Star DNA scientist accused of mishandling in 1,022 cases delays trial
Share this @internewscast.com

The legal defense for a Colorado DNA analyst, whose allegedly subpar work has put hundreds of convictions at stake over a 15-year span, requested a postponement of her arraignment to review over 45,000 files of discovery.

Forensic scientist Yvonne ‘Missy’ Woods, affiliated with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation for 29 years, is facing 102 charges linked to 58 incidents of purported criminal misconduct from 2008 to 2023.

The charges include cybercrime, perjury in the first degree, attempt to influence a public servant and forgery. She has not yet entered a plea.

Woods’ issues came to light when an intern identified discrepancies in 2023; a subsequent investigation swiftly uncovered numerous similar errors, according to First Judicial District Attorney Alexis King’s statement released earlier this year when the charges were announced.

Woods was placed on leave in October 2023 and resigned the following month. 

Following these revelations, one murder conviction was overturned due to flawed DNA evidence attributed to Woods. Additionally, at least one Colorado law firm is actively seeking clients and has initiated a lawsuit against Woods and the CBI.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation reported in April that 1,022 cases have been identified as impacted, including 472 involving sexual assault, 211 burglaries, 58 assaults, 47 robberies, and 19 kidnappings.

Woods appeared in Jefferson County Court on Monday wearing a blue dress alongside defense attorneys Lindsay Brown and Tom Ward. 

The defense team has requested to delay her arraignment to late October, already dealing with a vast amount of discovery files, totaling over 41,000, including zip files that may contain even more documents, according to Ward.

Yvonne 'Missy' Woods Woods, a 29-year-veteran and considered the state's 'gold standard' by colleagues for helping to put infamous murdered behind bars. She is pictured pointing to a DNA chart during Diego Olmos Alcalde's trial on Monday June 22, 2009

Yvonne ‘Missy’ Woods Woods, a 29-year-veteran and considered the state’s ‘gold standard’ by colleagues for helping to put infamous murdered behind bars. She is pictured pointing to a DNA chart during Diego Olmos Alcalde’s trial on Monday June 22, 2009

‘Just this morning, we got disclosure of another 5,000 pages,’ he added. 

The prosecution agreed, calling Woods’ case an ‘exceptional circumstance.’

The forensic scientist is accused of ‘altering and/or deleting data related to critical parts of the quality control process,’ the DA announced in January.

CBI invited in the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (SDDCI), who  launched year-long investigation into Woods’ work.

If found ‘evidence of instances where Woods altered and deleted quantification values, re-ran entire batches of DNA multiple times without any documentation and concealed possible contamination,’ the DA’s statement continued.

Woods, pictured in  May 2009, was placed on leave from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in October 2023 and resigned the following month. She was charged in January and has not yet entered a plea

Woods, pictured in  May 2009, was placed on leave from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation in October 2023 and resigned the following month. She was charged in January and has not yet entered a plea

‘Additionally, the affidavit alleges that in over 30 sexual assault cases, Woods deleted specific values in samples and submitted reports to agencies that reflected, “No Male DNA Found,” when in fact small amounts of male DNA were present and/or possible contamination was present and additional troubleshooting and retesting was required,’ the DA said.

Through the end of 2024, the CBI estimated that the fiscal costs due to Woods’ alleged misconduct was $11,071,486.

In its internal affairs investigation report published in 2024, CBI found that Woods’ work had been questioned by a coworker in 2014, who reported ‘concerns’ to a ‘technical leader.’

She’d also been accused of ‘data manipulation’ in 2018, when she was removed from casework and given other duties during a a review – after which she was reinstated, it continued. 

CBI has since said that ‘policy changes have already been implemented to address the specific vulnerabilities exploited by Woods.’

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

“Revealing Video Uncovers Shady Practices of Real Estate Agents and Causes Uproar”

A controversial suggestion from a real estate business has sparked backlash after…

Wife of man killed in suspected gang shooting shares last phone call

A young mother of two has revealed she was on the phone…

The IWM Prefers Honoring Diversity Over Bravery

Tuesday is going to be a difficult occasion for me – one…

How I Reduced My Biological Age by Seven Years

Daily Mail journalists handpick and organize the products displayed on our site.…

Footballers Advised Against Using Terms Like ‘Come on Lads’ or ‘Linesman’

Footballers have been ordered not to say the phrases ‘come on lads’…

Collection of Evidence and Crucial Proof That Could Bring Down George Soros

Billionaire George Soros and the $32 billion Open Society Foundations (OSF) are…

Famous Restaurant Favored by Alex Ferguson Fined After Immigration Raid

Sir Alex Ferguson’s preferred Italian eatery has been hit with a hefty…

Unique Fashion Show Features Clothing Discovered on the Subway and Crafted from Rugby Balls

A ‘streetwise’ and ‘eco-friendly’ fashion show with a twist has garnered praise…

Former Bears Safety Charles Tillman Resigns from FBI Due to Disagreement with Trump’s Immigration Policies

Former Chicago Bears safety Charles “Peanut” Tillman says he left the FBI…

From Australian Hero to Infamous Outlaw: The Story of Chris Hemsworth’s Uncle

Australia’s golden family—the Hemsworths, consisting of Chris and his well-known siblings Liam…

Controversial Post by Left-wing Followers Praises Tupac Shakur’s Fugitive Godmother

The Chicago Teachers Union was slammed for their memorial post honoring the…

The harmful and toxic comments directed at Rory McIlroy were vile and damaging.

Collin Morikawa encouraged New York golf enthusiasts to unleash ‘absolute chaos’ during…