Colorado DNA-Data Analyst Sentenced for Wide-Scale Forensic Manipulation

Former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst Yvonne Woods pleaded guilty to perjury, attempting to influence a public servant, forgery and cybercrime for manipulating DNA data in hundreds of cases. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with dozens of other counts dismissed as part of a plea. The misconduct prompted prosecutors to review hundreds of cases, led to at least one murder conviction being vacated, and spurred reforms at the state lab. Officials say concerns about Woods’ work date back to 2014, with the investigation beginning in 2023 and potential retrials in affected homicide cases; the broader response could cost more than $11 million.