FILE-Former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist Yvonne "Missy" Woods, center, leaves at Jefferson County District Court in Golden, Colorado on Tuesday, June 23, 2026. (Photo by Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post)
An ex-forensic analyst for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after authorities said her manipulation of DNA data called into question the credibility of criminal cases.
In June, Yvonne "Missy" Woods pleaded guilty to perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, forgery and committing a cybercrime. Other counts were dismissed as part of a plea agreement, according to The Associated Press.
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The Denver Post reported that Woods apologized during Tuesday's hearing but stated she knew apologizing would not change the harm she caused.
Colorado crime analyst manipulated DNA in criminal cases
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Authorities tell the Associated Press that issues were found in cases involving homicide, sexual assault, robbery and other crimes. And prosecutors reviewed cases and one murder conviction was repealed due to Yvonne "Missy" Woods’ malfeasance.
In 2023, Woods resigned after a long career. Authorities alleged that she modified data to hide tampering, deleting data that showed she failed to troubleshoot issues within the testing process and not thoroughly documenting tests performed in case records.
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A probe into Woods' misconduct started in September 2023 after an intern at the Colorado bureau discovered missing information in a case that Woods managed in 2018.
In an arrest affidavit, obtained by the AP, Woods allegedly told investigators that she had changed data to complete cases faster.
The AP reported that in a vacated murder case, Michael Clark was released from prison in 2025 after his lawyers argued that DNA evidence was mismanaged by Woods. Prosecutors said they would seek to retry him.
Separately, in two homicide cases, the defendants received lesser prison sentences under plea deals than they could have faced if they went to trial because prosecutors worried Woods’ involvement could lead to acquittals.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Associated Press, which cites an arrest affidavit and comments from authorities with knowledge of the case. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.