Ex-forensic crime analyst sentenced 10 years in prison for manipulating DNA data
GOLDEN, Colo.— A judge sentenced a former forensic analyst for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to 10 years in prison on Tuesday after authorities said her manipulation of DNA data raised questions about the validity of hundreds of criminal cases.Yvonne “Missy” Woods pleaded guilty in June to perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, forgery and committing a cybercrime.
Dozens of other counts were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.Problems with the scientist’s work were found in cases involving homicide, sexual assault, robbery and other crimes, according to authorities.Prosecutors were forced to review hundreds of cases, and at least one murder conviction was vacated as a result of Woods’ misconduct.Woods had faced between 8 and 16 years in prison during Tuesday’s sentencing hearing before state District Judge Andrew Poland in Golden, Colorado.She resigned in 2023 after a decades-long career.
Authorities accused her of altering data to conceal tampering, deleting data that showed she failed to troubleshoot issues within the testing process, and not thoroughly documenting tests performed in case records.Woods apologized during Tuesday’s hearing but said she knew saying sorry would not undo the harm she caused, the Denver Post reported.“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,” she said.Following the sentencing, Colorado Bureau of Investigation officials said they have sought to reform their laboratories in response to the data scandal as they try to rebuild public trust.“The actions of one individual never define this organization, and they do not define the dedicated public servants who continued showing up every day with integrity,” bureau Director Armando Saldate said in a statement.The investigation into Woods’ misconduct began in September 2023 after an inte...