The FBI has announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Thayne Alan Smika, the suspect in the 1983 murder of Sid Wells, who was the boyfriend of Robert Redford's daughter Shauna. The renewed search follows the death of the acclaimed actor, which brought fresh attention to the cold case.
Wells, a student at the University of Colorado Boulder, was fatally shot in his apartment on 1 August 1983. Smika, his roommate, was arrested but the Boulder County district attorney declined to file charges due to insufficient evidence. Smika disappeared in 1986.
In 2009, a new district attorney, Stan Garnett, re-examined the case using DNA tests, leading to a warrant for Smika's arrest in 2010. Garnett recalled a brief but cordial phone call from Redford, who thanked him for continuing to pursue the case. Redford had attended Wells' funeral and provided security for the victim's family during the early investigation.
The FBI's reward offer came the day after Redford's death. Bail for Smika, a North Dakota native also known as Jungle Mike, has been set at $5 million. Wells' brother Robert expressed deep appreciation for Redford's support over the years.
