Former Colorado DNA analyst sentenced to 10 years for evidence tampering

Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a former forensic scientist with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison following her admission to manipulating DNA evidence and official records. Her misconduct, spanning nearly three decades, has forced authorities to revisit more than 1,000 criminal cases.

Woods pleaded guilty to charges including cybercrime, first-degree perjury, forgery, and attempting to influence a public servant. Investigators discovered irregularities in 2023 after an intern noticed missing DNA data in a sample processed in 2018. A subsequent review identified 53 cases linked to false or misleading laboratory reports, including 12 involving criminal charges.

One of the most significant aspects of the scandal involved 32 sexual-assault cases. In these instances, Woods allegedly deleted DNA values that indicated the presence of male DNA or potential contamination. This manipulation resulted in reports stating no male DNA was detected, which may have prevented investigators from pursuing critical leads or conducting further forensic examinations in cases involving women and children.