WELD COUNTY, Colo. — A DNA analyst was fired and faces a criminal investigation after "anomalies" were discovered with her work, according to Weld County Sheriff's Office.
Chiara Wuensch was terminated on Feb. 28 from her position at the Northern Colorado Regional Forensic Lab after more than 10 years working there.
An internal investigation that began on Jan. 31 revealed "anomalies" in her casework, and it was determined she violated the Weld County Code for expectations of proper conduct, and the sheriff's office's standard of conduct policy for not cooperating with the investigation, the press release said.
The sheriff's office said it intends to pursue criminal charges against Wuensch, but the criminal investigation is still ongoing.
The anomalies discovered in Wuensch's work were limited, and it's not clear how that will impact the investigation and the potential filing of any charges, according to the sheriff's office.
“We hire people that we believe have the utmost integrity. No system is better than the people who work in it,” said Weld County Sheriff Steve Reams.
The sheriff's office did not say how many cases Wuensch worked or how many are being investigated.
The issues with Wuensch’s casework were brought to investigators' attention because of a separate investigation the Colorado Bureau of Investigation conducted into its own personnel, the sheriff's office said.
Attorney Harvey Steinberg said it could raise questions about cases Wuensch worked on over the past decade.
"In most cases, it’s critical, because juries rely really heavily on DNA evidence because it's unimpeachable," said Steinberg. “Because of that, it puts into question any test results that she testified about or that others relied on in making determinations about how to handle their case, and it suggests they might be inaccurate.”
Steinberg said that could lead to a number of re-trials, or even verdicts being thrown out altogether.
“It’s a science that over time has evolved into a position where everybody thinks, if it’s DNA, it’s 100% accurate. So many people get convicted solely because of DNA evidence,” said Steinberg. "Now the prosecution’s going to have to scurry, because the DNA evidence, if it gets thrown out, all these people are going to get new trials.”
The Colorado Department of Public Safety recently requested nearly $7.5 million in additional funding to retest samples in an estimated 3,000 cases after "anomalies" were discovered last year involving a former CBI analyst.
In November, CBI said anomalies in Yvonne "Missy" Woods' work were found as part of an internal process in which a sampling of cases was reviewed. Woods, who no longer works for CBI, was a 29-year veteran of CBI's Forensic Services.
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