Former state forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods pleaded guilty Tuesday to four felonies and could face up to 16 years in prison, bringing her prosecution to a close after a yearslong scandal that cast doubt on DNA evidence in more than 1,000 criminal cases.
Woods, who spent 29 years analyzing DNA evidence for the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, testifying in some of the state’s most high-profile criminal trials, pleaded guilty to cybercrime, perjury, forgery and attempting to influence a public servant. In exchange, prosecutors dropped the remaining 100 charges against her as part of a plea agreement.
The disgraced scientist faces eight to 16 years in prison through her plea agreement, according to the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The charges against Woods, 65, were tied to 58 separate instances of alleged criminal misconduct committed between 2008 and 2023 during which she worked at two laboratory locations in Jefferson County. Among them were more than 30 sexual assault cases in which Woods allegedly 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 or possible contamination was present, requiring additional troubleshooting and retesting, the district attorney’s office said.
Twenty-four law enforcement agencies around Colorado received fraudulent reports by Woods, according to the DA’s office.
The criminal investigation into Woods began in November 2023 by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, at the request of CBI. In an interview with investigators, Woods said the discrepancies in the work were partly the result of haste.
“It was a rush batch and I was trying to get data out, and that’s how it happened,” Woods said, according to an arrest affidavit. She said she didn’t have a “good reason” as to why she manipulated the data.
Woods’ attorney did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation Director Armando Saldate said Woods’ actions represented “intentional criminal fraud” and 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 in a statement. “Today’s guilty plea is an important moment of accountability.”
CBI has implemented reforms since the investigation revealed Woods’ misconduct that “reflect a commitment to national best practices in forensic science,” he said. More improvements to the agency’s laboratory systems are underway with the goal of ensuring “the highest standards of accuracy and accountability,” he added.
District Attorney Alexis King said Woods’ guilty plea represents an acknowledgment of responsibility not only for individual acts of misconduct, but for a broader pattern of criminal conduct that spanned decades.
“Despite Colorado law allowing for these offenses to be probation eligible, this disposition guarantees a prison sentence and eliminates any possibility of a community based sentence,” King said in a statement. “Securing a term of imprisonment, protecting the interests of the community, and our shared expectations of integrity in the justice system is reflected in this resolution.”
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8.
This is a developing news story that will be updated.