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Former Colorado Bureau Analyst Sentenced to 10 Years for DNA Data Manipulation
Just the facts
State authorities initiated an investigation into Woods in September 2023 after a bureau intern discovered missing information in a case file from 2018. Investigators found that Woods altered and deleted testing data across hundreds of cases involving homicides, sexual assaults, and robberies to conceal testing irregularities and expedite workload completions. Her data manipulation forced state prosecutors to review hundreds of criminal cases, resulting in lesser sentences in two homicide cases and the 2025 conviction reversal of Michael Clark. Woods, who resigned in 2023 after a multi-decade career, apologized during the sentencing hearing in Golden, Colorado, where state officials estimated the audit and response efforts would exceed $11 million.
Why this is news
District Judge Andrew Poland sentenced former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic analyst Yvonne "Missy" Woods to 10 years in prison following her guilty plea to perjury, forgery, cybercrime, and attempting to influence a public servant.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.