DENVER (KOAA) — In recent weeks, Gov. Jared Polis signed two bills into law tied to sexual assault kit backlogs at the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In the latest data, there are more than 1,324 sexual assault cases in backlog when it comes to sexual assault kit testing at the CBI. The estimated turnaround time is about 568 days, according to the CBI. For reference, the state benchmark for turnaround times is 180 days.
One of those bills, known as the "Miranda Gorden Justice For Survivors Act of 2025,” creates the formation of the Colorado Sexual Assault Forensic Medical Evidence Review Board under the purview of the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.
The law will also do the following, according to Colorado House Democrats:
- -Create a notification requirement under the Victim Rights Act that a law enforcement agency must notify victims at least once every 90 days if they have not received DNA test results for their case;
- -Directs crime labs to analyze test kits and upload the information within 60 days, when appropriate, and subject to available resources;
- -Instruct CBI to create a public-facing dashboard that provides reports on the forensic medical evidence and DNA evidence backlog at least every thirty days; and
- -Expand existing reporting rules to require that CBI send each member of the General Assembly the dashboard data and updates on lab contracting issues affecting CBI’s testing capacity or timeline projections, at least every thirty days.
The other bill, SB25-170, helps with funding for the backlog.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) points to a former scientist who worked for the agency, Yvonne "Missy" Woods, as one of the major reasons for the backlog. Woods was employed with the CBI from 1994 to 2023. Woods is accused of mishandling DNA and is facing more than 100 criminal charges according to the First Judicial District Attorney's Office.
The Common Sense Institute published a study predicting the financial impact of tackling this backlog, along with how many future crimes could be prevented. Mitch Morrisey, a crime fellow with the Common Sense Institute, was one of the experts behind the study. Morrissey served as the 2nd Judicial District Attorney from 2005 to 2017.
"This is a report I pushed for," Morrissey told News5. "I've been doing DNA since the late 80s. I did the first DNA case in Denver. I spent 10 years making sure that the different techniques that were used in the crime labs were acceptable in Colorado courts. We did a cold case program where we looked at over 5,000 cases, and I spearheaded that with the Denver Crime Lab, and we were nationally recognized for solving more cold cases than anywhere else in the world. So I've always been about using DNA to catch men that rape and murder women and children. 90 percent of the crimes where DNA plays a significant role in solving the case, women are the victims of those crimes. Clearly, these rape kits [referencing the CBI backlog], the bulk of those are women. The 10 percent that are left are kids... So this is a science that helps us catch men that are raping and killing women and children in our community. And I don't think there's any other tool that I know of that is more important than that."
The report showcases the following key findings:
- By processing all of the 1,369 DNA kits in the state’s backlog, Colorado could prosecute up to 200 rape cases.
- This would also prevent up to 1,030 sexual assaults, 108 other violent crimes, 230 property offenses, and 113 drug/alcohol, public disorder, and other crimes.
- At a testing cost of $2,000 per kit and adjudication, public-services, and work-loss costs totaling $82,000 per case, clearing the backlog and prosecuting cases associated with it will cost the state $21 million. In return, Colorado’s economy will eventually save $234.7 million due to prevention of future crimes.
- The longer authorities take to clear the backlog, the larger the costs and smaller the savings will become.
- CSI estimates that, by training 15 more DNA scientists over the next year, CBI will clear its DNA backlog of excess kits by July 2027. Delayed processing of kits currently in the backlog, which are expected to be tested by September 2026, will have allowed $51.8 million worth of additional criminal activity.
- Even kits that don't lead to convictions are worth testing for the qualitative benefits they offer, like identifying deceased and incarcerated perpetrators, adding to the national DNA database, and providing closure to victims.
"This backlog is delayed justice for those victims," Morrissey added. "Not only do you run the risk of somebody that's out there re-offending and hurting people, but also those victims that went through this invasive rape kit examination having to sit and wait. Before they had their scandal, it was nine months, totally unacceptable. But then it grew to 18 months because they pulled their staff off to review cases of another analyst. So you know, it went from a bad situation to a worse situation."
The study utilized Miller Cost of Crime Model to determine the estimated financial impact. The expectation of convictions is based on cities and municipalities across the country that have dealt with backlogs of their own.
"What we do at the Common Sense Institute is usually put a cost to whatever it is we're looking at," Morrissey said. "We use a formula that's recognized by people that do this work in order to do that."
Morrissey believes part of the issue tied to the backlog is the state not providing enough financial resources to regional crime labs across the state.
"Don't forget about the great crime labs in this state," Morrissey added. "Colorado Springs has a DNA lab in the police department down there. Arapahoe County and Douglas County now have a brand new lab that does DNA. Denver's been doing DNA longer than CBI has been doing it. Up in northern Colorado, they've got a great lab that started, I think, about 20 years ago. Jeffco [Jefferson County], I worked with their regional lab. They do an outstanding job. I'm still in the business of solving cold cases. That's what my company does. And I work with all these labs. I know how good they are. The legislature should set aside money for those places that are trying to meet this mandate."
Part of the report's conclusion points to the social benefits of eliminating the backlog, which can't be measured.
"I always think about the benefit to the victim," Morrissey said. "I've seen victims that have come in our cold case program, that have come back 20 years later and testified in court... You think they want to put it out of their mind, they can't.. And I've seen family members that were impacted by someone in their family being sexually assaulted. There's a lot of post-traumatic stress that goes with this violent crime."
Click here to read the report from the Common Sense Institute.
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