A Colorado crime lab analyst is facing over 100 criminal charges related to allegations that she altered reports in sexual assault investigations.
Yvonne “Missy” Woods has been charged with 52 counts of forgery, 48 counts of attempting to influence a public servant, one count of first-degree perjury, and one count of cybercrime, according to the district attorney for the First Judicial District. Woods is accused of manipulating DNA data by altering or deleting quantification values, rerunning DNA batches without proper documentation, and concealing potential contamination.
She is also alleged to have submitted misleading reports stating “No Male DNA Found” in more than 30 sexual assault cases where DNA was either present or contamination was involved.
Jail records indicate that Woods was in custody as of Thursday morning. An attorney listed in the affidavit for Woods’ arrest warrant has not responded to requests for comment.
In November 2023, authorities in Colorado requested that the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation look into Woods’ work. Woods had been employed by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation from January 1994 until her retirement in November 2023.
According to the affidavit, the issue was first uncovered by a Colorado Bureau of Investigation intern two months prior to the request. The intern, who has not been named, was tasked with reviewing quantification data and noticed that certain data appeared to be missing. The intern reported this to lab management, leading to an internal investigation of Woods’ cases, which revealed multiple instances of altered or deleted data.
During a recorded interview, Woods was questioned about her handling of contaminated DNA samples. She allegedly told investigators that, before around 2017 or 2018, some contamination had been accepted. However, she acknowledged that any contamination since then would need to be addressed, agreeing with investigators that rerunning DNA batches would be a time-consuming process. Woods was also asked about past discrepancies in her work, including a 2018 incident when she was placed on leave over concerns about manipulated data, the affidavit stated.
During the interview, Woods reportedly stated that she wasn’t sure if previous instances of data manipulation were intentional and couldn’t recall when she started altering the data.
When asked about the potential motive for deleting or manipulating the data, Woods quickly responded, “Being able to report the case,” according to the affidavit.
At one point, the affidavit notes that Woods was asked if she deleted data to expedite specific cases and avoid additional work, to which she agreed.
Over 500 cases, starting in 2008, were impacted by Woods’ inaccurate reports, and those cases are now under scrutiny due to the alleged data manipulation.
The district attorney’s office stated that the financial cost of Woods’ alleged actions exceeds $11 million.
In response to the fallout, a Wisconsin-based firm has been hired to assess the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s policies and procedures, offering recommendations for any necessary improvements. The firm was awarded a $770,000 contract, according to NBC affiliate KUSA.
