Following Woods investigation, CBI launches tracker for sexual assault DNA test backlog

DENVER (KDVR) — After an internal investigation began looking into the previous work of a now-charged former Colorado Bureau of Investigation forensic scientist, the agency says it is now publicly tracking DNA testing backlogs.

 About 1,003 cases were identified as being affected by the data manipulation from Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a former CBI scientist of nearly 30 years, CBI announced in December after the completion of a comprehensive review of her work. Woods now faces 102 charges related to her work.

Now, with a more than 500 case backlog of sexual assault DNA tests, CBI on Monday announced the launch of a new dashboard that will track this backlog.

“We acknowledge it is taking us too long to complete DNA cases. We are committed to an aggressive plan to bring this turnaround time down to our goal of 90 days as quickly as possible,” CBI Director Schaefer said in a press release. “We understand the importance of timely processing of sexual assault kits and the impact this backlog has on survivors. This dashboard demonstrates our commitment to transparency and accountability as we work diligently to overcome the extraordinary circumstances that contributed to this issue and to eliminate the backlog and bring justice to survivors.”

The dashboard currently has data for December 2024 and January 2025, which shows an increase in turnaround time for testing results to 529 days. There are, as of Jan. 31, 1,407 cases in the backlog.

CBI acknowledged in the press release the Woods investigation’s impact on the backlog, saying about 50% of analysts’ time last year was just spent reviewing the more than 10,000 cases Woods worked on throughout her career.

The agency says it is attempting to mitigate the backlog by outsourcing 1,000 cases to private labs, which, according to the new dashboard, should start reducing the backlog time by July.

Additionally, 15 new DNA scientists are in training to add to the current 16 working scientists. CBI credits state lawmakers and Gov. Jared Polis for providing funding needed for these initiatives.

“The CBI acknowledges the significant impact of the Woods investigation on lab operations and appreciates the support from the Governor’s Office and state lawmakers in providing the necessary funding to address this critical issue,” according to the press release. “The public dashboard will provide ongoing updates as the agency works to eliminate the backlog and improve the timeliness of sexual assault kit testing. With the implementation of the outsourcing and ongoing internal efforts the CBI expects the first positive decline in the month of July.”

CBI said they hope the backlog will be cut in half by this time next year. The dashboard also has information on testing plans and hiring updates, as well as “accountability” information and sexual assault resources.