Key facts
- Former Colorado Bureau of Investigation analyst Yvonne Woods pleaded guilty to four felony counts.
- The charges include cybercrime, perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, and forgery.
A former forensic analyst with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation pleaded guilty to four felony counts, including cybercrime, perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, and forgery. Yvonne Woods manipulated DNA testing data, potentially invalidating hundreds of criminal cases.
The guilty plea of a forensic analyst for manipulating DNA evidence raises serious questions about the integrity of the justice system and the reliability of convictions based on her work, potentially impacting hundreds of criminal cases and leading to significant costs for the state.
A former forensic analyst with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Yvonne "Missy" Woods, pleaded guilty Tuesday to four felony counts stemming from accusations that she manipulated and omitted data to speed up the DNA testing process. The plea agreement resolves a case that has cast doubt on hundreds of criminal convictions.
Woods pleaded guilty to committing a cybercrime, perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, and forgery. Dozens of other counts were dismissed as part of the agreement. She is scheduled to be sentenced in September and faces between 8 and 16 years in prison.
Authorities accused Woods, who resigned in 2023 after a decades-long career, of altering data to conceal tampering, deleting information that showed she failed to troubleshoot testing issues, and not thoroughly documenting tests. The investigation began in September 2023 after an intern discovered missing information in a 2018 case handled by Woods. She allegedly told investigators at one point that she had changed data to complete cases more quickly.
Problems with Woods' work were found in cases involving homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and other crimes. Prosecutors have been forced to review hundreds of cases. At least one murder conviction, that of Michael Clark, was overturned after his lawyers argued DNA evidence was mishandled. Prosecutors are seeking to retry Clark. In at least two homicide cases, defendants received lesser sentences under plea deals due to concerns about Woods' involvement potentially leading to acquittals.
State officials have stated that the response to Woods' actions could cost more than $11 million. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation described Woods' actions as intentional criminal fraud, emphasizing that it does not reflect the bureau's standard practices. Bureau director Armando Saldate stated that the guilty plea is an important moment of accountability and that the bureau is committed to implementing best practices in forensic science.