A Colorado lab technician manipulated DNA data in murder and rape cases.

A former forensic analyst has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for manipulating DNA data. Authorities allege that Missy Woods falsified data over several years in cases involving murder, sexual assault, and robbery, according to The Guardian.

On September 8, in a Colorado state court in Golden, a judge sentenced a former employee of the local Bureau of Investigation, who worked as a forensic analyst, to 10 years in prison. Investigators concluded that her manipulation of DNA data had cast doubt on the credibility of hundreds of criminal cases.

Yvonne "Missy" Woods pleaded guilty in June to charges of perjury, attempting to influence a public official, forgery, and cybercrime. Dozens of other charges were dropped as part of a plea agreement.

On the subject: DNA of users of genealogy sites interested in police

Problems with its work were identified in cases involving murder, sexual assault, robbery, and other crimes, authorities reported. Prosecutors were forced to review hundreds of criminal cases. At least one murder conviction was overturned.

Woods faced a prison sentence of 8 to 16 years.

A forensic analyst resigned in 2023 after many years of service. Investigators allege that she falsified data to conceal tampering with test results, deleted information about failure to correct errors in the analysis process, and insufficiently documented the tests performed in case files.

During the September 8 hearing, Woods apologized but acknowledged that it would not undo the damage.

"For many years, I was entrusted with evidence that could have serious consequences for the accused, the victims, their families, and the courts. I failed in that responsibility. I deeply regret this failure," she said.

The investigation began in September 2023 after a bureau intern discovered missing information in a case Woods worked on in 2018. According to the investigation, at one point, she told investigators she was altering information to speed up the completion of cases.

In one of the retrials, Michael Clarke was released from prison in 2025 after his lawyers proved Woods had mishandled DNA evidence. Prosecutors have stated they intend to seek a retrial.

In two murder cases, defendants received lighter sentences in plea deals than they would have received at trial because prosecutors feared Woods' involvement could lead to acquittals at the jury.

Other convictions in cases where her tests were used as evidence are also being challenged in courts across Colorado.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

An internal Colorado Bureau of Investigation report published in 2024 revealed that questions about her work had been raised more than a decade earlier. As early as 2014, concerns about the integrity of her evidence processing arose, and in 2018, she was temporarily suspended from DNA testing after allegations of data manipulation.

State officials estimate the cost of these actions could exceed $11 million.

Read also on ForumDaily:

ICE collected DNA from nearly a million people in a year, even taking samples from young children.

Thousands of children and their guardians have been arrested by ICE after a transfer of data from the federal agency that handles immigrant minors.

The State Department advises Americans planning to travel to Russia to write a will and provide a DNA sample for body identification.

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.