GOLDEN — The case against former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods saw another delay Monday after her first arraignment was continued.
Woods, out on bond, appeared with her attorneys in Jefferson County Court. She is facing more than 100 felony charges related to the alleged mishandling of DNA evidence throughout much of her career, impacting more than 1,000 cases dating back to at least 2008.
Her attorney asked for the hearing to be pushed out for a couple of months due to the copious amounts of discovery. He said there are more than 40,000 files in the case and that the defense just received an additional 5,000 pages of discovery Monday morning.
Woods’ next hearing is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Oct. 27, 2025.
Jefferson County Deputy District Attorney Darren Kafka did not object to the delay, noting the extenuating circumstances of the case.
The incident involving mishandled DNA first became public knowledge in late 2023 after CBI issued a press release noting that Woods was facing a criminal investigation after anomalies in her work were discovered. Woods spent 29 years with CBI. She was first arrested and charged in January 2025.
Woods is charged with 48 counts of attempting to influence a public servant, 52 counts of forgery of a government-issued document, one count of perjury and one count of cybercrime with damage of more than $1 million.
Since her arrest, one conviction out of Boulder was vacated: Michael Clark was released from custody in April after he was convicted of a 1994 murder in 2012 where evidence from Woods was presented in the trial.
In April, Denver7 heard directly from Michael Clark, right after he reunited with his family outside Boulder County Jail. Watch our report in the video below.
Potential lawsuits are also being discussed. A Colorado law firm in June filed notice that it intends to sue CBI over a conviction in another case where Woods handled evidence.
A third-party review paid for by CBI painted a harsh picture of leadership in the forensics office, stating that the agency failed to address staffing concerns and was “ill-equipped to handle crises and critical incidents.”
