Denver Reopens 13 Sex Assault Cases in CBI DNA Scandal
Denver police and the DA reopen 13 sexual assault cases after retesting work by disgraced former CBI analyst Missy Woods revealed testing failures.
Scope of the Reopened Cases
Denver police and prosecutors have reopened 13 sexual assault cases after retesting DNA evidence handled by former Colorado Bureau of Investigation analyst Missy Woods, according to reporting from CBS News and 9News published this weekend. The reopened cases are the direct result of an ongoing statewide effort to review forensic work performed by Woods, whose conduct at CBI has already triggered one of the largest crime lab scandals in Colorado history.
The Denver Crime Lab has been retesting evidence from cases tied to Woods as part of that broader review, according to CBS News. The 13 cases identified so far involve sexual assault investigations in which DNA analysis originally performed by Woods is now being reexamined for accuracy and completeness. Colorado Politics, which also reported on the reopened cases, noted that the retesting effort is part of a coordinated response between Denver police and the Denver District Attorney’s Office following revelations about problems in Woods’ casework.
What Woods Is Accused of Doing
Woods, who worked as a DNA analyst for CBI, has been at the center of a widening scandal after investigators found she had failed to follow proper testing protocols in numerous cases over the course of her career. The allegations against her, which prompted CBI to launch a sweeping internal review, center on incomplete or improperly documented DNA testing — deficiencies serious enough that state officials have moved to reexamine cases across multiple Colorado jurisdictions, not just Denver.
The scale of the CBI review has been described as unprecedented for the state, with officials working to determine how many criminal cases — spanning years of casework — may have been affected by testing failures attributed to Woods. Denver’s 13 reopened sexual assault cases represent one local slice of that much larger statewide undertaking.
How the Retesting Works
According to CBS News’ reporting on the Denver Crime Lab’s process, retesting involves reexamining the original biological evidence connected to each case using current forensic standards and protocols, rather than relying on Woods’ original conclusions. The Denver Crime Lab is conducting this work independently of CBI, effectively double-checking results that were previously used to support prosecutions — or, in some instances, that may have led investigators to rule out potential suspects.
The retesting process is labor-intensive. Each case requires the crime lab to locate preserved evidence, verify chain-of-custody documentation, and run fresh DNA analysis before comparing new results against the original findings. Only after that comparison can police and prosecutors determine whether a case’s outcome — whether it resulted in a conviction, a dropped charge, or no charges at all — needs to be revisited.
What It Means for Victims and Defendants
The implications of the retesting effort cut in multiple directions. For sexual assault survivors whose cases relied on Woods’ original DNA work, the reopening raises the possibility that new testing could either strengthen the evidence against an assailant or, in some cases, reveal that a previous conclusion was flawed and needs correction. For defendants who were convicted based partly on Woods’ analysis, the review raises serious due-process questions about whether flawed forensic work played a role in their prosecution.
Neither 9News nor Colorado Politics reported specifics on individual victims or defendants in the 13 Denver cases, and the identities of those involved have not been made public. What is clear from the reporting is that Denver police and the District Attorney’s Office are treating the retesting as a necessary step to ensure that any case touched by Woods’ work reflects accurate, defensible forensic evidence — regardless of which direction the new results point.
Statewide Fallout From the CBI Scandal
Denver’s 13 cases are only a portion of a much larger reckoning underway across Colorado. The CBI scandal involving Woods has already prompted reviews in other jurisdictions, as law enforcement agencies statewide try to determine which of their own cases relied on her analysis. The scope of that broader review remains unclear, and neither CBI nor local agencies have released a definitive count of how many total cases across Colorado could ultimately be affected.
That uncertainty is one of the more unsettling aspects of the unfolding story. Because Woods worked on cases across multiple jurisdictions over an extended period, officials are still working to fully map the universe of cases that may need retesting. Colorado Politics’ coverage indicates that Denver’s 13 reopened cases could represent just an early wave, with more potentially coming as the statewide review continues.
Response From Denver Officials
Denver police and the District Attorney’s Office have moved to reopen the 13 identified cases as part of what officials describe as a methodical, evidence-driven process, according to 9News. The coordination between the police department’s crime lab and the DA’s office reflects an effort to ensure that any changes to case status — whether that means pursuing new charges, dropping existing ones, or reaffirming past outcomes — are handled through proper legal channels rather than informally.
The response also reflects the broader pressure Colorado law enforcement agencies are under to restore public confidence in forensic testing after the Woods revelations. Crime lab accreditation, chain-of-custody protocols, and analyst oversight have all come under renewed scrutiny statewide as a result of the scandal.
Unanswered Questions
Several key questions remain unresolved. It is not yet known how many additional cases beyond Denver’s 13 could be affected once the statewide CBI review is complete, nor how long the full retesting process will take. It’s also unclear how many of the 13 Denver cases have already produced new results, or whether any have led to changes in charges or convictions.
For now, the reopening of these 13 sexual assault cases stands as a concrete, local consequence of a scandal that has shaken confidence in Colorado’s forensic science infrastructure. As the Denver Crime Lab continues its retesting work, both survivors and the accused in these cases are left waiting to see whether new DNA results will confirm past conclusions — or upend them entirely. Front Range Report will continue following developments as more information becomes available from Denver police, the DA’s office, and CBI.