Former CBI Scientist Yvonne Woods Pleads Guilty to DNA Fraud

Former CBI scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods pleaded guilty Tuesday to four felonies, ending a yearslong scandal that cast doubt on DNA evidence in more than 1,000 criminal cases.

Woods, 65, admitted to cybercrime, perjury, forgery, and attempting to influence a public servant. In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped the remaining 100 charges against her. She now faces eight to 16 years in prison.

The charges stem from 58 separate instances of alleged misconduct between 2008 and 2023. Woods worked at two Jefferson County lab locations during that period. Her errors hit 24 law enforcement agencies across the state.

The most damaging findings involved sexual assault cases. Woods allegedly deleted specific values in DNA samples and submitted reports stating “No Male DNA Found.” In reality, small amounts of male DNA were present, or contamination was possible. These cases required additional troubleshooting and retesting.

More than 30 sexual assault cases were affected.

The investigation began in November 2023, when the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation started looking into Woods at CBI’s request. Woods told investigators the discrepancies resulted from haste.

“It was a rush batch and I was trying to get data out, and that’s how it happened,” Woods said in an arrest affidavit. She admitted she didn’t have a “good reason” for manipulating the data.

Woods spent 29 years analyzing DNA for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. She testified in some of the state’s most high-profile criminal trials. Her work was considered reliable until the fraud came to light.

CBI Director Armando Saldate called her actions “intentional criminal fraud.” He said the misconduct did not reflect the agency’s work or mission.

“This moment is not about moving on, for CBI it’s about moving forward,” Saldate said. “Today’s guilty plea is an important moment of accountability.”

The scope of the error is staggering. Over 1,000 cases are now in question. That means more than 1,000 convictions or ongoing investigations may need review. The uncertainty affects victims who waited years for justice. It affects defendants who may have been wrongly convicted or wrongly exonerated based on faulty science.

Woods’ attorney did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.

The plea agreement brings the prosecution to a close. But the fallout continues. Courts must now decide how to handle the backlog of affected cases. Some convictions will stand. Others will be overturned. The process will take time.

The Western Slope is part of that 24-agency network. Jefferson County courts are central to the hub of this scandal. But the ripple effect reaches every corner of the state. From the Eastern Plains to the North Fork, local prosecutors are left holding the bag for a scientist’s mistakes.

Woods’ career ended with a guilty plea. Her reputation is shattered. But the real cost is measured in years of legal uncertainty for thousands of Coloradans. The system worked, eventually. It just took a decade to catch the fraud.

The short version: Woods messed up. She lied about it. Now she pays the price. The rest of us deal with the cleanup.