DENVER — A former director of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said he was "stunned" when he learned DNA scientist Yvonne "Missy" Woods was under criminal investigation.
On Monday, CBI said the 29-year veteran Woods was no longer an employee after "anomalies" were found in her work. According to a media release, the anomalies were discovered while reviewing a sampling of cases as part of an internal process.
"It stunned me because I was never aware of any problem in that regard," said Ron Sloan, CBI's director from 2008 to 2015.
Sloan described Woods as one of the premiere DNA analysts in the state, and she was one of the go-to analysts for high priority cases. According to Sloan, Woods was very reliable and very professional during his time as CBI director.
"The only feedback I would get from prosecutors or even defense counsel was how professional and transparent Missy was and how informative she was," he said.
9NEWS obtained a copy of the letter the current CBI director, Chris Schaefer, sent to district attorneys on Monday.
Schaefer wrote the agency may have information about Woods that could affect her credibility in court. Schaefer in the letter said the agency is finalizing a plan this week which includes compiling a list of cases she may have worked on. The plan also involves prioritizing and retesting cases, the letter said.
Woods testified in court as an expert witness at least 500 times – including in some of the state’s highest-profile cases. In at least 370 of those cases, she testified as an expert in forensic DNA.
"District attorneys and prosecutors throughout the state came to know Missy very well," Sloan said. "Her expertise not only in the technical aspects of DNA analysis but also her testimony which is a key part of the criminal process."
The letter from Schaefer said Woods may have subpoenas for future court appearances, and CBI is contacting agencies directly in these situations.
"We are deeply concerned by this situation and regret the additional workload it may present to you and your team," Schaefer said in the letter.
CBI is conducting an Internal Affairs investigation with experts from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The agency is also working to identify an outside state investigative agency to conduct a criminal investigation.
Sloan said CBI holds everyone to a higher standard of integrity.
"I think that is the message I get is…if there are anomalies you don’t cover them up," He said. "You vet them out and you work through it and you let everyone know what is expected of them."
District attorneys have told 9NEWS as of Wednesday, they still do not know what problem CBI is looking into.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Investigations & Crime