Tag: Missy Woods
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Dismissal sought in Michael Clark’s second trial
The murder conviction of Michael Clark should be dismissed due to a 32-year delay that led to crucial evidence being lost or destroyed, a bungled police investigation and “outrageous conduct” at the state crime lab, according to defense motion filed late Friday afternoon. Clark, now 50, was convicted of first-degree murder in October 2012 in…
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State audit: Rape kit backlog reduced but more work needed to hit goal
In the past year, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has slashed the time it takes to process DNA collected in sexual assault cases, but the agency still is far short of its turnaround goal, the state auditor reported on Wednesday. While praising the progress made in the past year, the audit showed that the 190…
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Missy Woods pleads not guilty; trial set for fall
The former Colorado Bureau of Investigation DNA expert charged with more than 100 felonies entered a plea of not guilty to all of them Wednesday in a packed Jefferson County courtroom. The plea was entered by her defense attorney Tom Ward. Yvonne Woods, who goes by the name Missy, was the state’s former top DNA…
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Colorado justices clarify procedure for defendants to access DNA analyst’s criminal file
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday that trial judges may order Jefferson County prosecutors to disclose information related to the criminal prosecution of a DNA analyst accused of misconduct, but defendants seeking those files cannot rely on the order alone to gain access. Yvonne “Missy” Woods is a former Colorado Bureau of Investigation DNA…
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Former CBI DNA expert Missy Woods plea delayed again
The case against Yvonne Woods, the state’s former top DNA scientist at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s forensic lab, was pushed back again Tuesday with an arraignment for her to enter a plea now scheduled for Feb. 11. The court case will have stretched a year next month. Woods, who goes by Missy, is at…
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Michael Clark murder defense seeks to link case to JonBenét investigation ‘mistakes’
In new legal filings, Michael Clark, now facing a second trial for a 1994 murder, seeks to link alleged Boulder police missteps in his case with the city’s most notorious cold case: JonBenét Ramsey. The unusual claim came within a flurry of 12 subpoenas to Boulder authorities seeking documents and other information connected to the…
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Colorado Supreme Court weighs whether Douglas County judge has authority over Missy Woods records
The state Supreme Court will decide whether a Douglas County judge has the authority to compel the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to release data related to the misconduct of a disgraced DNA analyst whose work affected numerous criminal cases. Yvonne “Missy” Woods was criminally charged in Jefferson County on Jan. 22 with 102 felony counts…
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After 39 years, Lone Tree cold case comes full circle for former Douglas County sheriff
As he was dying that day in November 1985, Roger Dean tore what would become a critical clue in his own murder from his killer’s head — an orange ski mask dotted with DNA evidence. It would take decades, though, and steady advancements in DNA science before investigators were able to solve a case that had…
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Judicial branch tells oversight committees that cost of new judgeships has decreased
Judicial branch leaders told lawmakers on Monday that their priority for the legislative session — the establishment of 29 new judgeships across Colorado — has come down in cost amid broad concerns about the state’s budget deficit. Chief Justice Monica M. Márquez and State Court Administrator Steven Vasconcellos previously informed the Joint Budget Committee that the cost of…