DENVER — Twenty-nine-year-veteran Yvonne "Missy" Woods told investigators in an interview in late 2023 why she tampered with data in criminal cases. 9NEWS Investigates has obtained a copy of that two-hour-long interview.
Woods was a star analyst at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). She built a reputation as the gold standard in DNA testing. According to a report from CBI, an intern found problems in her work during a research project in late 2023 and Woods retired in lieu of termination. This interview with investigators in November 2023 is the first time we hear Woods talk about why she deleted data, impacting families across the state.
Investigators sat down with Woods for more than two hours as part of an internal investigation.
"We're really trying to determine how bad this problem is for us and what this may impact," asked CBI Assistant Director Kellon Hassenstab in the interview.
Woods said, "I don't have any idea."
For more than an hour, Woods gave a lot of "I don't remember" answers to questions about the findings in the investigation so far. Hassenstab told her she gave the "I don't know" response probably more than anyone else has given him in years.
When he wasn't getting much information from Woods, he brought up her legacy.
"I mean you literally can be the person whose work brings down CBI Forensic Services and I'm not even exaggerating that, and you've done a lot of good stuff, but it, the data indicates you've also done a lot of bad stuff too, and we don't have a time machine," he said. "You can't go back and not delete those cells out, but you can make it right now and explain some of this stuff, but at this point if this stays the way it is, your legacy is more than likely to have tarnished us and you."
Since this interview CBI has learned Woods tampered with DNA evidence, impacting more than 650 cases. A review of her work from 1994 to 2008 is still ongoing. CBI said Woods cut corners and deviated from standard testing protocols, which is raising concerns about the reliability of her testing. The agency said she tampered with DNA testing by altering or omitting some test results from the case file.
"Why would you do that?" asked Hassenstab.
"I think I'm burned out," she said.
Woods began sharing more information with investigators. She admitted to deleting data in order to avoid taking additional steps in her analysis.
The internal review also found she concealed her activities from the technical review process.
"The implications were not even a thought and I think that for that stuff it, it was like click done, move on, click done, move on and not even, not even an additional thought," she told investigators. "I don't know any of these people. I don't have any reason to pick this one and not the next one that I took forward all the way through whatever."
Hassenstab asked her how she felt about what she was doing and if she felt bad about it.
"I didn't even think about it. I didn't even think about it until five weeks ago," said Woods.
Weeks earlier, anomalies in her work were reported. Woods is also under criminal investigation to determine if she broke any laws. That investigation is still ongoing.
Woods said she took some responsibility because of "the thought of going down as a completely rogue analyst, as opposing to bucking up and owning, owning [her] actions."
Woods' attorney, Ryan Brackley, has told 9NEWS his client has maintained she's never created or falsely reported a DNA match. The internal review did not find evidence of Woods falsifying DNA matches or fabricating DNA profiles.
Investigators in the interview with Woods said their biggest fear is having someone in prison who shouldn't be.
When asked if that is something they should be concerned about Woods said, "absolutely not."