Colorado DNA analyst gets 10 years for manipulating evidence
Former Colorado forensic analyst Yvonne Woods was sentenced to 10 years for manipulating DNA data, affecting hundreds of criminal cases.
A former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday for manipulating DNA data, a breach that cast doubt on hundreds of criminal cases and led to at least one overturned murder conviction.
Yvonne "Missy" Woods, who resigned in 2023 after a decades-long career, pleaded guilty in June to charges including perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, forgery, and a cybercrime. Dozens of other counts were dismissed under a plea agreement.
During the sentencing hearing in Golden, Colorado, state District Judge Andrew Poland handed down the term, which fell within the 8-to-16-year range Woods faced. Authorities said her actions affected cases involving homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and other crimes, forcing prosecutors to review hundreds of files.
Woods was accused of altering data to conceal tampering, deleting records that showed she failed to troubleshoot testing issues, and failing to document tests properly. The investigation began in September 2023 after an intern discovered missing information in a 2018 case. Woods allegedly told investigators she changed data to finish cases more quickly.
In court, Woods apologized, acknowledging the profound consequences of her actions. "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, as reported by the Denver Post.
The fallout has been significant. Michael Clark was released from prison in 2025 after his lawyers argued DNA evidence was mishandled by Woods; prosecutors said they plan to retry him. In two homicide cases, defendants received lesser sentences under plea deals because prosecutors feared Woods' involvement could lead to acquittals. Other convictions have also been challenged across Colorado.
An internal affairs report in 2024 revealed that concerns about Woods' work surfaced as early as 2014, and she was temporarily removed from DNA cases in 2018 after allegations of data manipulation. State officials estimate the response to her actions could cost more than $11 million.