In 1983, while preparing to film The Natural, Robert Redford learned that Sid Wells, the boyfriend of his daughter Shauna Redford, had been murdered. The shocking news compelled Redford to leave the movie set in Buffalo, New York, immediately to support his family. He chartered a private jet and picked up his wife, Lola Van Wagenen, from their Utah home to be by Shauna’s side during this grim time.
Details of Sid Wells’ Murder
Sid Wells was discovered dead on August 1, 1983, in the living room of his Boulder, Colorado condo. Authorities determined the cause of death to be a fatal .22-gauge shotgun wound to the back of his head. Wells had been dating Shauna Redford since their freshman year of college at the University of Colorado Boulder, where their relationship began after he invited her to a Navy ROTC dance, unaware of her connection to a famous actor.
Emotional Impact on Redford and Family
The murder devastated Shauna, but her father was deeply affected as well. Alan Pakula, director of All the President’s Men, said Robert Redford
“was always somewhat retiring, but he became reclusive after that,”
suggesting that the tragedy led to heightened caution from the actor. Pakula added,
“I often wondered was it some natural paranoid response, some recognition that he and his family were higher-profile targets than the rest of us.”
After attending Wells’ funeral at Christ Congregational Church in Longmont, Colorado, Redford returned to work on The Natural, but his focus was compromised. He admitted,
“I was thinking of my daughter’s dilemma, not any fictional scenario.”
Initial Investigation and Suspect’s Background
The investigation centered on Thayne Smika, a 24-year-old college dropout and Wells’ roommate who had fallen behind on rent payments. Police discovered a note left by Smika claiming he had gone to visit his parents, but inconsistencies quickly emerged. When the authorities went to Smika’s family home, he claimed the trip was for personal grooming and laundry, despite having had a perm a week before Wells’ death and the condo containing laundry facilities.
Smika was arrested in October 1983 but released weeks later after then-District Attorney Alex Hunter found insufficient evidence to press charges. According to Wells’ mother, June Menger,
“The evidence pointed to Thayne. The police department felt that way, his friends and roommates felt that way. We couldn’t understand why they let him go.”
A grand jury declined to indict Smika in 1985, and by 1986, he had vanished.
The Role of the Redford Family in Keeping the Case Alive
June Menger initially worried her son’s story would fade into obscurity, but she later realized the importance of an association with the Redford family in maintaining public interest. She explained to Boulder Reporting Lab’s Silvia Pettem in 2012,
“I finally realized that I need the Redford connection to keep the case open.”
Shauna Redford kept in contact with Menger, and Robert Redford followed developments in the investigation closely.
In 2010, Boulder County District Court issued a warrant for Smika’s arrest for first-degree murder, alongside a federal warrant charging him with unlawful flight to avoid prosecution. This revived hopes for justice after decades of uncertainty.
Law Enforcement and Legal Efforts Over the Years
After Redford’s death on September 16, 2023, former Boulder District Attorney Stan Garnett recounted a phone call years earlier in which Redford reached out. Garnett said,
“One day, I was in my office and my secretary said, ‘Robert Redford’s on the phone. Do you want to talk to him?’ I said sure.”
The conversation was brief but warm, with Redford expressing gratitude toward the law enforcement teams
“for continuing to pay attention to the case and work toward getting a warrant eventually.”
Garnett noted that Redford’s involvement reflected the actor’s
“concern about his daughter and about this young man who’d lost his life very tragically.”
Recent Developments and Ongoing Search
A day after Redford’s passing, the FBI Denver field office renewed efforts to locate Smika, distributing age-progressed images of the now 66-year-old fugitive and details about the case on social media. According to the FBI, the last known trace of Smika was in October 1986 when authorities found his car abandoned in Beverly Hills, California, with stolen license plates and wiped of fingerprints. Subsequent alleged sightings have been reported in California and Mexico, especially after the case aired on 48 Hours in 1998.
New ballistic tests were crucial to reactivating the investigation. Boulder Deputy Police Chief David Hayes explained that shotgun pellets found in Wells’ body matched shells located at the Smika family residence in eastern Colorado, prompting the 2010 arrest warrant under District Attorney Garnett.
Boulder Police Chief Mark Beckner acknowledged at the time,
“There hasn’t been a national or international hunt for Mr. Smika. There will be now.”
The FBI currently offers a $10,000 reward for information leading to Smika’s arrest and conviction, urging anyone with knowledge to reach out to the nearest FBI office or American embassy.
Significance of the Case and What Lies Ahead
This cold case remains a source of anguish for those connected to Sid Wells and the Redford family. As Deputy Police Chief Hayes articulated,
“This is not a whodunit, but rather a ‘where is he?’”
The renewed search after Robert Redford’s death may bring fresh attention and resources, increasing the chances of locating Smika and achieving justice for Wells’ tragic murder nearly four decades ago.
