day and discovered Wells on the living room floor with a gunshot wound to the head. Wells was a senior journalism student at the University of Colorado Boulder and was also enrolled in the Navy ROTC program.
An undated image released by the FBI shows Thayne Alan Smika, who is wanted in connection with the 1983 killing of his former roommate, University of Colorado Boulder student Sidney Lee Wells. (FBI)
Smika, then a 24-year-old student, was named as a suspect early in the investigation but was not charged at the time. In October 1986, three years after Wells was killed, authorities located Smika’s abandoned car in Beverly Hills, California, bearing a stolen license plate. He has been a fugitive ever since.
In December 2010, a Boulder County judge issued a state warrant charging Smika with first-degree murder. Federal authorities followed days later, charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution and securing a federal arrest warrant.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to Smika’s arrest and conviction.
An FBI age-progression image shows what homicide fugitive Thayne Alan Smika may look like today if clean-shaven. Investigators hope the updated renderings will help generate fresh leads in the decades-old case. (FBI)
“It is never too late to hold a murder suspect accountable,” FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski said. “The FBI is unwavering in our determination to deliver justice for victims’ families. We will work with Boulder Police to pursue this fugitive until he is found and brought into custody to face the consequences of his actions.”
Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn said investigators hope the newly released images generate fresh leads in the decades-old homicide investigation.
“We are hopeful these images generate actionable tips that our detectives can investigate to find Smika and bring justice in this case,” Redfearn said. “No matter how much time has passed, we will never stop searching. We are grateful for our FBI partners for their help in creating these images and publicizing this crime.”
An FBI age-progression image shows what homicide fugitive Thayne Alan Smika may look like today with a beard and glasses. Authorities are seeking tips in the 1983 killing of University of Colorado Boulder student Sidney Lee Wells. (FBI)
Authorities said Smika would now be 67 years old. He may be clean-shaven or have a beard or mustache and may wear glasses. Investigators also said he does not have a valid U.S. passport and may have lived in Yelapa, Mexico, for years before 2007.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Boulder Police tip line at 303-441-1974, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Anonymous tips can also be made through Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867.
