GOLDEN, Colo. (Jan. 22, 2025) – District Attorney Alexis King announced today that Yvonne “Missy” Woods has been charged with 102 counts related to 58 instances of alleged criminal misconduct committed between 2008 and 2023, during her career as a Forensic Laboratory Scientist at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Woods was employed by CBI from January 1994 to November 2023, during which she worked at two laboratory locations in Jefferson County within the First Judicial District.
First Judicial District Attorney’s Office Chief Investigator Wagner submitted a warrant for the arrest of Woods on suspicion of the following charges:
Count 1: Cybercrime, C.R.S. 18-5.5-102(1)(e)(3)(a)(IX) (F2)
Count 2: Perjury in the First Degree, C.R.S. 18-8-502 (F4)
Counts 3-50: Attempt to Influence a Public Servant, C.R.S. 18-8-306 (F4) (48 Counts)
Counts 51-102: Forgery, C.R.S. 18-5-102(1)(e) (F5) (52 Counts)
This afternoon, Woods turned herself into the Jefferson County Jail. She is being held on a $50,000 cash only bond. Her first appearance will be Thursday, January 23, 2025, at 10:00am.
Investigation summary:
In September 2023, while working on a project that involved reviewing quantification data in vestibular swabs within historical sexual assault cases, a CBI intern discovered a sample where the male Cycle Threshold (CT) value was noted, but there was no male quantification value listed. The specific sample missing the quantification value was processed by Woods in 2018. After ruling out the possibility of an instrument/quantification kit error, an internal investigation was conducted into Woods DNA workbooks surrounding this timeframe.
CBI management quickly discovered a number of similar discrepancies within Woods workbooks including altering and/or deleting data related to critical parts of the quality control process.
In November 2023, at the request of CBI, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (SDDCI) launched a criminal investigation into the anomalies/missing data that were discovered.
Following an extensive year-long investigation, on December 23, 2024, the SDDCI submitted its findings to our office. Our office requested additional information from CBI and received the final batch of data on January 15, 2025.
The investigation revealed evidence of instances where Woods altered and deleted quantification values, re-ran entire batches of DNA multiple times without any documentation and concealed possible contamination. Additionally, the affidavit alleges that in over 30 sexual assault cases, Woods deleted specific values in samples and submitted reports to agencies that reflected, “No Male DNA Found,” when in fact small amounts of male DNA were present and/or possible contamination was present and additional troubleshooting and retesting was required.
Through the end of 2024, the CBI estimated that the fiscal costs due to Woods’ alleged misconduct was $11,071,486.
Fraudulent reports were received by current and former law enforcement officers from the following agencies:
Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Arvada Police, Aurora Police, Boulder County Sheriff’s Office, Broomfield Police, Colorado Springs Police, Colorado State Patrol, Denver Police, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Collins Police, Fraser/Winter Park Police, Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Greeley Police, Lafayette Police, Lakewood Police, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Longmont Police, Loveland Police, Pueblo Police, Rocky Mountain National Park Rangers, Thornton Police, University of Colorado Boulder Police Department, and Westminster Police.
Statement from District Attorney Alexis King:
“We want to thank the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation for their diligence in conducting a complex investigation. Based on the available facts and after careful legal analysis, we have filed charges and will now proceed with a criminal prosecution. My office remains committed to reviewing all affected cases within our jurisdiction on behalf of the defendants and victims involved.”
A copy of the arrest affidavit will be provided by this office upon request. The criminal case number is 25CR136.
The charges are merely legal allegations, and Ms. Woods is presumed innocent of the charges against her unless and until she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.