Colorado Forensic Analyst Sentenced to 10 Years for DNA Data Manipulation

A judge handed a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst a 10-year prison sentence on Tuesday, following authorities’ claims that her manipulation of DNA data had cast doubt on the validity of hundreds of criminal cases.

Yvonne “Missy” Woods pleaded guilty in June to perjury, attempted influence of a public servant, forgery, and cybercrime, with dozens of additional counts dismissed as part of a plea deal.

Authorities identified problems with the scientist’s work across cases involving homicide, sexual assault, robbery, and other offenses. Prosecutors were compelled to review hundreds of cases, resulting in at least one murder conviction being overturned due to Woods’ misconduct.

Woods faced a potential sentence of 8 to 16 years during Tuesday’s 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 records that revealed failures to troubleshoot testing issues, and failing to thoroughly document tests in case files.

Woods apologized during Tuesday’s hearing but acknowledged that her remorse could not undo the harm she caused, according to the Denver Post.

“For many years I was entrusted with evidence that could have profound consequences for defendants, victims, families, and the courts. I failed that responsibility, and I am deeply sorry,” she said.

The investigation into her misconduct began in September 2023 after an intern at the bureau discovered missing information in a 2018 case handled by Woods. According to an arrest affidavit, Woods allegedly told investigators she had altered data to expedite case completions.

In the overturned murder case, Michael Clark was released from prison in 2025 after his lawyers argued that Woods had mishandled DNA evidence. Prosecutors stated they would seek to retry him.

In two homicide cases, defendants received lesser sentences through plea deals rather than risking trial, as prosecutors feared Woods’ involvement could result in acquittals.

Convictions in other cases have also been challenged in courts throughout Colorado.

A 2024 Colorado Bureau of Investigation internal affairs report revealed that concerns about Woods’ work first surfaced over a decade ago. As early as 2014, a worker questioned her evidence testing, and she was temporarily removed from DNA cases in 2018 after being accused of data manipulation, according to the report.

State officials indicated that the response to Woods’ actions could ultimately cost more than $11 million.

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