By Shaina Cole | Contributing Writer, Rocky Mountain Voice
A backlog of 1,369 untested sexual assault kits at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation delays justice and drives significant costs, per a June 2025 report from the Common Sense Institute. Authored by former Denver DA Mitch Morrissey and Senior Analyst Erik Gamm, the report estimates clearing this backlog could prevent 1,481 crimes—including 1,030 sexual assaults—and save Colorado $234.7 million.
The Yvonne “Missy” Woods scandal, involving manipulated DNA in over a thousand cases since 2014, worsened this crisis, exposing gaps in CBI’s processes.
Two bills, HB25-1275 and SB25-304, address these issues, as Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta), co-sponsor of HB25-1275, detailed in a Rocky Mountain Voice interview.
The Woods scandal revealed three gaps in CBI’s forensic system, prompting HB25-1275. “We discovered through the Missy Woods case that she had tweaked the DNA in over a thousand cases,” Soper said.
First, Colorado lacked a post-conviction review pathway for compromised DNA cases, risking wrongful convictions. Second, victims, defendants, and defense attorneys received no timely misconduct notifications, with only district attorneys getting vague updates, eroding trust. Third, lab employees had no mandate to report misconduct, and colleagues noticing Woods’ shortcuts feared speaking up due to her senior status and “rock star” reputation for high case volume, Soper noted.
HB25-1275 enables case reviews, requires notifications within 91 days, and mandates misconduct reports within 14 days, with CBI due to report pre-July 2025 issues by September 1, 2025. Soper highlighted: “Victims, those who were convicted, defense attorneys, and even prosecutors… felt really frustrated that they were not made aware of those issues, certainly on a timely basis.”
The CSI report notes DNA boosts sexual assault conviction rates from under 33% to 75%. Yet, the backlog, peaking at 1,462 kits in February 2025, delays processing to 554 days, beyond CBI’s 180-day goal.
Woods’ misconduct halted operations, as Soper explained: “CBI kind of had to put things on pause to deal with Missy Woods.”
SB25-304, a companion bill, tackles this backlog with $112,365 to fund a Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Evidence Review Board, chaired by the attorney general, to monitor lab processes. It sets a 60-day kit analysis goal, requires 90-day victim updates, and expands backlog reporting, aligning with CBI’s plan to outsource 1,000 kits and train 15 DNA scientists by mid-2026 to clear the backlog by July 2027 and reduce processing to 90 days.
The report estimates a $21 million cost—$4.7 million for testing and staffing, $16.3 million for 200 convictions—but projects $234.7 million in savings, including $225 million from prevented sexual assaults.
The crisis surfaced during January 2025 SMART Act hearings, where a victim’s 400-day wait shocked lawmakers. Soper recalled, “I’ve never heard one quite like this… if even 1% of what she’s saying is true, we have a problem.” Delays prolong victims’ trauma, as he added: “Justice delayed is justice denied… that poor victim is going to have to go through this nightmare for, realistically, probably two, two and a half or three years.”
Soper warned of serial offenders: “Someone who commits rape and sexual assault will more than likely be willing to commit rape and sexual assault a second, third, or fourth time.” If the backlog isn’t cleared, the report warns Colorado could face another $51.8 million in crime-related costs by September 2026.
Lawmakers from both parties backed HB25-1275 unanimously in the House Judiciary Committee—a sign of how urgent the issue has become. With local labs strained, per the report’s call for funding, Colorado must act swiftly to prevent further harm and restore trust in its justice system.