Former Colorado crime analyst gets 10-year prison sentence for
manipulating DNA data
[September 09, 2026]
GOLDEN, Colo. (AP) — 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.
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Former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst Yvonne
"Missy" Woods cries as she watches a video during a her sentencing
hearing at the Jefferson County Courthouse, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026,
in Golden, Colo. (Stephen Swofford//The Gazette via AP, Pool
The investigation into Woods' misconduct began in September 2023
after an intern at the bureau discovered missing information in a
case that Woods handled in 2018. According to an arrest affidavit,
Woods allegedly told investigators at one point that she had changed
data to complete cases more quickly.
In the vacated murder case, Michael Clark was released from prison
in 2025 after his lawyers argued that DNA evidence was mishandled by
Woods. Prosecutors said they would seek to retry him.
In two homicide cases, the defendants received lesser sentences
under plea deals than they could have faced if they went to trial
because prosecutors were afraid Woods’ involvement could lead to
acquittals.
Convictions in other cases also have been challenged in courts
across Colorado.
A Colorado Bureau of Investigation internal affairs report in 2024
revealed that concerns about Woods’ work first surfaced more than a
decade ago. As early as 2014, a worker questioned her testing of
evidence, and in 2018 she was temporarily removed from working on
DNA cases after being accused of data manipulation, the report said.
State officials have said that the response to Woods’ actions could
end up costing more than $11 million.
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