FBI Releases Updated Images of Fugitive Suspect in 1983 University of Colorado Student Murder

Authorities are renewing efforts to locate Thayne Alan Smika, the man accused of fatally shooting University of Colorado Boulder student Sidney Lee Wells on August 1, 1983. The FBI unveiled updated age-progression renderings of the fugitive on Thursday, more than 40 years after Wells was discovered dead inside his Boulder apartment with a gunshot wound to the head.

Wells, a 22-year-old senior majoring in journalism and enrolled in the Navy ROTC program, was found lying on his living room floor when police responded to the apartment complex that day. Smika, then 24 and a student himself, was identified as a suspect during the initial investigation but remained at large following the killing.

Three years after Wells’s death, investigators discovered Smika’s abandoned vehicle in Beverly Hills, California, equipped with a stolen license plate. He has evaded capture continuously since that discovery. A Boulder County judge issued a state warrant for first-degree murder in December 2010, followed days later by federal charges for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

If alive, Smika would be 67 years old today, authorities said. He may be clean-shaven or bearded, potentially wearing glasses, and investigators believe he may have resided in Yelapa, Mexico, for an extended period before 2007. He does not possess a valid U.S. passport, according to law enforcement.

The FBI is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to Smika’s arrest and conviction. Boulder Police Chief Steve Redfearn stated that the newly released images could generate significant leads in the decades-old homicide. Anyone with information can contact Boulder Police at 303-441-1974, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, submit tips at tips.fbi.gov, or call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-7867 with anonymous information.