After 14 months of investigation, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has completed its review of former forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods.
CBI announced last week that the comprehensive review identified 1,003 cases impacted by Woods’ misconduct in her nearly 30-year career. This theoretically final tally is an increase over the 809 cases the CBI had identified in August 2024.
The CBI said “new information, if discovered, will be thoroughly vetted.”
CBI started auditing Woods’ cases when an intern noted anomalies in her work in September 2023. However, records show concerns about Woods’ work dating all the way back to 2014.
In a report released in June of this year, findings show Woods omitted material facts in official criminal justice records and tampered with DNA testing by altering or omitting some test results from the case file. For example, Woods deleted data showing that male DNA was present in swabs from sexual assault kits administered on female victims. However, the report says Woods did not falsify DNA matches. By deleting the data, Woods could quickly close the case without testing for male DNA profiles.
Ultimately, the June report showed Woods deviated from standard testing protocols and cut corners—which put all of her work, starting in 1994, into question.
The now-completed review concludes 1,003 cases from that time period are impacted by Woods.
The questions into Woods' work began a decade ago when a coworker questioned some of her testing of evidence in a case and reported concerns to a Technical Leader in 2014. The real investigation started, though, when an intern saw some discrepancies in Woods work in September 2023 with certain data reported missing. Woods was placed on administrative leave the next month. She ultimately decided to retire in November 2023.
An answer to the “how many cases” question grew in urgency as the CBI conducted its internal review.
“Our urgency in this matter stems from the fact that forensic evidence is being used every day in criminal trials and the longer it takes to resolve questions regarding Ms. Woods’ misconduct, the longer it will delay relief for those impacted by her misconduct,” lawyers with The Korey Wise Innocence Project and the ACLU of Colorado wrote in a November 2024 letter expressing concern over the CBI’s handling of Woods’ actions.
Indeed, at least three murder cases have been impacted in the court of law due to Woods’ misconduct—possibly more. And there are more on the docket, not to mention cases in the last 30 years that may have resulted in wrongful convictions.
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