CBI publishes results of internal investigation into forensic scientist accused of manipulating laboratory results

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has released key findings from its internal investigation into the misconduct of Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a longtime member of the department’s forensic science team whose work has been cited in thousands of criminal cases over the past three decades.

A review of Woods’ work began in September 2023 after anomalies emerged during a management-initiated research project. The issues led to a third-party investigation into her previous work, which found that Woods “had deviated from standard testing protocols and cut corners, raising doubts about the reliability of her testing.”

The alleged tampering included omitting facts from official criminal records and altering or omitting some test results from case files. The CBI found no evidence that Woods falsified DNA matches.

So far, 654 cases that Woods worked on have been questioned. Additional cases dating from 1994 to 2008 are also being investigated. It will cost the state nearly $7.5 million to retest DNA samples that Woods previously worked on.

The CBI’s investigation has highlighted previous concerns about the integrity of Woods’ work dating back at least a decade. In 2014, a colleague reported concerns about Woods’ review of evidence to a CBI “technical lead.” Then in 2018, Woods was accused of data manipulation and suspended from her duties. She was later reinstated after the matter was not escalated to superiors.

CBI Director Chris Schaefer said investigations into Woods’ work and why the agency’s protocols failed to prevent tampering were ongoing.

“Although the focus of the (internal department report) was on Wood’s misconduct, we must acknowledge that it took too long for us to discover the ongoing intentional manipulation of our laboratory system,” Schaefer said. “We are in the process of finding an outside vendor to conduct an organizational review to ensure that our forensic services procedures and systems meet the CBI’s high standards.”

During her 29 years with the CBI, Woods was involved in several high-profile cases in Colorado, including the investigation of basketball player Kobe Bryant on rape allegations and the murder of University of Colorado student Susannah Chase.

Woods, who retired from the CBI in November, is also currently under criminal investigation by the South Dakota Criminal Investigation Department.