The Boulder County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) has decided to use Jefferson County Regional Crime Laboratory (JCRCL), in Golden, for DNA analysis and other services in a move away from using the Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) laboratory due to CBI’s delays in processing. Sheriff Curtis Johnson wrote a letter to CBI Director Chris Shaefer to inform the department about a new contract with JCRCL.
“By no means do I want to sever the strong working relationship between the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office and CBI,” Sheriff Johnson wrote. “I am hopeful CBI will be able to overcome the recent challenges with DNA analysis and sexual assault kit processing times.”
The decision comes about a month after former CBI forensic scientist Yvonne “Missy” Woods reported to Jefferson County Jail after being charged with over 100 felonies. Woods allegedly mishandled DNA samples for more than 1,000 cases between 2008 and 2023. She has been charged with 48 counts of attempting to influence a public servant, which is a class four felony. She is charged with 52 counts of forgery of a government-issued document, a class five felony. Woods also has been charged with one count of perjury and one count of cybercrime with damage of more than $1 million, which is a class two felony.
Michael Dougherty, the district attorney for Colorado’s 20th Judicial District, supports the move because the CBI lab currently has a backlog of 500 days to provide DNA results. Dougherty calls this delay “inexcusable.” The JCRCL has promised to provide DNA results within 100 days.
A joint hearing of the House and Senate Judiciary committees convened in January. Director Shaefer said the CBI backlog doubled last year because half of the CBI’s DNA scientists were busy reviewing Woods’ cases.
Coloardo Representative Jenny Willford told the committee she has been waiting for DNA results for a year after she was raped by a Lyft driver, in Thornton. She explained that she has a “little cloud” following her around and she experiences panic attacks knowing that her rapist has not been brought to justice.
Sheriff Johnson, in his letter to Director Shaefer, said the department will still need to rely on the CBI lab for services that are not provided by JCRCL. “I am sure you are aware that the JCRCL does not offer some services that the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office may need,” Sheriff Johnson wrote. “Primarily fire debris analysis, explosives, toxicology, GSR and trace. When we have cases where those services are needed, we intend to use the CBI lab to support our investigations.”
Boulder County Commissioners approved a $100,000 yearly contract for costs associated with the new lab. CBI intends to contract with other labs this year to cut the wait times in half for sexual assault kits.
