Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a former forensic analyst for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for manipulating DNA data. Authorities stated that her actions have cast doubt on the validity of hundreds of criminal cases.
Woods pleaded guilty in June to perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, forgery, and committing a cybercrime. Dozens of other charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.
Problems with Woods’ work were identified in cases involving homicide, sexual assault, and robbery. Prosecutors were compelled to review hundreds of cases, and at least one murder conviction was overturned due to her misconduct. Michael Clark was released from prison in 2025 after his lawyers argued that DNA evidence was mishandled by Woods, with prosecutors indicating they would seek to retry him.
During Tuesday’s sentencing hearing in Golden, Colorado, Woods apologised, acknowledging that her apology would not undo the harm caused. She stated, “For many years I was entrusted with evidence that could have profound consequences for defendants, victims, families and the courts. I failed that responsibility. I am deeply sorry for that failure.”
Woods resigned in 2023 after an investigation into her misconduct began in September 2023. An intern at the bureau discovered missing information in a case Woods handled in 2018. An arrest affidavit alleges Woods told investigators she had changed data to complete cases more quickly.
Concerns about Woods’ work reportedly surfaced more than a decade ago, with a worker questioning her testing of evidence as early as 2014. In 2018, she was temporarily removed from working on DNA cases after being accused of data manipulation, according to a 2024 internal affairs report from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.