During the early January pleading hearing of Hanme Clark, who is accused of murdering three local people in November 2023, one particular comment by the District Attorney stood out. The comment was that the District Attorneyâs Office is still waiting on reports from the ColÂorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on evidence that was sent regarding the shooting over a year ago.
While the comment was not elaborated on, it appears that local investigations are being hampered by the distracÂtion of the CBI due to the recent investigation and arrest of Yvonne âMissyâ Woods, a former CBI DNA Scientist. Woods worked for the CBI for 29 years and was a lead expert witness in many criminal cases, using her star appeal to persuade juries and convict defendants. However, it was discovered in 2023 that Woods had allegedly cut corners in tests in over 1,000 cases and showed evidence of manipulatÂing the data. This manipulation has forced the CBI to use a large part of its staff to investigate decades worth of cases, thus pulling them away from current work.
Woods was arrested on January 22 and charged with over 100 felonies. Of local importance is that several invesÂtigations that require CBI assistance have been delayed in Custer and Fremont County for over a year now.
â Jordan Hedberg