Victim's Mother Talks About 1983 Murder Case

BOULDER, Colo. (CBS4)- Police are searching for the man prosecutors believe killed University of Colorado student Sid Wells 27 years ago.

Thayne Smika, 51, has been the prime suspect in his roommate's death since Wells was shot in his Boulder condominium.

Police now worry Smika may have left the country.

Wells' mother can't believe the new development in the cold case. She also can't believe it took so long.

June Menger is Wells' mother. She says she never gave up hope that Sid's murder would be solved.

"We only hoped, we never gave up, but frankly, when it happened, I was shocked," said Menger.

After nearly three decades, there is an arrest warrant out for Smika.

"Without the arrest warrant, we couldn't hunt for him and now we can," said Sid's stepfather Jim Menger.

Police have released a sketch of what they believe Smika might look like now.

Smika and Wells lived with another roommate in the Spanish Towers condos in Boulder, just off the CU campus.

Sid's brother Sam made the gruesome discovery and called police.

"When they first was on the scene, they came over and kept me in custody for 10 hours, interrogating me," said Sam.

The case drew tremendous attention in part, because Sid's girlfriend at the time was Shauna Redford, the daughter of actor Robert Redford.

Robert spoke with CBS4 about the case several years ago.

"There is such a thing called closure. When solved, there will be a completion to it everybody will be happy to see come," said Redford.

Wells' family has strong words for Smika, wherever he is.

"You can't get away. You may be away for 27 years, now we'll come and get you," said Menger.

Redford said in a statement released Friday, "In a situation like this, what a family wants is justice and closure and we've had neither. This is a welcomed development."