Dozens of Prisoners in Colorado Notified About Potential Compromised DNA Evidence
In early July, dozens of incarcerated individuals in Colorado counties Arapahoe and Douglas, received a promising letter from the District Attorney’s office. DA John Kellner was notifying defendants in cases that could have been affected by allegations of DNA manipulation at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (“CBI”).
Boulder defense attorney Mary Claire Mulligan said in reference to the CBI, “This is supposed to be the premier law enforcement agency in our state, and they’ve been falling down on their duty to all of us citizens.”
Her disparaging words refer to the conclusions of the CBI internal affairs report into Yvonne “Missy” Woods. The investigation revealed that Woods allegedly manipulated DNA data just to save time on “the step of troubleshooting.” Sweeping through the large caseloads quicker was more important to Woods than accuracy in her DNA evaluations.
The findings were more of a strike against CBI because Woods’ work was supposed to be peer-reviewed. According to the report, other CBI employees raised flags regarding Woods’ work in 2014 and 2018; however, Woods continued in her position with the agency.
The letter from the DA followed a court ruling regarding a cold case more than three decades old. The case involved Michael Jefferson who was arrested in 2021 for the decades-old murder of Roger Dean. New DNA testing methods were credited with leading to Jefferson’s arrest. However, concerns arose about the DNA evidence validity after an internal CBI report regarding Woods’ work surfaced.
Authorities estimate roughly 67 cases in Arapahoe and Douglas counties could be impacted. Similar notifications are likely being sent statewide. Reviewing and potentially retrying these cases is expected to take a significant amount of time. In the meantime, prisoners who believe their cases may be affected are encouraged to seek legal counsel. The full impact of this situation will likely unfold over the coming years.
Source: CBS News
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