The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation is looking for a rare set of all-terrain vehicle tires matching a tread pattern left in a field, hoping it could help them solve the cold case of the murder of a Cheyenne mother more than 22 years ago.
The badly beaten body of Shawny Lee Smith, who was 32 at the time, was discovered by a property owner on Feb. 8, 2003, off U.S. Route 85 in Weld County, Colo., just a quarter mile from the Wyoming border.
Evidence collected at the crime scene indicates the killer’s vehicle may have been equipped with Sport King A/T Steel Radial tires, which are no longer manufactured and are somewhat scarce.
“Tracks from an analysis some time ago are consistent with these tires,” Cmdr. Ryan Cox, supervisor of DCI’s cold case unit, said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “We are chasing down the tires to get a good lead (on the suspect).”
Due to the rarity of the tires, obtaining one of them and matching it to the tread pattern could be a significant breakthrough in helping to whittle down the list of potential suspects, said Cox. While they believe they know the model and make of the tire, an existing example would help investigators confirm a match and help them build a legal case, DCI officials said.
DCI, asked by the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office in 2017 to take the lead in the investigation, is also pursuing DNA evidence. Additionally, DCI is investigating 19 other cold case homicides across Wyoming.
Last Seen In Cheyenne
Smith, a machinist at Gater Industries, was last seen late on the evening of Feb. 6 or in the early morning hours of Feb. 7, 2003, at the Cowboy South Bar, 312 South Greeley Highway in Cheyenne, now the location of the Outlaw Saloon.
“Shawny’s death left behind a grieving family and friends, including her two children, who have been without answers for two decades,” Former DCI Director Forrest Williams said in 2023 on the 20th anniversary of the discovery of Smith’s body. “Unfortunately, Shawny’s mother passed away without ever knowing what happened to her daughter.”
Sister Seeks Justice
Jackie Lynn Roberts of Cheyenne, who is Smith’s 57-year-old sister, was unaware the DCI was seeking tires in connection with the homicide investigation until contacted by Cowboy State Daily.
Roberts said she and Smith were "roommates," adding she last spoke to her sister by phone on Feb. 5, 2003.
“She said she was having problems with her car and that she was going out,” said Roberts, who didn’t inquire about her sister’s destination. “She ran in her circles, and I ran in mine. She liked to party, and at that time in my life, I was not doing that.”
Roberts added that her sister had many friends and described her as a single mom raising a son and daughter and trying to live the American dream.
She is unaware of anyone who would want to harm Smith and relies on her faith that her sister’s killer will be brought to justice.
“I pray for forgiveness for them,” she said. “They are going to have to live with whatever demons they have.”
Anyone with information about the homicide or who has tires of any condition matching those being sought is asked to contact the DCI at 307-630-2131.
Scott Schwebke can be reached at scott@cowboystatedaily.com.
